Daniel Smith

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I joined our restructuring practice as a partner in May 2003 and have progressed to become the firm’s senior restructuring partner based in London. Over the last 19 years, my colleagues and I have built a market-leading restructuring, distressed valuation and debt advisory practice, providing experienced hands-on advice, with the strength and depth of resources, to solve the most complex restructuring situations in the market.

This includes innovative use of Schemes of Arrangement and Restructuring Plans (Part 26 and 26A CA 2006) producing a number of industry firsts including the use of cram-down to inject Super-Senior facilities and the exclusion of out of the money creditors s.901c(4).

A key focus includes high profile, special situations lending and debt restructuring, involving the preparation of independent business reviews, valuations and the raising of hybrid debt and capital in challenging situations. I have worked with a range of institutional shareholders, and creditors, including bank lenders, credit funds, hedge funds and insurers. Core skills include the management of key stakeholders, including HMG and Regulators, through the appropriate and timely use of a common information platform, earnest appraisal, trust and transparency.

With over 30 years’ experience in all, I have led more than 50 special situations business reviews over the past five years. These have included:

identifying and developing financial restructuring opportunities, supported by a combination of valuation, capital raising, disposal of non-core business and strategic operational change, formulating and implementing detailed transition step plans
taking board advisory and observer roles
critical review of cashflows to develop mitigation strategies
improving governance around directors’ duties and inter-group issues
the use of pre-planned insolvency procedures and longer-term workouts acting as asset manager.

I am head of our award winning private sector healthcare advisory team. Other principal sectors include manufacturing, real estate and leisure.

When I am not working, I enjoy hiking, cycling, running and rugby.