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Gabe Harley

Partner

England & Wales

020 3319 3700

gabe.harley@keystonelaw.co.uk

Gabe is a restructuring and insolvency lawyer, with significant experience advising debtors, creditors and management teams on cross-border debt restructurings and insolvencies. She has expertise in complex cross-border recapitalisation transactions, UK restructuring and insolvency processes such as restructuring plans, schemes of arrangement, administrations and Company Voluntary Arrangements as well as out-of-court, consensual transactions in distressed scenarios. Gabe regularly advises investment funds, hedge funds and private equity houses in their credit reviews and diligence of European stressed and distressed opportunities, including assessment of restructuring, liability management and new money options.

Throughout her career, Gabe has acted for large institutional clients, REITs, and global corporations across a number of industry sectors. She is particularly experienced in advising in the retail and consumer sector and previously acted on the restructurings of Poundland, WeWork, Toys “R” Us, Mothercare, Ann Summers, and Mamas & Papas.

Expertise

Gabe advises on restructuring and insolvency matters, handling debt restructurings, recapitalisations, distressed M&A, CVAs, Schemes of Arrangement, high-yield bonds, security enforcement, and directors’ duties, guiding clients through complex corporate and financial challenges.

Experience

  • Acted for Gordon Brothers on the restructuring of Poundland Limited, including its UK restructuring plan to rationalise its lease portfolio.
  • Acted for WeWork on the restructuring of its UK and global lease portfolio, including its US Chapter 11 filing.
  • Acted for the Flint Group in a comprehensive recapitalisation of US$1.4 billion of debt through a fully consensual transaction with its creditors.
  • Acted for the ad hoc group of noteholders on the restructuring of Olympic Entertainment Group involving an extension of the notes, reinstatement of assets into the restricted group and capital contribution from the group’s shareholder.
  • Acted for Capital & Regional PLC (a UK property REIT) on the restructuring of four loan portfolios across the group. The transactions included an equity raise to support a discounted debt buyback.
  • Acted for Altera on potential restructuring options and English law aspects of its Chapter 11 filing and DIP financing.
  • Acted for the ad hoc group of noteholders in the restructuring of Matalan, including the issuance of new 1.5 lien notes and a scheme of arrangement to amend existing second lien notes.
  • Acted for Technicolour S.A. in its comprehensive restructuring strategy to raise €420m in new financing and to refinance its existing debt through a French accelerated financial safeguard proceeding.

Gabe advises lenders, borrowers, and bondholders of their rights and remedies (including enforcement strategies) in existing and potential default scenarios.

Experience

  • Acted for Bain Capital in the consensual acquisition of its shares in Atento AS by a group of institutional investors.
  • Acted for Deloitte as administrators of Mamas & Papas.
  • Acted for PwC as administrators of Mothercare UK Limited
  • Acted for Moorfields Advisors Limited as administrators and liquidators of the UK business of Toys “R” Us.
  • Acted for a number of private equity sponsors on various restructurings and insolvency processes pertaining to their portfolio companies.

Gabe has significant experience in the retail and consumer sector, helping retail and consumer chains achieve successful debt and lease restructurings through CVAs, pre-packaged administrations, and other restructuring and insolvency processes.

Experience

  • Acted for Ann Summers in its company voluntary arrangement to restructure the group’s portfolio of leases and other liabilities.
  • Acted for Mamas & Papas in its financial restructuring and pre-packaged administration.
  • Acted for Mothercare UK Limited in relation to the financial restructuring and pre-packaged administration of the Company.
  • Acted for the Toys “R” Us group on all aspects of its global restructuring, including the company voluntary arrangement and administration of its UK business.
  • Acted for BC Partners in the consensual acquisition of Cote Restaurants by the Partners Group.

Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.

Recognition

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency 2024

“Provides high quality advice and service.”

The Legal 500 2024

Gabe qualified as a solicitor in 2016.  Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2024, she worked at the following firms:

  • Kirkland & Ellis International
  • Davidson Kempner European Partner (Client Secondment)
  • White & Case