With over 20 years’ experience in the sector, Melissa is one of our experts in insolvency – whether threatened or realised – in relation to corporate or personal matters. She has extensive experience in advising a broad range of stakeholders, including insolvency practitioners, directors, creditors and shareholders or lenders.
For these clients and others, Melissa specialises in the areas of business disposals and acquisitions, asset realisation and preservation, challenging antecedent transactions and misfeasance, security, and defending disqualification proceedings. She is ranked in the Chambers UK guide.
Banking and Finance
Melissa’s experience and expertise make her an important part of our Banking and Finance team, where she works predominantly with companies in financial distress, assisting with the exit or restructure of financing, priorities and subordination, security arrangements, addressing deficiencies and indeed enforcement, as well as guiding stakeholders to and through appropriate insolvency processes.
Melissa is a key source of insight and guidance to board members on their duties when securing finance, and also helps them to tread that challenging path of trading when cash is tight. Melissa thrives on working collaboratively and creatively with clients to guide companies and stakeholders through what are often difficult and stressful times.
Much of Melissa’s work is confidential. Her recent relevant experience includes:
acting for the lender on the managed exit of a group from facilities totalling £5.3 million
acting for a purchaser in the acquisition of certain shares in both UK and offshore companies, and the associated refinancing (value circa £20 million)
advising a charity facing severe financial pressure on the renegotiation and restructure of its pension fund liability
appointing Receivers on behalf of lenders
advising Receivers on their powers and abilities, including in the face of a contested appointed and proceedings.
advancing claims against directors to recover sums paid into employee benefit trusts
advising parties during the sale of distressed businesses that ranged from owner-managed firms to multi-million-pound, international corporations.
advising landlords or tenants on the surrender/disclaimer of leases at times of financial distress
advancing and defending claims by Trustees in Bankruptcy to the matrimonial home and other assets including a estate worth in excess of £8m
procuring the annulment of Bankruptcies on grounds the order ought not have been made or payment in full
enforcing and defending enforcement of guarantees
Melissa George is a 'sensible practitioner who knows her stuff'.-
