Biography
Andrew is recognised across all major legal directories and has been described as a “tour de force” in Chambers UK and by Legal 500 UK as a “star restructuring lawyer” and “the real deal” who is “very commercial” and “understands how creditors think.” He is recognised as a ‘Thought Leader’ for Restructuring & Insolvency in Who’s Who Legal and a leading individual in IFLR1000 and Chambers UK where commentators note that he “brings with him a really sophisticated understanding of restructuring from the financial advisory and legal side,” which is “a real distinctive advantage in the market.” He was featured as “Lawyer of the Week” by The Times and has been part of the team recognised by the following awards: GRR Awards “Sovereign Debt Restructuring of the Year 2024”, FT Innovative Lawyers “Innovative Lawyers in Restructuring 2024”, The Lawyer Awards “Restructuring Team of the Year 2020”; Legal Business Awards 2016 “Restructuring Team of the Year”; Financial News Awards 2016 “Restructuring Team of the Year”; The Lawyer 2014 “Restructuring Team of the Year”; Euromoney 2011 “Best Corporate Restructuring House”; Dealogic 2012 “Restructuring team of the year”; and Banker 2012 “Mouchel Restructuring of the Year.”
His experience includes many significant public, creditor and private company restructurings across Europe, representing debtors on major restructurings, working on securitisations and structured deals, financial institution restructurings and insolvencies, and advising government bodies and financial institutions. He pioneered the use of schemes of arrangement for high yield bond restructurings in Europe.
Andrew is a visiting Professor at University College London, where he teaches the post graduate LLM module on financial restructuring.
Experience includes:
- Advising an ad hoc committee of Ukraine’s Eurobonds in connection with Ukraine’s $23 billion sovereign debt restructuring
- Advising Doncasters, the aerospace and defence company, in relation to its restructuring
- syncreon Group Holdings B.V., and its affiliates, in its cross-border balance sheet restructuring involving approximately $1.1 billion of funded debt, including English schemes of arrangement and associated chapter 15 and CCAA recognition proceedings
- Advising the ad hoc committee of senior secured noteholders on the restructuring of Edcon Limited
- Currently advising the ad hoc committee of bondholders on the restructuring of EnQuest, the largest independent UK oil producer in the North Sea
- Franklin Templeton and other investors in relation to Ukrainian sovereign and sub-sovereign debt
- In relation to Stemcor, the most important UK mining and metals restructuring of the current cycle
- Advent International, the indirect majority shareholder of Towergate Finance plc, in the course of a consensual restructuring of Towergate’s capital structure
- The Irish Government on its participation in the EU bailout and related Irish bank debt exchanges
- Banco Espírito Santo SA, insolvency of Portugal’s largest listed bank
- A leading Nigerian energy company as strategic bidder in the restructuring of Afren, a London-listed international oil and gas company
- Advising in relation to the restructurings of the US drilling companies, Paragon Offshore plc and Vantage Drilling
- Advising stakeholders in relation to Seadrill, Prosafe and Transocean
- In relation to the restructuring of certain indebtedness issued by the City of Kyiv
- hibu, on the largest UK public company restructuring in the current cycle, involving a scheme of arrangement*
- Monier GmbH, the largest LBO restructuring in the current cycle*
- Technicolor, the largest French public company restructuring in the current cycle*
- Barchester, the largest U.K. healthcare restructuring*
- Metrovacesa and Eroski restructurings (both Spanish public companies)*
- the U.K. Government and tri-partite on Northern Rock*
- creditors on the restructurings of Eurotunnel, British Energy, IFCO, NTL, Telewest, Netia, UPC, TXU Europe, and German auto-parts manufacturer Schefenacker AG (first COMI shift)*
- Punch, Mouchel, Premier Foods and various sponsor portfolio companies*
- Pioneering SIV restructurings and led deals for Cheyne, Whistlejacket, Mainsail and Rhinebridge*
