Davis Polk: London Restructuring Practice Launched With New Partners

By Amit Chowdhry • Nov 22, 2024

Davis Polk announced that prominent restructuring lawyers Jifree Cader and Mark Knight will join the firm as partners in the Restructuring practice in London.

Cader advises clients on all facets of European insolvencies and restructurings. He works with private equity firms, hedge funds, investment banks, and other distressed debt and par investors, offering advice on their investment portfolios. He has also advised insolvency practitioners and is widely recognized as a leading restructuring practitioner, including in the Legal 500 UK.

Knight has deep experience in complex, multi-jurisdictional workouts and restructurings, acting for creditors and debtors. And he works with private equity houses, hedge funds and other investors to acquire and reorganize stressed and distressed businesses. Plus, his practice includes all stages of the restructuring life cycle, including investment structuring, contingency planning, and strategy, negotiations, implementation, post-restructuring, optimization of existing investments, and exit. Knight is ranked by multiple industry publications, such as the Chambers UK.

The duo joins Davis Polk from Sidley Austin LLP, where they served as co-heads of the Restructuring group in London.

Cader received his LL.B. from the University of Westminster. Knight received a B.A. from the University of Birmingham and a Graduate Diploma in Law from The College of Law at Guildford.

KEY QUOTES:

“I am pleased to welcome Jifree and Mark to Davis Polk to launch our European restructuring practice. They have an impressive track record of successfully leading complex restructurings, and their practice complements the market-leading work of our distinguished restructuring team in the U.S. Europe is an increasingly important area of focus for our restructuring clients. As we continue to build out our corporate practice in London, including through the exciting growth we have seen in leveraged finance and private equity already this year, adding top-tier restructuring capabilities is a natural next step.”

— Neil Barr, Davis Polk’s Managing Partner

“Jifree and Mark are very well known and well respected in the market. They have deep relationships with and are trusted by a wide range of sophisticated investors in Europe, many of whom are already clients of our firm, from their excellent work advising both companies and creditors in restructurings across the globe.”

— Damian Schaible, co-head of Davis Polk’s Restructuring practice

“Jifree and Mark are a fantastic team. They will be a huge asset to our existing clients and will help expand our client portfolio in Europe and beyond. We are thrilled they are joining our team.”

— Marshall Huebner, co-head of Davis Polk’s Restructuring practice