Jonathon is a contentious insolvency and restructuring partner and leads the commercial disputes team in Sydney. Jonathon specialises in and has significant experience in complex and contentious restructuring, insolvency, enforcement, cross-border and commercial disputes. He is a trusted adviser to a range of domestic and international clients including leading financial institutions, insolvency practitioners, corporates and directors on a wide variety of contentious and non-contentious matters.
Experience
Jonathon has significant experience in conducting complex and high-profile commercial and insolvency disputes and non-contentious restructuring and commercial engagements. He adopts a commercial and strategic approach while ensuring that risks are effectively managed throughout any engagement.
Jonathon is dual-qualified having been admitted as a solicitor in Australia and England and Wales. He is also an INSOL Fellow having completed INSOL’s preeminent Global Insolvency Practice Course in 2024. His international experience includes acting in a number of high-profile and complex matters in London arising out of the global financial crisis in 2008. He has acted for clients in complex litigation in superior courts in Australia, England and Wales, and the Cayman Islands.
Jonathon's areas of expertise include:
- commercial disputes;
- corporate governance and directors' duties;
- investigations;
- corporate restructuring and insolvency;
- cross-border insolvency;
- shareholder disputes;
- PPSA and security enforcement;
- banking and financial services; and
- counterparty risk.
Jonathon has been recognised by Best Lawyers in Australia as one of Australia's leading restructuring lawyers since 2020. He is also recognised in the 2024 Doyle’s Guide list of Leading Insolvency & Restructuring lawyers in NSW.
Career highlights
Jonathan's career highlights and experience include:
- acting for the senior secured lender (ASIV) in respect of proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW and subsequent receivership concerning the Nature’s Care vitamin business.
- acting for the secured creditor (CBA), and the receivers and managers appointed by the secured creditor, in respect of the voluntary administration, receivership and subsequent liquidation of the Jewel Group of companies. Advising the secured creditor in respect of public examinations and ongoing litigation.
- advising a property development fund (Pindari Capital) in respect of the receivership and subsequent debt assignment concerning a commercial and residential development in the Hunter region.
- advising a secured financier (Earlypay) in respect of recovery actions and subsequent financial exposure to a manufacturing company in receivership.
- advising shareholders in respect of a shareholder dispute and subsequent voluntary administration of a water treatment company. Advising the shareholders in respect of a subsequent deed of company arrangement proposal and s 444GA application.
- advising a US based supplier of plant and equipment in respect of the voluntary administration of Qenos.
- acting for a global supplier of oil and gas plant and equipment in respect of the acquisition of assets from an oil and gas service company in voluntary administration.
- acting for the liquidators (KPMG) of a number of reinstated companies pursuant to an application by the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation. Conducting public examinations and multiple recovery proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW in the context of alleged money laundering, phoenix activity and an alleged conspiracy to defraud the commonwealth.
Jonathon's international experience includes:
- acting for the secured creditor in respect of the voluntary administration of Jeanswest and in respect of enforcement and security issues in Hong Kong, including in respect of guarantees issued by Hong Kong entities
- acting for an investment bank and New Zealand government entities in relation to a just and equitable winding up petition before the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands concerning an exempted limited partnership
- acting for the administrators of Lehman Brothers International Europe (LBIE) in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in respect of the “Waterfall I” and “Waterfall II” applications that concerned claims in respect of the surplus of funds (c. 5bn GBP) held after payment in full of secured and unsecured creditors
- acting for a leading global investment bank in respect of proceedings in the UK High Court concerning a claim brought against BVG, a German public body responsible for public transport in Berlin, for sums in excess of $100m allegedly due under a credit derivatives transaction (CDO) and a subsequent counterclaim brought by BVG alleging fraudulent conduct.