Paul Durban

Paul Durban’s legal practice is primarily focused on finance, financial restructuring and insolvency matters, with experience in UK and cross-border workouts, insolvencies, fund financings and general lending. He has experience acting for a range of clients, including financial institutions (both lender and borrower side), bondholders, hedge funds and corporates and regularly represents major investors both in the UK and internationally. MJ Hudson’s finance and restructuring team draws together expertise from across the firm’s various practice areas including corporate M&A, Private Funds and Tax to provide its clients with comprehensive solutions to complex issues.

Experience

Prior to joining MJ Hudson, Paul worked at Brown Rudnick and formerly Bingham McCutchen (now Akin Gump) in their restructuring, finance and insolvency departments.

Education and Qualifications

• BPP Law School: Legal Practice Course, Postgraduate Diploma in Law
• University of Oxford: Balliol College, BA Hons., Modern History
• Solicitor (England and Wales)

Recent Engagements

• Advising a fund on the financing aspects of a leveraged secondaries transaction for the purposes of the acquisition of a limited partnership interest in an Italian fund of funds.
• Advising a liquidator on the sale of two leisure parks and related assets out of liquidation.
• Advising private investment funds on secured subscription line facilities to bridge capital calls and make investments.
• Advising a multinational company on the financing aspects of its leveraged acquisition of a market leading document management company
• Advising a specialist alternative asset manager in relation to direct investments through the issue of secured bonds by an industrial equipment company and a UK distillery company.
• Technical advice on English law insolvency and restructuring issues in the context of English proceedings and proceedings commenced abroad.
• Advising a worldwide bondholder group in respect of the nationalisation and restructuring of three major Icelandic banks – Kaupthing, Landsbanki and Glitnir – and participating on the informal creditors committee of each of the three banks on behalf of the bondholders.*
• Acting for holders of senior and subordinated Ukreximbank notes in relation to a reprofiling of debt by way of an exchange offer and consent solicitation.*
• Advising the ad hoc committees of noteholders for Damovo Group SA, Greycoat Limited, Kremikovtzi AD, Torex Retail plc, Leeds United plc, Nexus Floating Production, Pearl Group Holdings, Northern Rock plc, A-TEC Industries AG, Pescanova SA and Phones 4u Plc.*
•  Advising clients in relation to various Nordic high yield bond issuances, principally in the oil and gas arena.*

*experience gained whilst at previous firm

Publications & Speaking

Press and Publications

• Author, “Reforms to the UK restructuring and corporate governance regime” MJ Hudson – Collateral, May 2019
• Author, “Previewing the Year Ahead” MJ Hudson – Collateral, February 2019
• Co-author, “Creditors – Getting a Seat at the Negotiating Table” MJ Hudson – Research and Practical Guide, June 2018
• Co-author, “Acquiring Distressed Assets – Top Tips for Buyers” MJ Hudson – On Target, January 2018.
• Author, “Restructuring high-yield bonds in Europe”, Investing in Distressed Debt in Europe – Globe Law and Business, January 2017.
• Author “Dividends, directors’ duties and transactions defrauding creditors”, International Law Office, November 2016.
• Co-author, “More options for financial institutions – the impact of the EU Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive and other potential reforms,” Eurofenix, Summer 2015 Edition.
• Co-author, “UK Chapter – Crisis Management in the Banking Sector”, Research Handbooks in Financial Law, 2015.