Paul Kirkbright

Head of EMEA Financial Restructuring Advisory, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

Paul Kirkbright is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Restructuring practice in London, and leads the Financial Restructuring Advisory team in EMEA.

Prior to joining A&M Paul was the Global Head of Financial Restructuring at KPMG. Paul personally has over 30 years experience advising stakeholders in stressed and distressed situations with, debts in excess of €100 billion, in both listed and private equity / LBO ownership structures in a large number of jurisdictions such as

UK – Virgin Active, Office retail, New Look, Carpetright Plc, Prezzo, Eddie Stobart Logistics Plc, Addison Lee, Enquest Plc, Mouchel Plc, Lookers Plc, Torex Plc, Autobar plc and KCA Deutag
Transatlantic – Hertz Europe, Waypoint Leasing and APR Energy Plc
UAE – Dubai World and Drydocks World
Germany – Lia Bakker, Rodenstock and ATU
Netherlands – The Learning Network and Center Parcs Europe
Finland – Paroc and Nordic Mines
Sweden – Ovako
France – T erreal and Groupe Moniteur
Italy – Saeco and Seat Pagine Gialle
Spain – Nozar Group
Africa – New Age African Energy (various African states), Steinhoff Africa (South Africa) and Finatrade Holdings (Ghana).

Paul specialises in transactions involving multiple stakeholder groups and multi-layered capital structures and has considerable experience of leading negotiations on behalf of his clients. The majority of Paul’s cases have required a fundamental balance sheet restructuring and where assessing the consensual versus non-consensual options and driving diverse stakeholders to a restructuring solution has been critical. A number of these cases have delivered cutting edge developments in restructuring practice including the first time an English Scheme of Arrangement was used to restructure an international business with no UK connection (Rodenstock) and the first time a Part-26 English Law Restructuring Plan was used to impose a cross-class cramdown on leasehold creditors (Virgin Active).

Paul’s experience covers a wide range of sectors including infrastructure, businesses services outsourcing, automotive, technology, oil and gas (E&P and OFS), retail, manufacturing, construction and building supplies, travel and leisure, steel, media, and mining.

Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He was also a member of the Insol International Lenders sub-committee which authored the Statement of Principles for a Global Approach to Multi-Creditor Workouts II in 2017.