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Christopher Roberts

Partner
About

Christopher Roberts practices in the area of Restructuring with particular focus on non-contentious aspects of corporate recovery, restructuring, turnaround and the various UK formal insolvency regimes.

His clients include banks, asset based lenders, insolvency practitioners, directors, shareholders and other stakeholders in relation to distressed corporate situations.

Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

  • Duff & Phelps (as administrators) on the administration of Calvetron Brands Limited – a leading concession based retailer of ladies clothing and accessories. The company operated out of 350+ locations (including over 60 located outside the UK and Ireland) and employed circa 1,500 employees.
  • Ernst & Young LLP on the insolvency of Internationale, a national retailer of womenswear. Christopher negotiated and documented the disposal of the business covering over 130 separate stores across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man.
  • Conviviality and PwC (as administrators) on the sale of the group's wholesale business to the C&C Group (a transaction that saved nearly 2,000 jobs) and the sale of the group’s retail business to the grocery wholesaler, Bestway (this transaction saved approximately 1,700 jobs).
  • Ernst & Young as administrators of KSR Electronics Systems Limited. Trading and funding arrangements, with two European-based tier one automotive suppliers, were agreed to ensure continued provision of goods and services within the “just in time” supply chain model. The agreements reached ensured that all costs in the administration, as well as guaranteed monthly trading profit figures, were paid in advance to ensure an improved position for all creditors of the business.
  • RBS and NatWest on the financial restructure and refinance of Herbert T Forrest Limited and its group companies. With a turnover of GBP100m the Forrest Group undertook new build construction projects and refurbishment of social and local authority housing across the public and private sectors in Manchester, Bolton and around the North West.
  • Duff & Phelps as administrators in connection with the sale of Sceptre Leisure, the UK's largest supplier of gambling and amusement machines. The business operated more than 25,000 gaming machines, from 10 regional depots to pubs, leisure facilities and motorway service stations and had been listed on the AIM stock market.
  • Duff & Phelps’ as administrators of HC Realisations Limited (formerly HC Facility Management Limited trading as Hotel Care) which serviced over 200 hotels and 30,000 rooms per day across the UK. The company was placed into administration following which a sale of the business was completed preserving over 3,800 jobs in the hotel sector and ensuring continuity of service supply for customers.
  • Ernst & Young LLP as administrators of a number of companies within the AIM listed Outsourcery group. The group provided cloud-based IT, infrastructure and business communications solutions to a range of corporate customers.
  • Close Invoice Finance in relation to the restructuring and refinancing of Cordant Group (one of the UK’s largest recruitment companies with an annual turnover of GBP1.2 billion), which saw over 45,000 jobs protected.
  • Duff & Phelps on the administration pre-pack sale of certain of the business and assets of Seed Cap Holdings Limited, Monarch Education Limited, Medicare First Limited and Team 24 Limited - together operating one of the UK's leading public sector recruitment specialists across education, healthcare and social care generating turnover of circa GBP150m.
  • Interpath Limited as administrators of Big Homes Shop Limited and Physioroom Limited, two online retailers which entered administration in light of, amongst other things, supply chain issues. The DLA Piper team, led by Chris, advised the Administrators on their ability to continue to trade via online marketplaces, on employment issues, general trading queries and the subsequent successful sale of the business and assets of the companies.
  • Kroll in the UK and Australia on the pre-packaged sale of the business and assets of Pass Software Limited.
  • Maslow Capital (as secured lender) and Opus LLP (as administrators) in respect of a company developing a 326-bed student accommodation scheme located in Derby.
  • FRP Advisory, as administrators of Gaia Technologies plc (a provider of ICT technology, products and services to schools, colleges and universities).
Education
  • Sheffield University, LLB Law degree, First Class honours, 2000
  • Chester College of Law, LPC, Qualified with distinction, 2001

Awards

  • Chris Roberts is relied on by clients to provide advice on complex restructurings, administration sales and directors' duties. Chambers & Partners 2021
  • "Chris is excellent, cooperative and collaborative." Chambers & Partners 2021
  • "Christopher Roberts is excellent" Legal 500 2020
  • "Christopher Roberts and Robert Russell are both excellent lawyers; they are technically exceptional and have a strong presence in the local market place" Legal 500 2020
  • Chris Roberts comes recommended for his handling of non-contentious restructuring and insolvency mandates, including turnarounds and distressed acquisitions. He regularly acts for banks, shareholders and insolvency practitioners. Sources say he is "good technically and a brilliant lawyer." Chambers & Partners 2020
  • Chris Roberts is well regarded for his expertise on non-contentious insolvency matters. He has particular experience working on transactions out of administration. Sources consider him to be "well grounded" and "a good operator." Chambers & Partners 2018
  • Chris Roberts "is a really good lawyer, very market-facing and very well liked," according to interviewees. He is praised for his non-contentious work, including corporate recovery and distressed business turnaround. Chambers & Partners 2017
  • Winner of the under 35 "Lawyer of the Year" category at ProManchester's Made in Manchester awards ceremony 2014

Seminars

Christopher is a founding member of and regular speaker at DLA Piper's North West Asset Based Lender Forums.

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