- created the scheme of arrangement/chapter 15 structure to provide a run-off of the London insurance market companies in 1999*
*Experience whilst at a previous firm
Firm News & Announcements, Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Guides and Resources, Latest Thinking
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises Bondholders on $23 Billion Restructuring of Ukraine’s Sovereign Debt Deal Brief — September 03, 2024
- Weil Guides SAS Through a Successful Emergence from Chapter 11 Deal Brief — August 29, 2024
Awards and Recognition
- Weil Honored for Advising on Zambia’s Debt Restructuring Award Brief — GRR Awards 2024
- Weil’s London Office Shortlisted for Private Capital and Restructuring Awards Award Brief — Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Europe Awards 2024
Latest Thinking
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Motor finance: FCA publishes new complaint handling rules for ‘non-discretionary commission arrangements’, following recent court judgments
Blog Post — Weil European Restructuring Watch
— By
Neil Devaney,
Andrew J. Wilkinson,
Natasha Ayres,
Matt Benson,
Lois Deasey,
Jenny Davidson,
Mark Lawford and
Gemma Sage
— December 20, 2024
The FCA has published complaint handling rules for non-discretionary commission arrangements (“Non-DCA”) under motor finance regulated credit agreements and regulated motor finance consumer hire (lease) agreements. The new rules come into force on 20 December 2024 and will apply to complaints received on or after 26 October 2024. As far as possible, the new rules ...
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UK Supreme Court refuses cross-border insolvency assistance under the “immovables rule”: Kireeva v Bedzhamov
Blog Post — Weil European Restructuring Watch
— By
Neil Devaney,
Andrew J. Wilkinson,
Natasha Ayres,
Matt Benson,
Jenny Davidson,
Lois Deasey,
Mark Lawford and
Gemma Sage
— November 26, 2024
In a significant decision for cross-border insolvency, the UK Supreme Court in Kireeva v Bedzhamov has confirmed that under the English common law, judicial assistance from the English Courts to foreign courts and foreign insolvency officeholders is subject to the “immovables rule”. This means that, unless such courts and insolvency officeholders can avail themselves of assistance ...
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Cineworld successfully restructures UK leases via UK restructuring plan
Blog Post — Weil European Restructuring Watch
— By
Andrew J. Wilkinson,
Neil Devaney,
Natasha Ayres,
Matt Benson,
Lois Deasey,
Jenny Davidson,
Mark Lawford and
Gemma Sage
— October 01, 2024
The High Court has exercised its cram down power and sanctioned the Part 26A restructuring plans proposed by four of Cineworld’s UK operating companies, in face of significant opposition from its landlord creditors. In sanctioning the plan, Cineworld’s UK Group has avoided administration at the end of September. ...
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The Weil European Distress Index
Blog Post — Weil European Restructuring Watch
— By
Andrew J. Wilkinson,
Neil Devaney,
Matt Benson,
Jenny Davidson,
Lois Deasey,
Mark Lawford,
Gemma Sage,
Céline Domenget-Morin,
Jean-Dominique Daudier de Cassini and
Britta Grauke
— July 15, 2024
The latest Weil European Distress Index reveals a mixed picture of economic recovery across Europe. Analysing data from over 3,750 listed corporations and financial market indicators, the Index shows a general decline in distress levels, highlighting positive developments in many of the continent’s major economies. Whilst ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties persist across Europe, the outlook has ...
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Andrew Wilkinson Interviewed on The Turnaround Podcast
Blog Post — Weil European Restructuring Watch
— By
Andrew J. Wilkinson
— April 10, 2024
European Senior Partner and Restructuring Co-Head Andrew J. Wilkinson was interviewed by host Stephen Phillips on the inaugural episode of “The Turnaround Podcast.” Andrew joined Stephen to discuss key takeaways from his career, including his professional journey into the restructuring world, the key role restructuring advice plays in strategic planning for businesses and the emotional side of ...