Andrew Knight is a partner in the Corporate and Financial Services practices in Crowell & Moring’s London office. He practices international financial law, advising clients on asset-based lending, syndications, and restructurings. Andrew also helps his clients with secondary market transactions, distressed debt trading, and financial book sales.
Andrew’s clients include bank and non-bank lenders, especially asset-based lenders in the United Kingdom and the United States including cross-border restructurings and pre-packed exits. He is particularly well-known for his knowledge in negotiating, documenting, and restructuring multijurisdictional credit facilities including cross-border insolvencies restructurings and pre-packed exits. Andrew also helps his clients with secondary market transactions, infrastructure finance, distressed debt trading, and financial book sales. In recognition of his deep experience and capability, Andrew is recommended as a Leading Lawyer in The Legal 500 UK for asset-based lending.
Prior to joining the firm, Andrew was a partner and former head of EMEA Debt Finance in the London office of an international firm. He has a working knowledge of Italian.
Representative Matters
- Represented a number of leading U.K. and U.S. asset-based lenders and borrowers in relation to multijurisdictional financings with facility limits of up to $900 million. Such transactions require the taking of collateral over tangible and intangible assets in most major EU jurisdictions and in Scandinavia, the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and South Korea.
- Acted on behalf of secured and asset-based lenders in connection with the protection and enforcement of claims in debtor restructurings and insolvency proceedings in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, Norway, and Australia.
- Acted as lead partner in respect of the collapse of the Icelandic Bank, Landsbanki, including negotiating with the U.K. Treasury for the provision of a £100 million emergency loan package by the Bank of England and the relaxation of government-imposed sanctions on the bank to enable an orderly wind-down.
- Acted as lead partner for Wonga, the U.K. payday lender, in relation to efforts to restructure its financing arrangements and the disposal of key business units.
- Advised U.K. insolvency officeholders appointed in relation to U.K.- and non-U.K.-corporations in a variety of industries including automotive, food and beverage, and finance, including cross-border insolvencies.
- Acted as the lead partner for the lender group with respect to the financing of the acquisition of British Steel by Greybull and its subsequent refinancing to include a FILO facility.
- Acted as lead partner for the Municipality of Piraeus in the reported case of Merrill Lynch Capital Services Inc and Others v The Municipality of Piraeus, which tested the English ultra vires principle against a non-English local government authority in respect of a disputed hedging contract.
- Advised parties to transfers, including bulk transfers, of distressed debt, commercial mortgages, receivables purchase contracts, finance leasing contracts, and commercial loans.
Speeches & Presentations
-
"Distributed Ledger Technology and the UCC," ACCFL 2019 Fall Dinner & Advanced Seminar, Washington, D.C.
(September 14, 2019).
Presenters: Andrew J. Knight and Scott Lessne.
-
"Cross-Border Asset Based Lending: Perspectives on Practice and Legal Issues in Canada, England and the United States," ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting 2019, Washington, D.C.
(September 13, 2019).
Panelists: Andrew J. Knight and Scott A. Lessne.
Publications
-
"The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act: The Moratorium and just how “super” is Super Priority?" Crowell & Moring’s Restructuring Matters
(July 13, 2020).
Authors: Cathryn Williams, Paul Muscutt, Andrew J. Knight and Beth Bradley.
-
"COVID-19 Considerations For UK Asset-Based Lenders," Law360
(March 30, 2020).
Authors: Robert Weekes, Andrew J. Knight, Laurence Winston, Cathryn Williams, Paul Muscutt, and Nicola Phillips.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
-
"The Reintroduction of Crown Preference: What Does this Mean for Secured Lending?,"
Corporate Alert
(August 4, 2020).
Contacts: Andrew J. Knight, Seye Olufunwa
-
"Restructuring Measures to Combat the Effects of COVID-19,"
Corporate Alert
(April 20, 2020).
Contacts: Cathryn Williams, Paul Muscutt, Andrew J. Knight, Simon Evers, Mark Meyer, Beth Bradley, Amanda Kwagala
-
"Will Lenders be able to use COVID-19 to Invoke Material Adverse Change Clauses?,"
Corporate Alert
(April 17, 2020).
Contacts: Andrew J. Knight, Nicola Phillips, Robert Weekes, Laurence Winston, David Russell, CFA
-
"Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme – Key Points,"
Corporate Alert
(March 26, 2020).
Contacts: Andrew J. Knight, Paul Muscutt, Robert Weekes, Cathryn Williams, Seye Olufunwa, Beth Bradley, Mark Forster
-
"U.K. Government Faces Urgent Pressure to Reform Insolvency Law,"
Corporate Alert
(March 26, 2020).
Contacts: Cathryn Williams, Paul Muscutt, Andrew J. Knight, Beth Bradley, Mark Forster, Seye Olufunwa
-
"Coronavirus – Issues for Asset-Based Lenders,"
(March 16, 2020).
Contacts: Andrew J. Knight, Paul Muscutt, Nicola Phillips, Robert Weekes, Cathryn Williams, Laurence Winston
Press Coverage
Firm News & Announcements