News
Restructuring & Special Situations 2022 Year in Review
30 November 2022
Scott Harris
Managing PartnerSydney
Email [email protected]hoganlovells.com
Phone +61 2 9093 3510
Fax +61 2 9093 3559
LanguagesEnglish
Practice groupCorporate & Finance
"Scott is a good operator, responsive and practical." Restructuring/Insolvency client
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2023
Scott Harris is the Managing Partner of Hogan Lovells Australia and is a leading restructuring and litigation lawyer with more than 25 years' experience gained at premier law firms in Sydney and London.
He leads our Business, Restructuring, and Insolvency team in Australia. Scott has a wealth of experience in guiding financial institutions and alternative lenders through the workout of their lending exposures, finding innovative solutions for investors in distressed assets, and recovering misappropriated assets.
Scott advises banks, debt funds, and other lenders, together with our corporate clients and leading insolvency practitioners in relation to formal insolvency appointments (receiverships, administrations, and liquidations) and restructures, workouts, special situation investments, and regulatory and internal investigations.
Scott is also renowned for his urgent and dogged pursuit and recovery of misappropriated assets and fraud-related losses for major institutions. His approach to the resolution of disputes and litigation and the advice he provides to clients and their boards reflects an understanding of their broader commercial objectives and reputational concerns.
Knowledge in a broad array of sectors underpins Scott's experience, including real estate and REITs, resources and mining services, transport, agribusiness, retail, and manufacturing.
Awards and recognitions
2016-2023
Restructuring/Insolvency (Australia), Ranked Lawyer
Chambers Asia-Pacific
2020-2023
Restructuring/Insolvency (Australia), Ranked Department
Chambers Asia-Pacific
2019
Restructuring and Insolvency, Notable practitioner
IFLR1000
2017
Australasian Law Awards – Debt Market Deal of the Year
Reliance Rail
Education and admissions
Education
Bachelor of Law (Honours), Australian National University, 1994
Bachelor of Arts, Australian National University, 1992
Memberships
Law Society of New South Wales
Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association
INSOL
Turnaround Management Association
Court admissions
Supreme Court of New South Wales
England and Wales
High and Federal Court of Australia
Representative experience
Advised the Unsecured Creditors Committee in the Chapter 11 cases of Speedcast International Ltd., currently pending in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Advising Bank of New York Mellon on its bond trustee and security trustee role in the early redemption and refinancing of Reliance Rail's A$2.2bn debt.
Advising a major bank as lender and as a member of the restructuring committee concerning US$2.3bn facility to a Hong Kong supply chain group.
Advising an ASX and AIM listed mine operator in relation to financing and restructuring of its A$220,000 senior debt, and convertible bridge finance facilities.
Advising on ICG's participation in a A$TLB for Iron Mountain Australia Group as part of a debt restructuring of the U.S. parent's indebtedness.
Acting for Standard Chartered Bank in relation to the restructuring of the debt facilities provided to Aeris Resources.
Advising Malaysian/Singapore-based fund on debt and equity exposure (under convertible loan notes and shareholder loans) to a retirement village group.
Advising Bank of New York Mellon on its bond trustee role in Paladin Energy's US$424m bond debt, including its voluntary administration and DOCA.
Advising Revelstoke Capital Partners and its investment, Career Step (U.S.-based online educator) on financial distress issues attached to the provider of its education platform in Australia.
Advising Signal Brands on its distressed exposure and supply chain of Guess products in Australia and its acquisition and restructuring of the business distribution.
Advising the Special Situations Group of an investment bank in relation to distressed debt acquisition and trading.
Acting for Blackstone in relation to its investment in Top Ryde Shopping Centre, comprising a leveraged acquisition of A$900m senior debt below par.*
Acting for Westpac bank in relation to the collapse of the Ashington property group and its exposure to various property developments.*
Acting for Westpac Bank on the workout and eventual sale of the A$105m debt attached to a bulk goods retail centre (Hills Hub Homemaker Centre).*
Acting for Mothercare UK in relation to the collapse in Australia of its retail franchisee and debtor, Mothercare Australia.*
Advising a major Australian bank in relation to U.S. and Australian regulatory issues giving rise to an internal investigation, customer issues, and media scrutiny.*
Successfully securing and recovering misappropriated funds for an international bank following court orders and relief obtained in Australia, Singapore, and BVI virtually simultaneously.*
Acting for a distressed mining group and its directors in relation to various restructuring, insolvency, and director liability issues.*
Acting for company directors in relation to court examinations and the ICAC Inquiry (Project Spicer) concerning political donations.*
*Matter handled prior to joining Hogan Lovells.
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