Richard Hodgson

Richard is co-head of the firm’s global restructuring and insolvency practice and specializes in complex, cross-border insolvency and restructuring matters, with a particular focus on situations in regulated sectors. Richard has been advising clients on distressed matters for over 20 years, representing insolvency officeholders, corporate debtors, creditors, governments and regulatory agencies, pension trustees, directors and other stakeholders, including on contingency planning.

His most recent experience has spanned a wealth of sectors, including the energy supply, nuclear, automotive, technology, financial services / financial institutions, consumer, travel, retail, manufacturing and oil and gas sectors. He has particular expertise in distressed M&A acting for both private equity and trade purchasers and insolvency practitioners as sellers.

Richard was part of the original Linklaters team that led on the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008 and continues to act for the PwC administrators of LBIE.

Work highlights 

• Volta Trucks: advising the group on contingency planning options across 11 jurisdictions.  Then acting for insolvency practitioners from Alvarez & Marsal as joint administrators of the principal operating company on its trading administration and the subsequent sale of the business. 
• Bulb Energy Limited: acting for insolvency practitioners from Teneo as energy supply company administrators of Bulb Energy Limited, the UK’s seventh largest energy supply company, in the first ever use of the ESC special administration process. The role has included all aspects of the administration, including advising the joint energy administrators on trading issues and the sale of the Bulb business to Octopus Energy, the structuring of which involved the first ever use of an Energy Transfer Scheme.
• Nuclear sector: confidential engagement. 
• Genting group: acting for insolvency practitioners from Alvarez & Marsal as provisional liquidators of certain entities in the Genting group on all aspects of the insolvency of the global group. Genting was one of the world’s largest cruise operators, with operations throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S.
• Arcadia group: acting for insolvency practitioners from Interpath Advisory as administrators and CVA supervisors of the entity that owned the flagship Top Shop / Top Man store at 214 Oxford Street. Richard’s role included acting on the sale of the entity to the parent of IKEA Group, the structuring of which included the novel use of a CVA.
• Studio Retail: acting for insolvency practitioners from Teneo as administrators of Studio Retail on the pre-packaged distressed sale of the business to an entity within the Frasers Group of companies.
• Caffè Nero: acting for Nero Holdings Limited, the principal UK operating entity within the group, on its CVA, including successfully defending a challenge brought by certain landlord creditors.
• intu Properties Plc: acting for insolvency practitioners from Interpath Advisory as administrators of the intu group of companies, including the implementation of certain transitional service arrangements and the sale/exit of certain flagship shopping centre assets.
• National Bank of Ukraine: advising on the first ever successful application to the Bank of England for recognition of the resolution action taken in respect of PrivatBank. 
• European-based travel group: confidential role advising the pension trustees of a European travel group on its financial restructuring.
• Thomas Cook: advising the trustees of the pension scheme on the financial distress, planned restructuring and ultimate insolvency of the global travel group.
• Lehman Brothers: acting for insolvency practitioners from PricewaterhouseCoopers as administrators and liquidators of multiple entities in the legacy Lehman group on all aspects of the global insolvency.

Richard is active in R3, the Association of Business Recovery Professionals, sits on its Education and Courses Committee and chairs the annual R3 Complex Restructuring Course.

Richard is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences, speaking on issues such as bank resolution and recovery. He also contributes regularly to industry publications.

Richard is also the co-author of Insolvency Bitesize, a regular Linklaters newsletter which is intended to update clients and others on legal and market developments related to insolvency.

Richard is executive sponsor of the firm’s LGB&T Network and actively supports the firm's diversity and inclusion activities 

Richard is a governor of Rotherfield Primary School, Islington, London, and is co-chair of the school’s revenue and resources committee.

Richard studied law at the London School of Economics and Political Science.