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Paul specialises in restructuring, work-outs, corporate insolvency and distressed investments.

Paul has extensive experience advising creditors, companies, insolvency practitioners and investors in respect of distressed situations. Paul also advises in respect of loan portfolio sales and other secondary debt market transactions.

Publications

Background

Originally from New Zealand, Paul practised in London for a number of years with Linklaters and Lovells before joining Herbert Smith Freehills.

Paul has a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University of Wellington and is a Fellow of INSOL International (awarded with Honours)

Paul is admitted to practice in New South Wales, England & Wales and New Zealand. Paul was appointed a director of the Australian board of the Turnaround Management Association in 2020 after serving as vice-chair of the NSW committee for the Turnaround Management Association from 2018-2020.

Recognition

Chambers Asia Pacific: Band 3 for Restructuring/Insolvency – Australia (2020). A client notes: "He's extremely responsive, technically extremely strong and very commercial, which is a rare combination"

Legal 500: Next Generation Partner for Restructuring and Insolvency (2020)

IFLR1000: Highly regarded for Australia in the area of Restructuring and Insolvency (2020)

Best Lawyers Australia: Recognised as one of Australia's leading lawyers in the areas of Banking & Finance, Distressed Investing & Debt Trading and Insolvency & Reorganisation Law (2020)

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • Arq Group in connection with its business disposal process and amendments to its banking facilities following breaches of its facility documents 
  • Retail Food Group on its recapitalisation and restructuring of its A$260m debt facilities
  • the senior lenders in respect of the administration and liquidation of the RCR Tomlinson group
  • the senior lenders to BIS Industries in respect of its A$1.2 billion restructuring, by way of two schemes of arrangement and a debt for equity swap under which the senior lenders obtained ownership of 96% of the BIS group
  • a key owner, shipper and noteholder in respect of the restructuring of WICET (Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal)
  • KKR and Olympus as secured lenders and Ferrier Hodgson as receivers in respect of the receivership of the Keystone Group (a major Australian restaurant and bar group)
  • Imdex (an Australian mining services company) on the successful restructuring of its debt facilities
  • an international bank on a successful workout and settlement in respect of a significant exposure to an Indonesian palm oil producer
  • an international bank on successfully exiting its exposure from Wollongong Coal
  • Various noteholders on the restructuring and insolvency of the Singapore listed and Australian incorporated Linc Energy
  • Seven Group in connection with the restructuring of Nexus Energy
  • KKR, Varde and Deutsche Bank in connection with the financing of their acquisition of GE’s Australian and New Zealand consumer finance business
  • Suncorp Group on the sale of its A$1.6 billion non-core corporate and property loan portfolio to Goldman Sachs
  • Goldman Sachs in respect of the A$3.4 billion restructuring of Nine Entertainment Group
  • Deutsche Bank on its acquisition of various loan portfolios from the Banksia group