Cathryn Williams is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Corporate Group in the firm’s London office. She has spent many years in the restructuring space, with particular experience in the asset-based lending sector. Cathryn acts for various clients in the financial sector, including banks, financiers, insolvency practitioners, officeholders, corporations, and distressed lenders in all aspects of non-contentious and contentious insolvency, restructuring, fraud, and asset recovery.
She has deep experience in all aspects of restructuring, formal insolvencies, insolvent business sales and purchases, and insolvency litigation. Cathryn has worked with businesses in a wide variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, technology, construction, food and beverage, film and television production, and smart card production. Over the span of her career, Cathryn has worked on a number of high-profile matters including BCCI, ENRON, and a number of well-known high street retailers. Cathryn is also recommended in The Legal 500 UK in the area of asset-based lending.
Representative Matters
- Conducted various sales processes and mediated on a dispute over commission due for property realizations on large retail failure.
- Advised the board of directors of an online company in distress whilst the business was marketed for sale.
- Acted for the financier of a national transport and logistics group, including advising on the licensing issues and applying for administration orders in relation to each group company.
- Instructed by the bank funder in the sale of the bank’s debt and assignment of underlying security and administration of a theme park.
- Assisted a company in the acquisition of the defendant insurance and consumer business from the administrator of a legal services provider.
- Acted in the administration and sale of retailers who previously operated hundreds of retail outlets throughout the U.K., Ireland, Malaysia, and Eastern Europe.
- Acting for the lender and subsequently the joint administrators of a nationwide motor parts and accessories business in effecting a sale of each of the businesses to separate purchasers.
- Acting for the buyer of all the intellectual property assets from a failed currency trade entity.
- Acted for the bank in the sale of its debt and assignment of underlying security of a large international retailer to a distressed investor.
- Advising the bankers and subsequently the administrators of a large international film and TV producer and distributor.
- Advising the boards of private companies and PLCs on insolvency and restructuring issues.
- Dealing with preference, undervalue, misfeasance, wrongful, and fraudulent trading actions on behalf of officeholders.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: England and Wales
Publications
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"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.
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"Breathing space for individuals facing debt issues," Crowell & Moring's Restructuring Matters
(June 24, 2019).
Author: Cathryn Williams.
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"Steel yourselves – troubles ahead?" Crowell & Moring's Restructuring Matters
(May 22, 2019).
Author: Cathryn Williams.
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"E-filing of administration appointments – don’t get your wires crossed," Crowell & Moring's Restructuring Matters
(April 16, 2019).
Author: Cathryn Williams.
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"Call for Views on the Quality and Effectiveness of Audit," Crowell & Moring's Restructuring Matters
(April 15, 2019).
Author: Cathryn Williams.
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"UK Court of Appeal considers what amounts to a genuine and serious cross-claim," Crowell & Moring's Restructuring Matters
(April 1, 2019).
Author: Cathryn Williams.
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"Will Britain be open for business post-Brexit?" Crowell & Moring's Restructuring Matters
(March 21, 2019).
Author: Cathryn Williams.
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"When can a payment of a dividend be a transaction defrauding creditors?" Crowell & Moring's Restructuring Matters
(March 21, 2019).
Author: Cathryn Williams.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme – Key Points,"
Corporate Alert
(March 26, 2020).
Contacts: Robert Weekes, Cathryn Williams, Paul Muscutt, Andrew J. Knight, Mark Forster, Seye Olufunwa, Beth Bradley
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"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
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"Coronavirus – Issues for Asset-Based Lenders,"
(March 16, 2020).
Contacts: Robert Weekes, Cathryn Williams, Paul Muscutt, Andrew J. Knight, Laurence Winston, Nicola Phillips
Media Mentions
Firm News & Announcements