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Sarah Letson

Partner
About

Sarah Letson heads up DLA Piper’s Restructuring practice in Scotland.

Sarah is experienced in all aspects of non-contentious restructuring and insolvency and regularly advises lenders and office-holders on domestic and international financial restructuring transactions. Additionally, she supports and advises boards of directors of distressed companies and assists corporates on reviewing and managing counterparty insolvency risk.

Sarah also represents clients on insolvency and consensual turnarounds across various sectors including:

  • Care homes
  • Energy - Oil and gas
  • Hospitality and leisure
  • Real estate
  • Retail

Sarah is dual qualified in Scotland and England. Prior to relocating to Scotland in 2019, Sarah worked at DLA Piper’s London office for 10 years.

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising a secured lender client on a consensual sale and leaseback of a borrower’s commercial premises, to achieve a reduction of term loan facilities to better position the borrower group for a refinance. Advising the client on the refinance of the remaining term loan facility and invoice finance facility, which achieved the client being repaid in full. Completion October 2023.
  • Advising (i) a secured lender client regarding a borrower that owned an England-based hotel, including worldwide freezing order and sanction issues restrictions; and (ii) Advising the related administrators on the trading and sale of the hotel, retaining all staff and making full payment to all creditors. Completion July 2023.
  • Advising Interpath as administrators of AMT Coffee on a pre-pack sale of 18 sites (across Scotland, England and Ireland) and a further sale of 6 sites (England). Completion November 2022.
  • Advising a secured lender client on the first Restructuring Plan in the SME space – Houst Limited. Completion July 2022.
  • Advising a secured lender client of an offshore borrower group that owned a Scotland-based shopping centre. Drafted and negotiated a standstill agreement incorporating terms for a consensual sale of the shopping centre to maximise the return to the secured lender. Completion February 2021.
  • Advising a security trustee client on the appropriation of shares in a company (within a pan European car hire and valeting group), and the onward transfer to a lender controlled newco. Completion July 2020.
  • Advising the administrators of a property development company where the directors procured a refinance of the indebtedness in full. The company was returned to the control of the directors, and the administrators exited pursuant to paragraph 80 of Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act 1986. Completion February 2020.
  • Advising the boards of directors of approximately 200 Carillion plc subsidiaries following the liquidation of their parent companies. Project run time January 2018 – June 2018.
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
Education
  • Glasgow Graduate School of Law, 2006
  • Strathclyde University, Law and Spanish 1st Class Hons. 2005 (including a year spent studying Spanish law at La Universidad Pública de Navarra)

Awards

  • Nominated as a “We are the City - Rising Star” in 2016

Prior Experience

Joined DLA London in 2011 from a UK national law firm. Moved to DLA Piper Edinburgh in 2019.

Seconded to a major UK clearing bank in London for 15 months.

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Head Start - mentoring programme: Mentor to junior female fee-earners.

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