Corporate Restructuring, Insolvency & Advisory

Overview

When confronted with serious financial challenges and impending insolvency, today's business leaders require quick and practical solutions tailored to protect their interests, optimize the options available to them and pave a path to a desired outcome.

Whether you are a debtor, creditor, buyer, liquidity provider or another stakeholder, we deliver bespoke strategies created to address early, immediate and late-stage financial challenges and, where possible, establish a framework for recovery and growth. Our advice is underpinned by extensive experience in business rescue and reform, a sophisticated commercial perspective and a personal, responsive approach to client service.

Members of our global team have represented clients in high-profile cases across a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, automotive, construction, cannabis, energy, financial services, food & beverage, health & care, infrastructure, life sciences, manufacturing, mining, real estate, retail, leisure & hotels, and tech, among other areas.

Full-service support

Restructuring and insolvency often intersects with other legal areas, adding complexity to your financial situation. Backed by a full-service firm with broad capabilities across various practice areas, our Corporate Restructuring, Insolvency & Advisory Group offers harmonized services that include:

Meet our global team

With significant experience in multi-jurisdictional, cross-border insolvencies and restructurings, our team can assemble a network of professionals to help you overcome obstacles at home and abroad.

Canada

Even in a healthy economic environment, there are sectors in trouble. Whether a company needs early- or late-stage restructuring advice or a secured or unsecured creditor needs immediate counsel, members of Gowling WLG's Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Insolvency Group work to resolve issues quickly, pragmatically and cost-effectively.

As one of the largest groups of its kind in Canada, our team delivers a full range of services from our offices across the country. We've developed a significant practice for creditors and debtors alike, with a high level of expertise in cross-border insolvencies and restructurings.

Our experience spans a broad range of industries, notably including: aquaculture, agriculture, automotive, aviation, banking and finance, biotech, cannabis, construction and development, energy, infrastructure, food and beverage, franchising, health care, hospitality, housing, income trust, life sciences, manufacturing, media, mining and natural resources, publishing, recreational products, retail, real estate, technology, telecom, and transportation and logistics.

A track record of success

Gowling WLG is recognized both nationally and internationally for its creative approach to complex restructuring and insolvency challenges. We expertly represent creditors, debtors, receivers, trustees, monitors, acquirers, suppliers, customers and other restructuring professionals and stakeholders, providing unrivalled service and innovative solutions.

Our services include the following.

Restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency

  • Advising on early stage financial and operational restructurings
  • CCAA and BIA proposal proceedings
  • Bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings
  • Enforcing guarantees and security
  • Negotiating forbearance and accommodation arrangements
  • Advising on insolvency risks in structured transactions
  • Mitigating lender liability issues
  • Assessing directors' liability
  • Advising regulatory agencies on regulatory compliance

Distressed M&A

  • Structuring and executing sales process whether in or out of court
  • Creditor, supplier and customer negotiations
  • Retaining investment bankers and advisers to assist in the distressed M&A process
  • Sourcing, negotiating and documenting interim and permanent financing solutions
  • Timely due diligence on the target

Corporate restructuring

  • Advising on the most complex national, cross-border and multi-jurisdictional insolvencies and restructurings
  • Bringing the talents and skills of our most senior and experienced team members to bear on the most challenging issues faced by our clients
  • Using the respect, trust and experience our corporate restructuring team has earned in the marketplace to leverage the best results for our clients
  • Applying the considerable corporate, securities, financial, litigation, international, real estate, governmental, labour, employment, pension, tax, environmental and other skills in a holistic way to achieve optimal solutions

Learn more

To find out how we can support your restructuring, bankruptcy or insolvency needs, please contact a member of our team.

France

Every business faces financial challenges, or has problems when companies in their customer or supply chain run into difficulties. To make the best of these situations, you need legal specialists to help navigate the various challenges.

Gowling WLG will work with you to analyse the unique financial situation in order to accurately identify the origin and nature of the issues, and assist you in determining applicable solutions that will enable the company to be restructured. This includes handling the procedural, corporate, employment and financial elements.

