John is Head of our Restructuring and Insolvency Group and advises clients on all aspects of Irish insolvency and restructuring law and procedures, and related special situations and transactions.

John specialises in restructuring and insolvency law, with particular emphasis on corporate restructuring, through both formal and informal procedures. He has represented clients of the firm with respect to many of the highest profile and complex restructuring and insolvency cases in Ireland over the last twenty years, and has extensive experience in all aspects of company law, distressed M&A and the purchase and work-out of distressed debt assets.

John represents all classes of creditors, debtors, investors, insolvency practitioners, regulators and other stakeholders in relation to the safeguarding of their interests, the discharge of their duties and the mitigation of risk and potential liabilities.

Relevant Experience

• Advising the Mallinckrodt Group in relation to all Irish law aspects of the restructuring of c.$5.4 billion of funded debt through ongoing Chapter 11 proceedings and proposed Irish examinership proceedings
• Advising an ad hoc committee of 1st Lien Lenders in relation to the c.$7 billion restructuring of the Endo Pharmaceuticals Group through Chapter 11 proceedings, including its credit to acquire the worldwide assets of the debtor group
• Advising Avaya Corporation in relation to all Irish law aspects of the restructuring of c. $2.95 billion funded debt through Chapter 11 proceedings, and the successful emergence from those bankruptcy proceedings
• Advising Ares Management Corporation in relation to all Irish law aspects of the c$225m restructuring of certain affiliates within the Mainstream Renewables Group
• Advising EML Payments Limited, a company listed on the Australian stock exchange, relation to its petition seeking the Court liquidation of its subsidiary, PFS Card Services Ireland Limited, an e-money institution regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland
• Advising Chartered Land (one of Ireland’s largest and highest profile property development companies) in relation to the consensual restructuring of funded debt acquired by an Allianz/Hammerson plc joint venture from NAMA, which also involved the sale of the Jewel portfolio assets (including Dundrum Town Centre among other prime retail assets)
• Advising Celtic Roads Group (Waterford) DAC (a PPP company that holds the concession for the N25, a major Irish toll road) in relation to a comprehensive financial restructuring of c.€215 million of funded debt by means of a debt for equity swap implemented through a High Court approved Scheme of Arrangement
• Advising various private equity funds, including Bain Capital, Apollo, Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, CarVal Investors, Kennedy Wilson, Midwest Capital and Tetrarch Capital in relation to acquisition and / or the subsequent restructuring of portfolios of various non-performing loan assets
• Advising the Department of Finance in relation to the special liquidation of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited, including the drafting of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Act 2013 and Ministerial Instructions and Directions issued to the special liquidators under that Act
• Advising the Central Bank of Ireland on all matters relating to the exercise of its resolution powers under the Central Bank and Credit Institutions (Resolution) Act 2011, BRRD and resolution generally.  Cases to date include advising the Central Bank with respect to directed transfers of the business and undertakings of various credit unions, liquidations of credit unions, and the recent administration and subsequent liquidation of CBL Insurance Europe DAC