Restructuring/Insolvency
Asia-Pacific Guide 2025 : Australia
Band 2
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+61 2 9230 4000About
Provided by Allens
Allens has a dedicated national restructuring and insolvency practice with partners in each of our Australian offices. The firm's reputation is built around its technical expertise, solutions based approach, depth of resources and ability to marshal industry related expertise across a range of sectors from its broad practice base.
We operate across the full spectrum of restructuring and work out scenarios; disposal and acquisition of distressed debt portfolios; in all forms of corporate insolvency administrations under Australian insolvency laws; in scenarios where Australian law interfaces with international insolvency law; in prosecuting and defending litigation (including class actions) arising in the context of insolvency scenarios; and in undertaking advisory work for key stakeholders in distressed or insolvency scenarios. Our practice is both financier and debtor side. It also supports our M&A capability in acquiring entities or assets in distressed or insolvency scenarios.
One of our key differentiators is that our restructuring and insolvency team enjoys a significant reputation for its technical competence and expertise in conducting complex, large-scale and often multi-jurisdictional restructurings and insolvencies which require extensive legal capability and bench depth in resources. Our ability to call upon experts from across all necessary disciplines gives our clients a team of leaders in their respective fields and exceptional service delivery.
Chambers Review
Allens houses a complete restructuring and insolvency offering, fielding experts in workouts and debt trading as well as insolvency litigation and securities enforcement actions. The team operates in a number of sectors including mining, infrastructure and financial services. The firm has extensive experience advising clients, including creditors, borrowers and insolvency practitioners, on high-profile and multi-jurisdictional restructures and insolvencies.
Work Highlights
- Allens advised Ernst & Young in its capacity as administrators of certain entities within the Rivet Group of companies.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Allens is very responsive to queries and assists with input to strategies that are beyond just the core legal advice."
"The team provides very high-quality work with a very commercial approach."
"The team is responsive and always available, with good people across the board."
"Allens is very responsive to queries and assists with input to strategies that are beyond just the core legal advice."
"The team provides very high-quality work with a very commercial approach."
"The team is responsive and always available, with good people across the board."
Notable Practitioners
Alf Pappalardo is a well-regarded Brisbane-based practitioner who is frequently instructed by both creditors and debtors on restructuring proposals and has substantial experience assisting clients on formal insolvencies.
"Alf works really closely with his clients and is very open in his communications."
"He is good on strategy, provides commercial advice, and is a go-to for difficult situations."
Chris Prestwich is based in Sydney and acts for clients who include lenders, insolvency practitioners and corporates from an impressively varied range of industries, focusing closely, though by no means exclusively, on contentious matters.
Matthew Whittle is a busy and popular Melbourne-based lawyer who is regularly instructed on significant receiverships, liquidations and restructurings, bringing to the table extensive experience in litigated matters and the handling of those involving SMEs.
"I couldn't speak more highly of Matt; he's across key issues, key matters and legal complexities."
Philip Blaxill is a Perth-based lawyer who advises clients on restructuring and insolvency matters in a number of sectors, including mining and aged care. He is particularly active on litigated matters and on those involving distressed borrowers.
"Philip provides us with very good legal advice, commercial awareness and a strong reputation in the market."
Tania Cini is an experienced, Melbourne-based practitioner who regularly advises creditors and insolvency practitioners in relation to financial distress issues arising from a variety of industries and business sectors, including manufacturing, property, resources and transport. Interviewees are quick to identify her capabilities as a litigator.
"Tania is a very experienced, dependable and respected lawyer."