Paul Muscutt

Overview

Paul Muscutt is a partner in Crowell & Moring's London Restructuring and Insolvency practice, recognised as one of the UK's leading lawyers in investigating failed international investment schemes — including loan note schemes, bond schemes, fractional ownership schemes, and unregulated collective investment schemes (UCIS) — and achieving recoveries for investors and creditors. He acts for joint administrators, bankruptcy trustees, and investors achieving recoveries from collapsed investment vehicles, with experience in worldwide freezing orders (WFO), fraud, cross-border asset tracing, and insolvency litigation.

Paul's recent work has attracted significant national media coverage. He has been quoted by The Times in connection with the UK loan note scandal and the role of banks in facilitating Ponzi schemes, and he has led the firm's appointment by Kroll Advisory as solicitors to the joint administrators in the Woodville Litigation Funding administration (estimated £330 million loan book) and the 79th Group administration (£250 million international investment scheme and suspected fraud). The team also acted for the joint administrators of the Carlauren Group (£80 million fractional ownership scheme operated as a Ponzi scheme) in obtaining multimillion-pound settlements on claims arising from the scheme.

Paul's broader practice covers all aspects of contentious and noncontentious insolvency and restructuring, including cross-border complex fraud and asset recovery, formal insolvency procedures, and distressed lending. He acts for financial institutions, asset-based lenders, private equity and high-net-worth investors, insolvency practitioners, directors, and corporate clients.

Paul is a member of the Legal and Technical Committee for UK Finance and a member of the Policy Group of R3, the Association of Business Recovery Professionals.

Career & Education

University of Plymouth, LL.B., 1998
College of Law, Guildford, LPC, 1999
- University of Plymouth, LL.B., 1998
- College of Law, Guildford, LPC, 1999
England and Wales
- England and Wales

Paul's Insights

Press Coverage | 09.04.26

Woodville Woes Mount

Firm News | 7 min read | 08.26.26
ICYMI: Crowell’s London R&I Team Appointed by Kroll Advisory in Bankruptcy of £330M Woodville Litigation Fund
Press Coverage | 08.20.26
Investigation Exposes How Collapsed Car Finance Litigation Funder Raised More than £300m
Press Coverage | 08.17.26
Regulator ‘looking closely’ at role of banks in loan note scandal

View All Insights

Representative Matters

Acting for a group of investors in successfully securing a contested administration order from the High Court in relation to Woodville Consultants Limited (trading as Woodville Litigation Funding), a motor finance litigation funder with an estimated £330 million loan book. Subsequently retained by Kroll Advisory as solicitors to the joint administrators in the wider administration process.
Acting for Kroll Advisory as joint administrators of the 79th Group, a £250 million international property bond and unregulated collective investment scheme (UCIS) and suspected Ponzi scheme, including obtaining worldwide freezing orders, asset disclosure orders, and passport surrender orders against the directors and connected parties.
Acting for the joint administrators of the Carlauren Group in relation to an £80 million fractional ownership hotel and care home UCIS operated fraudulently as a Ponzi scheme.
Acting for the administrators of six companies in the Shepherd Cox Hotel Group, a £20 million fractional hotel room ownership UCIS.
Acting in connection with the Merydion Group, a £50 million fractional hotel room ownership UCIS, subsequently wound up by the Insolvency Service following allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.
Acting for investors in Qualia Care Properties Ltd and Qualia Care Developments Ltd, a £57 million care home fractional ownership UCIS in respect of which the FCA obtained civil judgment against the director in the High Court and the companies entered administration. Acting for the joint liquidators (Quantuma Advisory and MHA Group) of Westway Holdings, a £26 million property bond UCIS fraud operated by a convicted fraudster.
Acting for bankruptcy trustees in the tracing and recovery of assets following a £16 million fraud, including cross-border asset tracing and recovery proceedings against individuals who had dissipated assets prior to bankruptcy.
Representing creditors on a creditors’ committee in the administration of a failed FSA-regulated derivatives broker.
Secondments to the restructuring and litigation finance teams of large financial institutions.
Acting for a foreign liquidator in a reported case of cross-border insolvency regulations in relation to a large shipping arbitration dispute.
Advising financial institutions on the complex restructuring of a leading manufacturer of beds in Europe, Russia, and Asia.
Advising a bank on the £110 million restructuring of a coal mine.
Advising a financier on the $1.5 billion restructuring of one of the world’s largest independent steel traders.
Advising the board of a premier UK football club on potential insolvency issues.
Representing companies in relation to the restructuring of a £15 million turnover business specialising in flexible office space solutions.
Advising a U.S. private equity investment firm on the acquisition of a European airline.
Representing a company in the trading administration of a theme park and a £35 million investment.
Representing the administration of an online fashion retailer.
Acting for the administrators of a global provider of interactive entertainment products in the gaming industry.
Acting as administrator in the administration of the UK’s largest online retailer of products for home and garden.
Advising on a cross-border real estate restructuring matter for £150 million.
Representing a syndicated lender in the restructuring of a leading wholesaler.