Restructuring and Insolvency

Russell McVeagh's insolvency lawyers advise on some of the most significant and high-profile restructurings and insolvencies in the New Zealand market as well as cross-border insolvencies. We have a multi-disciplinary team of practitioners who provide financial advice, corporate advisory, and assistance with litigation when required.
 
Our dedicated national restructuring and insolvency practice has experience advising on a full range of restructuring and insolvency matters, including debt recoveries, voluntary administrations, corporate debt restructurings, bankruptcies, liquidations, cross-border insolvencies, creditor claims, directors duties, receiverships, and turnarounds.
 
We advise a range of different clients, including receivers of companies, insolvency practitioners, liquidators, creditors, company directors, financiers, special situations investors, and trustees.

"Russell McVeagh has a strong restructuring and insolvency team with talented and hardworking lawyers. They also bring in very good subject matter experts to assist in engagements when required." - The Legal 500 (Asia-Pacific 2020 guide), client feedback.

Our Restructuring and Insolvency team has been recognised across all the main legal directories and industry platforms, including being listed as the only New Zealand firm in the Global Restructuring Review's GRR100 2021 list and being ranked in the top tier by The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2021 guide, IFLR1000 and Doyles Guide.
 
Restructuring and Insolvency partner Matthew Kersey is recognised as a leading individual in his field by Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and the peer-nominated Doyles guide, and is listed as an Elite Practitioner by Asialaw Profiles 2021. He sits on the Board of the Restructuring, Insolvency & Turnaround Association New Zealand (RITANZ) and is a member of Insol: the International Association of Insolvency professionals.
 

“Partner Matt Kersey is an excellent operator and one of New Zealand’s very best restructuring and insolvency lawyers. Having worked on some of the largest and most complex restructuring deals in the market, he has unparalleled technical knowledge of the law and is a very strong litigator.” – The Legal 500 (Asia-Pacific 2020 guide), client feedback.

 
The team was awarded 'Impact case of the year' at the Asialaw Awards 2020 for its work advising the administrators of CBL Insurance.

Related experience includes advising:

• The receivers of FE Investments.
• The administrators of CBL Corporation.
• The secured creditors and receivers of Tamarind Taranaki Limited.
• The liquidators of Halifax NZ.
• The administrators of the RCR group of companies.
• General Motors on the cessation of its business in New Zealand.
• The receiver of Orange H Group Limited and other companies in the group.
• A major secured creditor in relation to the receivership of the companies operating Burger King restaurants in New Zealand.
• Receivers of the Pumpkin Patch retail group.
• Senior financers in relation to Solid Energy New Zealand’s restructuring in 2015.
• Senior record creditors on the New Zealand recognition proceedings (Chapter 11) for UCI Holdings.
• Bath Street Capital in proceedings brought by Pyne Gould Corporation in respect of the sale of shares in Perpetual Trust Limited.
• An investor in respect of its senior debt holding and shareholding in the Mediaworks debt for equity restructure.
• The receivers of the Mainzeal construction group.
• The voluntary administrators and deed administrators of RED Group, including the Whitcoulls and Borders New Zealand retail chains.
• The receivers of the Hurlstone Group.
• Senior and subordinated lenders to the Yellow Pages Group.
• The security trustee and senior banks in relation to the NZ Glass (Metroglass) restructure.