Crowell and Moring expands London office with three partners
Crowell & Moring LLP is broadening its financial services and infrastructure capabilities with the addition of three partners to its London office: Robin Baillie, Paul Muscutt, and Cathryn Williams. The team strengthens the firm’s ability to advise clients on insolvency and restructuring as well as on infrastructure projects around the world.
The trio joins from Squire Patton Boggs where Williams led the firm’s Restructuring & Insolvency Practice in London and Baillie headed its Infrastructure Practice in the U.K. and Europe. Baillie joins the firm today, and Williams and Muscutt join on March 5. Their arrival comes on the heels of Robert Weekes, the former managing partner of Squire’s London office, being named managing partner of Crowell & Moring’s London office to oversee its growth.
“We are thrilled to welcome this elite group to our firm,” said Philip T. Inglima, chair of Crowell & Moring. “Cathryn and Paul are a dynamic duo with an established reputation in the restructuring and insolvency arena. Robin is a well-respected counsellor who deepens our ability to advise on energy and infrastructure projects, particularly in the U.K. and North America. Their combined experience will be a great benefit to our clients navigating both infrastructure and financial services issues in the U.K.”
Both Muscutt and Williams join the firm’s Financial Transactions Practice. They have extensive experience in the restructuring arena, particularly in the asset-based lending sector. Muscutt and Williams will advise banks, financiers, insolvency practitioners, officeholders, corporates, and private equity and distressed lenders in all aspects of non-contentious and contentious insolvency, restructuring, fraud, and asset recovery. Their clients span a wide variety of sectors including retail, manufacturing, technology, logistics, construction, engineering, and media.
Williams is a council member of R3, the leading trade association for the U.K.’s insolvency professionals, and co-chair of R3’s Education, Conferences and Courses Committee. In addition, she is a CEDR-qualified mediator. Muscutt is a member of the Legal and Technical Committee for the Asset Based Finance Association and a member of R3’s Policy Group.
“We are ready for a new challenge and look forward to helping build a top-flight financial services practice for the firm in London,” Williams said. “Steps to restructure a business at an early stage of financial distress can help to alleviate financial pressures and address underlying issues within that business – the aim of restructuring is to avoid an insolvency altogether. The uncertainty created by Brexit may have detrimental effects upon many British businesses. They will need help to steer their way through the choppy waters ahead. We are ideally placed to help such businesses and eager to help clients with our cradle to grave service.”
“We are well known company doctors, problem solvers, and fixers,” Muscutt said. “We have a wealth of experience finding restructuring solutions for corporate stakeholders and we are very excited to work with the firm’s high-calibre teams in the United States and Brussels.”
Baillie joins the firm’s Energy practice. He advises project sponsors, government bodies, infrastructure funds, lenders, contractors, and operators on a wide range of international infrastructure projects involving energy, roads, rail, healthcare, education, and housing.
“This is an outstanding opportunity to join a highly regarded international firm that is on the move in London,” Baillie said. “Having access to a strong U.S. energy/projects practice is important to growing my practice.”
“This is a very exciting development for our London office and it marks the beginning of our plan to substantially grow our presence in London,” said Weekes, managing partner of the London office. “I am thrilled to work alongside these lawyers once again. They add significant weight to our bench in London.”