Laurence Crowley
Senior CounselLondon
Email laurence.crowley@hoganlovells.com
Phone +44 20 7296 5246
Fax +44 20 7296 2001
LanguagesEnglish, French
Practice groupFinance
Laurence has many years' experience in the insolvency and restructuring arena. Having started life with a broad range of receiverships/administrative receivers/bank restructuring cases he soon focused on international insolvencies with considerable time spent working with overseas jurisdictions. His lead role advising the liquidators on the high-profile insolvency of BCCI for some 22 years has resulted in him being highly regarded by all those who worked with him; the transaction itself led to many legal "firsts" in this field, not least because it took place before the introduction of many of the international co-operation frameworks which now assist with cross-border insolvencies.
His reputation resulted in him acting for the FSA (as it then was) in the close-down of Lehmans in 2008, and subsequently for counterparties on the Lehmans and MF Global insolvencies. More recently, he has been advising the Landsbanki Luxembourg liquidator in a complex case with cross-border issues and FBME Bank Limited in relation to resolution measures taken by regulators in Tanzania and Cyprus. He was also engaged for a number of years acting for a stakeholder in a high profile sports brand when a joint venture party became insolvent. He has been president of the Insolvency Lawyers Association and a member of the Insolvency Law Group of Experts consulted by the EU on proposals for the recovery/resolution of credit institutions.
Education and admissions
Education
B.A. (Jurisprudence), University College, Oxford
Representative experience
Advising on the receivership of a major industrial group (CH Industrials) including the Motor Panels car plants.
Advising on one of the first administrations of a book publishing group (Phaidon and Equinox).
Advising on the restructuring and subsequent disposal of the UK and European based Melville Group PLC.
Advising the bondholder representatives in the administration of the Polly Peck group and the Polly Peck Scheme of Arrangement.
Advising AY Bank Limited (then Anglo-Yugoslav Bank Limited) on its options in light of the original international sanctions against Yugoslavia.
Advising a family trust as shareholder in its dealings and varied disputes with insolvent shareholders and banks in a multi-national high profile business.
Advising the Financial Services Authority in relation to the Lehman's administration.
Advising various creditors/counterparties in relation to the Lehman's administration.
Advising various financial creditors as counterparties to Lehman Brothers' entities.
Advising on the consultations with HM Treasury which led to the enactment of the Banking Act 2009 and its related secondary legislation.
Advising various financial creditors on their positions in MF Global.
Advising a leading U.S. bank on aspects of the administration of Corporate Commercial Bank in Bulgaria under the Credit Institutions European Directive.
Membership of the EU's Insolvency Law Experts Group providing assistance to the European Commission in considering the Crisis Management Directive for Banks.
Former President of Insolvency Lawyers Association in England & Wales.
Liaising with banking authorities and regulators in various jurisdictions including England, Luxembourg and Abu Dhabi.
Advising FBME Bank Limited in relation to resolution measures taken by regulators in Tanzania and Cyprus.
