James Kirkpatrick
Biography
James is a senior associate in Baker McKenzie's Banking and Finance Department based in London. James predominantly acts on restructuring and insolvency matters. James joined Baker McKenzie from the Restructuring, Turnaround and Insolvency team of a top tier international firm based in Sydney, Australia.
James has extensive experience advising stakeholders in a wide variety of domestic and cross-border corporate distress situations, including administrators, liquidators and receivers, secured and unsecured lenders and other creditors, vendors and purchasers of distressed assets, and boards and shareholders of distressed entities.
James has advised clients including domestic and international banks, domestic and multinational private equity firms, large listed and private corporations and major insolvency practitioner and accounting firms.
Practice Focus
- Advised Antalis Group, a worldwide leader in the B2B distribution of papers, packaging and visual communication and part of the Kokusai Pulp & Paper Group, on its acquisition of a worldwide portfolio of brands out of the administration of its former supplier, Arjowiggins Scotland Limited.
- Advised private equity firm, Bain Capital, on its award-winning AUD 3.5 billion acquisition of formerly ASX-listed Virgin Australia Group by way of ten deeds of company arrangement and on associated implementation issues.
- Advised formerly ASX-listed Speedcast Group, the largest provider of remote/offshore satellite communications operating in over 40 countries, on the implementation in Australia of its award-winning USD 1 billion restructuring under US Chapter 11 and USD 500 million equity investment by private equity firm Centerbridge.
- Advised SRG Global Limited, a global specialist asset maintenance, mining services and construction group, on the successful completion of its USD 14.2 million acquisition of WBHO Infrastructure Pty Ltd out of voluntary administration by way of deed of company arrangement.
- Advised Nikkei-listed Mitsui & Co Ltd, one of the largest general trading companies in Japan and part of one of the largest global corporate groups, on their AUD 7 million secured debt exposure to the receivership, administration and subsequent AUD 60 million liquidation of CuDeco Ltd, an ASX-listed mining company.
- Advised Carriageworks Limited, Australia's largest contemporary multi-arts centre, on its exit from its AUD 5 million administration via a deed of company arrangement incorporating a AUD 1 million working capital loan and AUD 750,000 in donations.
- Advised a senior secured lender syndicate comprising CBA, HCC, MUFG Bank, Swiss Re (Singapore), Chubb and others in respect of their AUD 235 million exposure to the AUD 630 million administration and liquidation of the formerly ASX-listed RCR Tomlinson Group.
- Advised KPMG Australia in their capacity as administrators and liquidators in respect of the AUD 165 million insolvency of Northern Oil & Gas Australia Group.
- Advised PricewaterhouseCoopers in their capacity as administrators and liquidators in respect of the AUD 15 million insolvency of University Co-Operative Bookshop and asset sale to Booktopia.
- Advised GPT Group, an Australian property investment group with a AUD 25.3 billion portfolio of office, logistics and retail assets, on the insolvency of the Grocon Group and debts of approximately AUD 41 million owed by Grocon to GPT in relation to complex lease tail obligations.
- Advised formerly ASX-listed large retail investment group CNPR Group (formerly Centro Properties Group) on its liquidation and the wind-up of its remaining trust and corporate entities.
Admissions
- Supreme Court of New South Wales~Australia (2016)
- Federal Court of Australia~Australia (2016)
- High Court of Australia (Solicitor)~Australia (2016)
Education
- The College of Law (Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice) (2016)
- University of Sydney (Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Laws) (2015)