Biography
Ashleigh is a Counsel in the White & Case Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Group, specialising in business restructuring and insolvency law. She has significant experience implementing high-profile restructuring transactions in Australia and internationally, on either a consensual basis or utilising formal insolvency processes.
Ashleigh's practice encompasses distressed investing strategies and outcomes, including debt to equity conversion transactions, debt trading, and loan portfolio acquisitions and workouts. She provides valuable insights on the Australian insolvency regimes and regularly advises insolvency practitioners in respect of their formal appointments.
Ashleigh is committed to the development of the industry and the next generation of professionals, actively contributing to the Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association (ARITA) and the Turnaround Management Association (TMA). For the TMA, she served as the Chair of the NSW NextGen Committee in 2019.
Experience
Highlights of Ashleigh's experience include representation of:
Restructuring and Insolvency
- FTI Consulting as special purpose administrators and subsequently general purpose administrators of IG Power (Callide) Ltd on all aspects of the administration, sale process, investigations and recapitalisation of the Callide C Power Station joint venture.
- Ernst & Young as voluntary administrators of Rex Airlines on the administration and restructuring of Australia's largest regional airline, including the successful sale and recapitalisation of its core businesses.
- Hartree Partners as secured financier and exclusive offtaker of the Avebury Nickel mine to protect its investment through multiple insolvency appointments and restructuring transactions.
- Deloitte as voluntary administrators of S&W Seed Company on the administration and successful sale of its Australian business operations.
- Albioma on its acquisition of the Tuan wood pellet production plant in Queensland and associated assets from the Altus Renewables group of companies (then in receivership).
- Myer Group in relation to various debt restructuring and refinancing transactions.*
- A global media and entertainment group in respect of the Australian elements of its global business restructuring.*
- A major Australian financial institution on contingency planning and downside risk management associated with the sale of a significant loan portfolio.*
- Oaktree Capital Management in relation to its bid for and successful acquisition of online retailer Zanui via voluntary administration.*
- The secured creditor of the Flow Systems group of companies in relation to the voluntary administration and restructuring of the group.*
- KPMG as administrators of the Sphere Healthcare pharmaceutical companies in respect of the voluntary administration, negotiation and execution of a deed of company arrangement and court application under s444GA of the Corporations Act.*
- Crabtree & Evelyn on its business restructuring and ultimate exit of the Australian market.*
- McGrathNicol as voluntary administrators in respect of the contentious administration and subsequent liquidation of Atlas Construction Group Pty Ltd.*
- The security trustee in respect of a debt restructuring of Network Ten effected via a dual voluntary administration and receivership process which culminated in a deed of company arrangement and transfer of shares to CBS by way of an application under s444GA of the Corporations Act.*
- The two monoline insurers (Syncora Guarantee Inc. and FGIC UK Limited) that had credit wrapped Reliance Rail's entire $2 billion debt profile to secure a successful debt restructuring, which involved the insurers being taken off risk. The exposure to Reliance Rail was the insurers' single largest exposure globally.*
Debt Trading and Special Situation Investing
- A global private credit fund in relation to its cross-border rescue financing package of an Australian corporate group, including strategic advice on enforcement and insolvency issues in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
- Oaktree Capital Management in relation to its financing and ultimate acquisition of the Marlin Brands group.*
- Tor Investment Management in relation to its investment in CleanTech impact investor, TrueGreen.*
- Bain Capital Credit and Deutsche Bank on their acquisition of the $1.9 billion GE Commercial Finance business.*
- Bain Capital Credit in respect of the Australian elements of its acquisition of the JPMorgan Global Special Opportunities Group, comprising various debt and equity assets in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore.*
Alternate Investment Funds
- Various alternate capital providers and private credit funds in respect of the restructuring of their debt and equity investments in Australia.
*Experience prior to joining White & Case