Christopher Roberts

Partner

About

Christopher Roberts practices in the area of Restructuring with particular focus on non-contentious aspects of corporate recovery, restructuring, turnaround and the various UK formal insolvency regimes.

His clients include banks, asset based lenders, insolvency practitioners, directors, shareholders and other stakeholders in relation to distressed corporate situations.

Areas of FocusEnergy and Natural Resources Financial Services Industrials Life Sciences Restructuring

Professional QualificationsSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

Duff & Phelps (as administrators) on the administration of Calvetron Brands Limited – a leading concession based retailer of ladies clothing and accessories. The company operated out of 350+ locations (including over 60 located outside the UK and Ireland) and employed circa 1,500 employees.
Ernst & Young LLP on the insolvency of Internationale, a national retailer of womenswear. Christopher negotiated and documented the disposal of the business covering over 130 separate stores across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man.
Conviviality and PwC (as administrators) on the sale of the group's wholesale business to the C&C Group (a transaction that saved nearly 2,000 jobs) and the sale of the group’s retail business to the grocery wholesaler, Bestway (this transaction saved approximately 1,700 jobs).
Ernst & Young as administrators of KSR Electronics Systems Limited. Trading and funding arrangements, with two European-based tier one automotive suppliers, were agreed to ensure continued provision of goods and services within the “just in time” supply chain model. The agreements reached ensured that all costs in the administration, as well as guaranteed monthly trading profit figures, were paid in advance to ensure an improved position for all creditors of the business.
RBS and NatWest on the financial restructure and refinance of Herbert T Forrest Limited and its group companies. With a turnover of GBP100m the Forrest Group undertook new build construction projects and refurbishment of social and local authority housing across the public and private sectors in Manchester, Bolton and around the North West.
Duff & Phelps as administrators in connection with the sale of Sceptre Leisure, the UK's largest supplier of gambling and amusement machines. The business operated more than 25,000 gaming machines, from 10 regional depots to pubs, leisure facilities and motorway service stations and had been listed on the AIM stock market.
Duff & Phelps’ as administrators of HC Realisations Limited (formerly HC Facility Management Limited trading as Hotel Care) which serviced over 200 hotels and 30,000 rooms per day across the UK. The company was placed into administration following which a sale of the business was completed preserving over 3,800 jobs in the hotel sector and ensuring continuity of service supply for customers.
Ernst & Young LLP as administrators of a number of companies within the AIM listed Outsourcery group. The group provided cloud-based IT, infrastructure and business communications solutions to a range of corporate customers.
Close Invoice Finance in relation to the restructuring and refinancing of Cordant Group (one of the UK’s largest recruitment companies with an annual turnover of GBP1.2 billion), which saw over 45,000 jobs protected.
Duff & Phelps on the administration pre-pack sale of certain of the business and assets of Seed Cap Holdings Limited, Monarch Education Limited, Medicare First Limited and Team 24 Limited - together operating one of the UK's leading public sector recruitment specialists across education, healthcare and social care generating turnover of circa GBP150m.
Interpath Limited as administrators of Big Homes Shop Limited and Physioroom Limited, two online retailers which entered administration in light of, amongst other things, supply chain issues. The DLA Piper team, led by Chris, advised the Administrators on their ability to continue to trade via online marketplaces, on employment issues, general trading queries and the subsequent successful sale of the business and assets of the companies.
Kroll in the UK and Australia on the pre-packaged sale of the business and assets of Pass Software Limited.
Maslow Capital (as secured lender) and Opus LLP (as administrators) in respect of a company developing a 326-bed student accommodation scheme located in Derby.
FRP Advisory, as administrators of Gaia Technologies plc (a provider of ICT technology, products and services to schools, colleges and universities).

Education

Sheffield University, LLB Law degree, First Class honours, 2000

Chester College of Law, LPC, Qualified with distinction, 2001

Awards