New partner hire strengthens Penningtons Manches' restructuring and insolvency team

Posted: 19/03/2014

Séamas Gray has joined Penningtons Manches LLP as a restructuring and insolvency partner to further develop the team following the firm’s enlargement in October 2013. He joins the firm from Olswang and, prior to that, he was joint head of Pinsent Mason’s London restructuring practice.

Séamas has acted on a wide variety of assignments from UK mid-market to some of the largest and most complex European and global financial restructurings and insolvencies, both contentious and non-contentious.  He has particular expertise in the healthcare, real estate, retail, leisure and pensions sectors, having previously set up the first dedicated pension restructuring team in the City in 2010.

Significant recent mandates include the restructurings of the Akari Group, a group of 39 care homes separating from the wider Bondcare Group; Ashpol Group, a property portfolio group with £130 million professional securities exchange listed debt; Milton Keynes NHS Hospital Foundation Trust, a £285 million turnover, 3,000 employee hospital; and Composite Technology Corporation, resulting in the leading European decision (Court of Appeal) on the stay of related pending actions in different European jurisdictions - Stribog Limited v FKI Engineering Limited.   Séamas has also worked on many of the largest retail restructurings including acting for the lead lender of the ground-breaking CVA restructuring of JJB Sports, as well as Borders and MFI.

The latest edition of The Legal 500 recognises that Séamas is ‘straight to the point and sets a good strategy’.  Philip Smith of Red Clover describes Séamas as ‘technically excellent, completely dedicated and commercially invaluable’.

Commenting on Séamas’ appointment, Franco Bosi, head of Penningtons Manches’ business services division, said: “His experience in complex restructurings as well as his considerable insolvency experience will fit perfectly and assist in the continued development of our established multi-disciplinary restructuring and insolvency team.”

Séamas will be based in the London office but will support the firm’s restructuring and insolvency practice across all of its seven offices.

Return to news headlines