David Grant

David brings substantial experience in insolvency and restructuring, focusing on insolvency and recovery actions, including cross-border asset tracing and asset and security recoveries. Dual-qualified in England and New South Wales, Australia, he advises a diverse range of clients, including insolvency practitioners, banks, company directors, asset-based lenders, trade financiers, distressed debt investors, and private equity concerns. David has extensive experience in fraud and forensic investigations by regulators and enforcement agencies.

David offers clients commercial acumen, negotiation skills, and the ability to navigate complex legal landscapes. His approach includes providing strategic, practical advice tailored to clients’ specific needs, often resulting in significant asset recoveries and restructuring outcomes in their favor.

High-Profile Matters

• Acting for corporate creditor groups in investigating and pursuing multijurisdiction fraud and tracing claims arising out of the collapse of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) Limited.
• Advising the administrators of various UK subsidiaries of Enron in connection with cross-netting agreements entered into pre-administration.
• Representing AIG as a bondholder in the contractual subordination claim at first instance and in the court of appeal in the reported SAVE Service Stations case.

Fraud-Related and Contentious Matters

• Representing and advising the former management in relation to claims arising out of the collapse of Afren plc.
• Representing FTI Singapore, the liquidators of international oil company Una Oil Limited, a globally traded company.
• Representing the South African trustees of the insolvent estate of Martin Levick.
• Representing the liquidators in the Cayman Islands and Singapore of various hedge funds challenging counterparties under ISDA agreements involving alleged fraudulent activities — recovering significant assets for a syndicate of lenders.

Other

• Representing Minneapolis-based Regis Corporation, the largest hair salon chain in the world and owner of brands such as Supercuts, MasterCuts, and Regis Salons, in relation to the insolvency administration of its UK subsidiary and in selling the business to new operators, thereby preserving the brands in the UK, and saving approximately 1,000 jobs.
• Representing Hai Jiang (as a special purpose vehicle of an international Chinese banking corporation) as a major secured and unsecured lender to the Singaporean shipping operator Ezra Holdings in Chapter 11 proceedings in New York and Texas.
• Acting for international commodities trading company H&CS Holdings Pte Ltd, undergoing a restructuring in Singapore by way of a Section 211 B(1) scheme of arrangement and securing the first UK recognition of this process.
• Acting for suppliers and other stakeholders in the administrations of House of Fraser and Debenhams.
• Representing Viewpoint Inc., a U.S. company and critical supplier, in the collapse of multinational construction and facilities management services company Carillion plc.
• Advising the UK administrators in the insolvency of the international home movie and video rental company Blockbuster.
• Restructuring the London Broncos rugby league football club.

• The Times, Best Law Firms UK, Restructuring and Insolvency (2020)
• Global Restructuring Review 100 (2019, 2021-2024)
• Chambers UK, Dispute Resolution – Commercial Litigation and Restructuring/Insolvency (2018-2020)
• The Legal 500, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation (2018-2019)