Akin Strengthens Global Creditor-Side Franchise with Addition of Market-Leading London Restructuring Team; Neil Devaney Named Head of London Financial Restructuring

Strategic Addition Establishes the Strongest Creditor-Side Restructuring Platform of Any Global Firm

(London) — Akin announced today that Neil Devaney, Lois Deasey and Matt Benson—all of whom previously practiced at Akin—have re-joined the firm as partners in London. The team, who have worked together for over a decade advising the world’s most sophisticated credit investors on complex cross-border restructurings and capital solutions, brings next-generation leadership and depth of experience to Akin’s Band 1-ranked London restructuring practice. Their arrival reinforces Akin’s position as the only creditor-side firm with a Band 1 restructuring practice in both New York and London.

Neil Devaney, who will lead the firm’s restructuring practice in London, is one of the most highly regarded creditor-side restructuring lawyers in the London market, advising ad hoc creditor groups, credit funds and institutional investors on complex pan-European restructurings, alternative investments and distressed and special situations.

Devaney is joined by a senior, integrated team:

• Lois Deasey — advises fund clients, private placement investors and creditor groups and has led clients through some of the most complex European restructurings and distressed situations in recent years, achieving widespread market recognition and multiple industry accolades.
• Matt Benson — advises creditor groups and fund clients on multijurisdictional restructurings, distressed financings, private credit workouts and creditor-driven enforcement strategies, again leading on some of the highest profile deals in the market and gaining the trust of some of the largest and most sophisticated funds in Europe.

“Neil, Lois and Matt are advisors that leading global credit investors consistently turn to. They bring a cross‑border sophistication that enhances the integrated U.S.–Europe restructuring platform that’s already central to who we are as a firm,” said Akin co-chair and financial restructuring partner Abid Qureshi. “Their return strengthens our entire creditor‑side franchise, from restructuring to special situations, capital solutions and hybrid capital, and ensures we can serve the same clients seamlessly across jurisdictions and the full spectrum of stressed and complex capital structure work.”

Devaney said, “Akin’s fully integrated platform brings together restructuring and capital solutions across performing credit, stressed investments, and restructurings. This is a truly unique opportunity to establish the strongest creditor-oriented platform of any global firm.”

"Private credit has reached institutional scale in Europe, the Part 26A regime has reshaped the restructuring toolkit, and cross-border capital structures have made integrated creditor counsel essential," said Barry Russell, Senior Partner of Akin's London Office. "We have built and maintained a Band 1 London restructuring practice for the past twenty years. Neil, Lois and Matt return having built a Band 1 practice in their own right and bring the leadership and depth of experience to carry our practice into its next chapter."

The team re-joins Akin from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where they were partners in the Restructuring team and Neil co-headed the London practice.

About Akin’s Financial Restructuring Practice

Akin’s financial restructuring practice is one of the world’s leading creditor-side restructuring platforms, advising sophisticated credit investors, ad hoc creditor groups, official committees and institutional lenders on the most complex restructurings, liability management transactions, and special situations mandates across the U.S., European and Asian markets.

Akin is a leading international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.