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Restructuring and insolvency

Specialist restructuring advisers and insolvency solicitors

Clarke Willmott’s specialist team of restructuring and insolvency solicitors is led by six partners with a combined total of over 100 years’ experience and expertise across a wide range of sectors involving UK and international jurisdictions.

We act for directors, stakeholders, insolvency office holders and a government department.

We are known for being creative and innovative lawyers and our in-depth knowledge and technical expertise ensures we provide practical, pragmatic and commercially astute advice.

How our specialist solicitors can help

Acting for stakeholders

Wherever possible our focus is on recovery of the business and its corporate structure. By seeking expert legal advice quickly, it may be possible for a struggling organisation to avoid formal insolvency proceedings all together. We are experienced in dealing with the particular issues a business in financial distress is faced with, including insolvency, restructuring, refinancing and commercial dispute resolution.

Our involvement with a distressed business can take many different forms, for example:

  • Advising stakeholders and management on when and how to restructure a business including advice on finance, security and related issues
  • Advising directors on their duties under the Insolvency and Companies legislation. We frequently sit alongside the management of a business, using our network of contacts to form a team to devise and implement a turnaround strategy.
  • Advising turnaround professionals/interim managers on their engagement, role and responsibilities and assisting them and the client company’s management on strategy and implementation.
  • Advising investors and creditors on their rights and on potential actions that can be taken to preserve their interests or enhance their recovery in a potentially insolvent company
  • Advising banks and asset-based lenders on the validity and strength of their security and on options for enhancement and/ or enforcement
  • Advising individuals or companies on potential investment in, or acquisition of, distressed businesses.
  • Advising other creditors on security interests, retention of title, liens or other proprietary interests in the assets of an insolvent or distressed business

Acting for insolvency office holders

  • Acting for insolvency office holders in respect of the whole range of formal insolvency appointments including advising on appointment issues, business and asset sales, priority of security and advice on creditor claims generally
  • Investigating the causes of insolvency and pursuing claims in respect of antecedent transactions, wrongful and fraudulent trading claims
  • Pursuing unlawful dividend and breach of director duty claims
  • Claims against third parties in dishonest breach of trust and related claims
  • Advising on challenging Employee Benefit Trust schemes
  • Advising generally on the recovery of assets from off-shore trusts.

Contact a restructuring and insolvency solicitor today

Call for a free initial consultation today on 0800 652 8025 or get in touch online.

Recommendations

‘The team at Clarke Wilmott are exceptional at dealing with complex matters efficiently and at keeping the client updated at all stages.’ The Legal 500 2025
‘Strong and dynamic. High level of commerciality. Junior team particularly impressive.’ The Legal 500 2025
‘The team is very experienced in insolvency and also are lovely people to deal with.’ The Legal 500 2025
‘They are never too busy to take instructions, discuss issues or develop a collaborative, sensible and commercial approach to any office holder’s case issues.’ The Legal 500 2025
“Clarke Willmott have great exposure to the wider national insolvency market.” Chambers 2025
“They are smooth to work with and user-friendly. Their organisation saves me from unnecessary discussion and rubber stamping.” Chambers 2025
“Clarke Willmott have great exposure to the wider national insolvency market.” Chambers 2025

Your key contacts

Martin Askew

Partner

Bristol and London
Martin Askew is a partner in Clarke Willmott solicitors’ Bristol Restructuring & Insolvency team specialising in insolvency and off shore trust entities.
View profile for Martin Askew >

Ken MacLennan

Partner

Bristol, Cardiff and Taunton
Ken MacLennan is a partner in Clarke Willmott’s Bristol Insolvency & Restructuring team and has a wide range of experience in corporate restructuring.
View profile for Ken MacLennan >

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