Ewan Smith

Ewan is a managing associate in the Linklaters’ restructuring & insolvency team based in London. He has broad cross-border experience, specialising in complex restructuring and insolvency transactions acting for corporate debtors, creditors and insolvency practitioners spanning various sectors including financial services, energy, infrastructure, utilities, retail and real estate across Europe and Asia. Ewan has previously seconded to the firm’s finance and banking practice in Singapore. He is a qualified solicitor in England & Wales.

Work highlights

Ewan’s deal experience & career highlights to date include:

• Sunac China Holdings Ltd: advising an ad hoc group of offshore bondholders holding c.$3bn in connection with the balance sheet restructuring of Sunac’s cUS$10bn offshore liabilities (IFR Asia Restructuring Deal of the Year 2023).
• Joint Energy Administrators of Bulb Energy Ltd: advising in relation to the first appointment of special energy administrators, the sale of the customer book to Octopus Energy Ltd and associated financing arrangements with DESNZ.
• Accolade Wines: advising the exiting sponsor and the company in relation to a consensual restructuring of its senior debt facilities. 
• Galapagos: advising the senior lenders of Galapagos SA in respect of the group’s balance sheet restructuring and subsequent amendments and waivers to the SGFA and RCF.
• H2O AM LLP: advising H2O on its ongoing restructuring negotiations with Tennor Holding BV and its beneficial owner Lars Windhorst.
• Deutsche Beteiligungs AG: advising DBAG, a major German PE fund, on a restructuring of certain liabilities owed by the Oscar Mayer Group.
• Advising a potential acquirer of Intrum AB in connection with its financial restructuring. 
• Advising a significant UK water utilities company on its financial restructuring proposal and contingency planning options. 
• Sino Ocean: advising an ad hoc group of offshore noteholders in connection with the balance sheet restructuring of c.$6bn liabilities
• Getir: advising the company in relation to its financing negotiations with Mubadala Investment Company and hive-out business strategy.

Work highlights continued:

• Enermech: advising Enermech Group Limited in respect of its consensual recapitalisation transaction and parallel preparation of an implementation process by way of a UK scheme of arrangement.
• New Look: Advising Brait plc as shareholder and lender in the balance sheet restructuring of New Look Retail Holdings Ltd using a UK scheme of arrangement.
• Davidson Kempner Capital Management: advising certain funds managed by DK in respect of a securitisation and financing structure related to the acquisition of non-performing loans from Prelios SpA.
• Addison Lee: advising senior lenders in relation to the restructuring of Addison Lee Group Limited’s financial indebtedness and the potential sale of the group.
• Intu Shopping Centres plc (in administration): advising the joint administrators in respect of the trading administration of various material group companies
• Arrival: advising this UK electric vehicle company in respect of its short-term liquidity options and contingency planning.
• Eddie Stobart: advising the company on contingency planning if a proposed sale was not completed.
• Advising DESNZ on contingency planning options relating to a UK nuclear power station project, including the potential use of a nuclear transfer scheme as provided for under the Energy Act 2004.
• Advising a real estate investment fund on its security and enforcement options in connection with financing for acquisition and development relating to several flagship retail stores.