Restructuring/Insolvency

Hugh Sims KC is a standout silk who has published widely on insolvency law and practice. In addition to corporate and personal insolvency, he has particular expertise in asset recovery and directors' liability. He has extensive experience assisting trustees in bankruptcy and private individuals with complex, high-value claims surrounding personal insolvency. He has experience of insolvency cases involving wrongdoing.

"Hugh is amazing at whatever he does. He's amazing to work with and good in front of judges - they love him. Everyone who has him on their side loves it; you don't want him opposite."

"Hugh Sims is very approachable and very bright."

"Hugh Sims is a very good, very impressive silk."

"Hugh is a very experienced and accomplished KC."

"While being intelligent and commercially savvy, Hugh has an air of sophistication and charm which works wonders in the courtroom and with clients."

Stefan Ramel handles personal and corporate insolvency matters, and also writes and speaks on a broad variety of insolvency topics. He is multilingual and is widely respected for his impressive command of cross-border issues. He frequently pursues claims for andagainst directors and shareholders, representing both private individuals and office holders. He is also on the Attorney General's Panel of Junior Counsel.

"A great insolvency lawyer who is as equally at home in delivering superb written advice as he is advocating in court. Stefan is a go-to counsel outside of London."

"Of all barristers, Stefan is my first go-to. He's very commercial, very likeable and very clever."

"Stefan is a pleasure to work with. He's knowledgeable, practical and doesn’t shy away from a challenging case."

"Stefan is excellent. He gives very sound advice, he's very clear and he is able to explain things. He's good at understanding risk and knowledge. He has a very agile and quick mind."

"Stefan is consistently excellent in all areas. His service levels and responses are great."

Holly Doyle has a broad range of experience that encompasses winding-up and bankruptcy petitions as well as complex misfeasance cases and transaction avoidance claims. She is also capable of handling professional negligence claims against administrators. She is regularly involved in high-value cases, appearing before the County and High Courts.

"Holly provides prompt, robust and considered views on cases, which helps shape strategy and manage client expectations from the beginning."

"Holly consistently performs at a high level."

James Hannant is recognised for his specialisms in personal and corporate insolvency, with experience of both advocacy and advisory work. At a contentious level he has been led and appeared as sole counsel. He has expert knowledge of matters involving misfeasance, determining validity of payments and obtaining injunctive relief, and he frequently acts for trustees in bankruptcy.

"James is always approachable and accessible, and great on his feet. He was able to dispatch our opponents' lines of argument swiftly."

"Jamie's attention to detail is excellent. He works hard to get the very best results for the clients."

"James is excellent with the law and with judges. He is also very helpful and very responsive while being an absolute gentleman at all times."

"James Hannant is very thorough and analytical - he gives a concise view of what's going on. He's well prepared in court, has a very straightforward advocacy style and is very methodical."

John Churchill has gained a significant reputation within the field of insolvency, appearing in the High Court and the County Court in company and insolvency cases. He acts in both personal and corporate insolvency, withhis practice regularly delving into misfeasance cases brought by office holders.

"John Churchill is always very keen to help and willing to take on matters at short notice. He's very reliable on general insolvency litigation matters."

"John has shown himself to be capable of understanding complex cases. He is a very knowledgeable restructuring and insolvency lawyer."

"John is really bright and technical in his approach. He's good on his feet."

"He is great to work alongside, approachable and intelligent. John's advocacy and written work are of very high standard."

"John is very thorough, prompt and effective."

Richard Ascroft maintains a substantial practice covering all areas of corporate and personal insolvency law. He is an expert in directors' duties and is regularly instructed in transaction avoidance claims and directors' misfeasance proceedings. He has additionalexperience advising on technical issues surrounding bankruptcy.

"The service Richard has provided is fantastic. He is extremely experienced with directors' disqualification cases. He does it in a way that is very personable and he has an extremely pleasant manner."

"Richard is very easy to deal with, has a good eye for detail and works through problems with you. He is an effective advocate - always very capable in court."

"He gets on incredibly well with clients and his advocacy is very good. Consummately skilful in insolvency and directors' disqualification work - he is my preferred counsel for that type of work."

Simon Passfield KC is a well-regarded barrister active in all areas of corporate and personal insolvency. He acts for liquidators and administrators, as well as corporate entities and individuals more generally. He continues to be instructed in major, high-value disputes.

"Simon is our go-to barrister for anything insolvency-related. He is incredibly bright and user-friendly. He never fails to impress us with his deep knowledge of the area."

"Simon is a true expert in his field with experience and capability beyond his years of call. He is technically excellent, personable and always on hand to provide practical, commercial advice."

"Simon is one of the best barristers I use. He is confident, has excellent advocacy skills and is very intelligent. He is always able to break down complex matters into understandable language."

"Simon is a top-class counsel. He is always offers very good solutions and insight. He's great to have on the team."

"Simon Passfield is a very intelligent counsel. He is very approachable and offers a very high level of service. He turns around things very quickly and nothing is too much trouble."