I am a solicitor in the Insolvency and Restructuring team at Francis Wilks & Jones, with many years of experience acting across both contentious and non-contentious insolvency matters. I act for insolvency practitioners, companies, directors, creditors and individuals, helping them manage the legal and commercial challenges that arise before, during and after an insolvency process.
My work covers the full spectrum of personal and corporate insolvency. I assist clients entering formal processes, advise office holders on claims and investigations, and support directors responding to insolvency-related allegations. I also act for individuals in personal insolvency matters, giving me a rounded understanding of the practical pressures facing all parties and allowing me to deliver balanced, outcome-focused advice.
My experience includes:
• Helping creditors recover debts in a timely and cost-effective way.
• Assisting with administrations from pre-appointment stages through to post-appointment advice.
• Bringing and defending a wide range of insolvency claims, including negotiating successful settlements.
• Acting for a director in section 216/217 proceedings that proceeded to the Court of Appeal in PSV 1982 v Langdon [2022] EWCA Civ 1319.
I take pride in providing precise, practical advice aimed at achieving the best commercial result for each client. By focusing on the wider context of a matter and maintaining clear, effective communication throughout, I help clients navigate complex situations and reach solutions that are both cost-effective and grounded in commercial reality.
The insolvency team at FWJ has helped me on a number of complex and protracted matters over the last few years. FWJ are quick to respond and have given me practical and comprehensive solutions to the situations I have had to deal with. I have always been impressed by the depth of insolvency knowledge and commercial awareness displayed by the team and I would not hesitate to instruct FWJ again.
Ian Robert, partner at Kingston Smith
