Bankruptcy & Restructuring

Corporate Advisory Network presents Bankruptcy & Restructuring, containing detailed profiles of leading experts in the field of corporate bankruptcy and restructuring from around the world. Comprising lawyers, accountants and consultants, this group of experts is capable of guiding companies through their darkest hours, or, in the event that those companies cannot be salvaged, of finding creative ways to maximise value for key stakeholders. In the turnaround and restructuring field, their skills include business reorganisation, interim management services, strategic analysis, cash and financial management, performance analysis, financial restructuring, debt advisory, transaction services, distressed M&A, valuations and due diligence, among many others.

In the bankruptcy and insolvency arena, these experts advise on a diverse range of situations, such as formal bankruptcy proceedings, out-of-court restructurings, receiverships, liquidations, enforcement proceedings, and cross-border insolvency. These experts have acted for and advised private and public corporations, investment funds, lenders, unsecured creditors and debtors, in addition to many other entities. Whether you are an executive or director seeking advice on bankruptcy and restructuring matters, or an advisor looking to expand your network by forging new relationships, CAN provides contacts with the experience to meet your needs.

Many organisations have found themselves requiring operational or financial restructuring – a challenging scenario involving a wide ambit of complex processes. Whatever the reasons may be for a company’s woes, any entity that finds itself in the midst of such circumstances is subjected to an unforgiving world full of distress, expense, blame, negotiation, compromise and introspection.

Once the bankruptcy and restructuring path has been taken, and no matter how tough the process may prove to be, the organisation involved must always recognise the seriousness of the situation and conduct itself accordingly – with professionalism, honesty and integrity, underpinned by a viable vision for the future.

Furthermore, senior managers need to be able to understand the fundamental business and strategic problems that led the company down the path toward bankruptcy in the first place. Otherwise, a failure to admit fault and liability may well have a crippling effect, with lessons likely to go unlearned, shareholders and stakeholders left frustrated, and the entire process at risk of being irrevocably compromised.

Militating against such outcomes is the range of processes available for redress, including interim management, reorganisation plans, recovery alternatives and exit strategies – all, of course, to be carried out under the expectant gaze of a multitude of creditors, stakeholders and shareholders.

Three main challenges face senior management undertaking a restructuring programme. First, designing the programme. A decision must be taken as to what type of restructuring is the most appropriate for dealing with the range of issues, difficulties and opportunities that the company is going to face. Second, executing the restructuring programme. A plan needs to be agreed that will assist the company in managing the restructuring process and maximising the value it creates. Finally, communicating the restructuring programme. How the company makes use of marketing and communication channels to explain the process to investors can help ensure that company value is credited to its stock price.

For most companies, failure to address any of these key challenges could very well be the difference between a successful restructuring process and a company on the road to operational and financial oblivion.

Though the effects of the financial crisis appear to be fading , for some the spectre of crisis remains. Bankruptcy and restructuring will always remain a key feature of the corporate landscape. This is particularly likely in the current global economy, which is rife with volatility and ever-changing geopolitical tension.