Mark Smith

Mark has worked across a broad range of industries including construction, infrastructure, insurance, manufacturing, media, mining, oil & gas, retail, shipping, steel, and transportation.

Mark’s notable assignments include:

• Advising the Board and management team of a UK-listed business through a deleveraging and restructuring of the balance sheet with eight distinct lender groups.
• Advising the U.S. private placement noteholders to a Southern African packaging business.
• Supporting a UK privately owned manufacturing business to refinance existing facilities via an ABL structure.
• Advising the lenders to a UK logistics and distribution company through an accelerated M&A process to recapitalize the group and support liquidity.
• Advising the lenders of a UK high-street retail chain through a debt restructure to provide sufficient liquidity to implement the long-term turnaround and repositions of the brand.
• Supporting a UK-based global transportation business through a Chapter 11 reorganization.
• Advising the lenders of a stressed pan-African upstream oil & gas group to develop and implement a proposal that provided a par exit.
• Advising an international group of lenders to a German food manufacturer to assess support options and develop a plan to implement a turnaround, utilizing local restructuring tools and financial support.
• Advising a UK private medical provider to refinance loan facilities.
• Advising the pension creditors of a distressed listed UK contracting group.
• Assisting the lenders of a distressed UK restaurant chain through a debt-for-equity rescue.
• Advising the management team of a large European steel business to the development of a de-leveraging package to accompany a refinancing and operational turnaround.
• Advising the senior lenders of a Norwegian offshore business on debt restructuring options and organizational changes to improve the lenders’ recovery whilst supporting the business through the downturn.
• Assisting a stressed UK business to renew its RCF facility with its existing lenders, providing a long-term platform for de-leveraging.
• Contingency planning for a large European steel manufacturer to support an emergency funding proposal and liability reduction arrangement with creditors.
• Advising the lenders of a European M&E contractor to assess the need for emergency funding and manage the accelerated M&A.
• Advising the mezzanine lenders of a Dutch retailer on a debt-for-equity conversion.
• Assisting a retailer to manage liquidity and develop a supply chain solution following a reduction in credit insurance.

In addition to experience as an advisor, Mark spent 15 months on secondment with a global financial services firm in both the special situations (loan management) team and the leverage finance team. Mark was primarily responsible for a portfolio of distressed and challenged relationships, which included developing and implementing a de-leveraging program, the sale of a business following a debt-for-equity restructuring, and a partial subordination of debt to allow for new facilities to be provided in order to support a successful turnaround.