However complex, high-profile or sensitive the scenario, our restructuring experts are experienced in finding realistic and optimal solutions. Our lawyers have complementary expertise in advising and supporting companies, managers, shareholders or partners facing economic, legal or financial difficulties.

Areas we cover include:

  • Administration, liquidation, receivership and bankruptcy
  • Company voluntary arrangements
  • Corporate restructuring
  • Creditor, supplier and customer negotiations
  • Directors' liability and duties
  • Distressed sale and purchase transactions
  • Insolvency risks in structured transactions
  • Pensions restructuring and covenant advisory
  • Security reviews and pre-insolvency contingency planning

Restructuring and insolvency cases often involve complex and evolving legal issues. We understand the law and how it affects your situation. In working with us, you'll obtain rapid, pragmatic and cost-effective advice.

Learn more

We do restructuring work day in and day out. You can trust us to help you, no matter what the situation. We're ready to assist.

UK

We are with you - through it all

From time to time, businesses face financial challenges, or have to deal with risk because the companies they are dealing with run into difficulties or have collapsed. This can present both threats and opportunities. To make the best of these situations, you will need specialists to help navigate the various challenges. However complex, high-profile or sensitive the scenario, our restructuring experts are experienced in finding realistic and optimal solutions. Restructurings and insolvency cases often involve complex and evolving legal issues. Your adviser has to understand the law and how it affects your situation. We provide guidance quickly, pragmatically and cost-effectively. Our team consists of dedicated specialists in complex, high-profile and confidential restructurings, advisory and insolvency work. We do this work day in, day out.

The specialist teams work in the UK, Canada, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and have a broad practice which includes a high level of expertise in multi-jurisdictional, cross-border insolvencies and restructurings. The team act for boards of directors, all types of lenders, private equity and other funders, government and public bodies, sponsors, pension and other trustees, creditors, debtors, court appointed officers, interim lenders, insolvency practitioners, receivers and purchasers.

As specialists we are immersed in our industry and both the technical and policy aspects of restructuring and insolvency. Members of the team have spent time in government departments helping shape policy, provide regular technical updates, host the Gowling WLG Annual Restructuring & Insolvency Conference and are members of R3, the IFT and the TMA.

How we help

Holistic approach

Using the talents and skills of our most senior and experienced team members, we tackle a range of issues facing our clients. We will call on our experts in our real estate, employment, and tax teams who regularly work with us in distressed situations, to identify and help implement the best solutions for you.

Dedicated support

We will get to know you and understand your situation, your risk and your opportunity quickly. We will act as an extension of your team and we will work to your time pressures and the demands of your business. Our combined technical and commercial perspective on legal issues will provide you with first-class client service, speed of response and an ability to anticipate issues.

Adding value

Working as part of your team, we can help to devise strategies and innovative structures to protect against insolvency risk in relation to development contracts, mergers, outsourcing and other commercial contracts. We also deal with intellectual property rights in restructuring situations, ensuring that these rights are managed and protected.

Multi-jurisdictional, cross-sector knowledge

Practised in multi-jurisdictional, cross-border insolvencies and restructurings, our experience spans the broadest cross-section of sectors. Notably: automotive, agriculture, aquaculture, aviation, care homes, construction, financial services, healthcare, retail and leisure, real estate, technology, natural resources and pensions.

"The team combines breadth of specialist expertise with first class client service and rapid response. The team felt like part of our team. Above all they are commercially astute and don't lose sight of the commercial aspects when providing legal advice, with a fair and flexible approach to fees."
Deloitte UK LLP.

Areas of expertise

  • Administration, liquidation, receivership and bankruptcy
  • Company voluntary arrangements
  • Corporate restructuring
  • Creditor, supplier and customer negotiations
  • Directors' liability and duties
  • Distressed sale and purchase transactions
  • Advice on security and enforcement
  • Pensions restructuring and covenant advisory
  • Insolvency risks in structured transactions
  • Security reviews and pre-insolvency contingency planning