Simon Thomas is a partner in Goodwin’s Financial Restructuring practice and established the UK restructuring team in March 2019. Mr. Thomas specialises in business rescue and corporate turnaround. He is an expert on all aspects of corporate restructuring, insolvency and finance. He has domestic and international experience spanning an array of industries, including aviation, energy, healthcare, infrastructure, leisure, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, retail, shipping, tech and telecommunications.
Mr. Thomas acts for all stakeholders in situations of corporate distress, including debtors, creditors, and directors. His clients include several prominent funds as well as the U.K.’s leading insolvency practitioners including PwC, Deloitte, FTI, KPMG, EY, BDO, Duff & Phelps, and Grant Thornton.
Clarks Shoes
Subject to conditions including a challenge-fee CVA, advising LionRock Capital on the proposed acquisition of a majority stake in Clarks, a UK-based, international shoe manufacturer and retailer including a £100 million investment in the business.
Cote Brasseries
Acting for Partners Group as purchaser of 94 French-brasserie-style restaurants through a pre-packaged administration led by FTI.
Cellnovo
Acting for Insulet Corporation, a large U.S. listed client, in relation to the successful purchase of intellectual property assets from English administrators.
BMI Healthcare Portfolio
Acting for Medical Properties Trust in relation to the £1.5 billion acquisition of 30 private hospitals in the largest UK real estate transaction of 2019. The portfolio’s financing had been arranged prior to the 2008 financial crisis and required a significant pre-acquisition debt restructuring.
Cambridge Broadband Networks Limited
Acting for CBNL and its administrators, BDO, in relation to advice to a global leader in millimetre wave fixed wireless access and backhaul solutions with operations in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
Project Atlas
Advice to a client in relation to the potential acquisition of a portfolio of non-performing loans with a book value of €700 million.
Abbey Retail Park, Belfast
Acting for Slate Asset Management in relation to its acquisition of the Abbey Retail Park in February 2020.
Imtech Group*
Advice to this 2,000 employee group of infrastructure, engineering, and construction companies, and PwC as its administrator, in respect of ongoing trading advice and strategies for preserving the businesses.
LifeStyle Care Group*
Acting for Deloitte as administrator in respect of the successful turnaround of a portfolio of 22 care homes with 1,600 beds and debt of over £150 million.
PA Resources*
Working with FTI in respect of advice to an upstream oil and gas group with 16 companies in nine jurisdictions and significant liabilities, including negotiations with bondholders.
Puma Hotels*
Acting for the administrators in respect of the successful restructuring of a £350 million portfolio of 21 hotels.
Asset Trust*
Acting for PwC as administrator of a 19 company real estate investment portfolio and subsequent £100 million disposal.
Euromix*
Advice to PwC as the administrator of this prominent cement business and the pre-pack sale to Lafarge Tarmac.
Broadcrown*
Acting for the administrators of a power generator manufacturer in respect of a pre-pack sale to JCB.
Project Hamburg*
Acting for the secured creditors in respect of an £85 million settlement involving seven loans to 20+ counterparties, including a debt for equity swap.
Climate Energy*
In conjunction with FTI, acting for the Climate Energy Group in relation to advice following the withdrawal of government subsidies in respect of solar panel installation.
Emprise Group PLC*
Acting for the secured creditor in relation to a solvent restructuring of a significant contract cleaning business, including a debt for equity swap.
Project Canal*
Advising a shipping group and its administrators with $350 million of debt secured against five vessels, including an in-court COMI administration application and pre-pack sale.
Prestbury Group*
Acting for KPMG as liquidator of a leisure group that previously held assets of over £350 million.
Project Jewel*
Acting for the senior secured creditor in relation to a superprime London residential asset.
Marlow Hotel*
Advice in respect of a solvent restructuring of a £30 million hotel asset, including a debt for equity swap and solvent share acquisition.
Project Sythe*
In conjunction with EY, acting for the secured creditor in relation to a solvent restructure and sale of an equity interest.
Loan sales and acquisitions*
Acting for various acquirers and sellers of debt and security, including providing contingency planning advice.
Retail and CVAs
Acting for various stakeholders in relation to the financial distress of several retailers.
Secondment
Following the global financial crisis, Mr. Thomas was seconded to the restructuring group of a significant international bank.*
* Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.
Mr. Thomas is a member of the Insolvency Lawyers’ Association, INSOL, the Turnaround Management Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute. He is also a member of the City of London Law Society Insolvency Committee.
Prior to joining Goodwin in March 2019, Mr. Thomas had been a partner at Addleshaw Goddard LLP since 2013.
Mr. Thomas was recommended by The Legal 500 UK in 2021:
“Simon Thomas has made a transformational difference to Goodwin's nascent London restructuring practice. The innovative... responsive and commercial Team head Thomas is appreciated for his 'good judgement and empathetic style.' The team at Goodwin was very informed and responsive. I have always found the individuals very personable and enjoyable to work with."
Mr. Thomas is a frequent speaker on restructuring, insolvency and cross-border topics. Mr. Thomas was recently invited by the American Bankruptcy Institute to provide a cross-border perspective at their Winter Leadership Conference. Mr. Thomas was also featured recently, alongside New York Financial Restructuring Partner Howard Steel, on the Reorg Europe Podcast providing a trans-Atlantic perspective on restaurant restructurings.
Mr. Thomas' recent publications include:
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