Susan has an extensive national and cross-border and restructuring practice in which she represents international banks, asset-based lenders and other financiers, restructuring and turnaround professionals, directors and management teams, as well as creditors, and advises on all issues arising in financially stressed and distressed scenarios.
Susan’s expertise covers a broad range of domestic and international insolvency (both contentious and non-contentious), lender security reviews and enhancement, restructuring, turnaround and business support. She has particular experience of acting for financiers, including top-tier banks and international asset-based lenders, plus she regularly represents major firms of accountants and multinational corporations.
Susan has worked on many well-known assignments, including Urban Splash – SIG Building Systems, CNG – Axcess Financial Europe, Cash Generator Limited and Cheque Centres Limited, Must Have – VIP Electronic Cigarettes, Printpack, La Seda de Barcelona/Appe, Silentnight, TEG plc, Klarius/Quinton Hazell, Magnus, Burdens, FirstCity, Prontaprint, Hickson & Welch/C6, David McLean and Gamble Rail. She has in-depth experience of all forms of insolvency from a variety of angles and advises clients on their options as creditors, debtors and office holders in any given situation.
Susan is a Fellow of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals, a member of the Insolvency Lawyers Association and is a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner (licensed 1997). She is certified by the European Association of Certified Turnaround Professionals.
Susan makes regular presentations on a variety of restructuring related topics, mostly recently at the Turnaround Management Association European conference talking about sales of distressed property and loan portfolios and at the World Bank’s Global Financial Infrastructure week in Istanbul talking about multijurisdictional restructuring matters.
Susan is a former member of our Global Board and was a board member of the Turnaround Management Association Europe. She previously led the Restructuring & Insolvency Practice Group in the UK and Europe.
Quotes
Susan is perennially ranked as a leading restructuring lawyer and a Band 1 professional in the Northwest. Below are quotes from clients:
- Susan is “very experienced, extremely commercial and has really good risk awareness”. Chambers 2020
- Susan and her team are “professional, knowledgeable and helpful. The level of support was fantastic”. Chambers 2019
- Susan is “very pleasant to work with and insightful – she always thought everything through well.” Chambers 2018
- “Susan Kelly was instrumental in navigating a complex legal and regulatory situation to a successful end. Perhaps more significantly, she was not only outstanding at her core responsibilities within the team, but she added tremendous value by identifying new creative solutions that created significant business benefit. Always available and always positive, she was a delight to work with.” Doug Clark, President, Axcess Financial Europe Limited, October 2017
- “Susan is a very talented and tenacious lawyer, able to handle the most complex of deals. During the transaction, she successfully delivered for my firm, she showed that she is innovative in coming up with workable solutions to move a deal to conclusion, as well has having the courage to challenge the other side when they are being unreasonable or obtuse. She is a very committed person and will work tirelessly around the clock if need be to hit deadlines. A good communicator, she also gets alongside her clients to help simplify and explain difficult legal concepts. Susan would be an asset to any firm looking to complete a commercial transaction.” Paul Court, Managing Director, Cash Generator Holdings Limited and Cheque Centres Group Limited, October 2017
- “Beyond her considerable smarts and sensitivities to the legal nuances involved in dealing with and amongst all the parties, she proved to be a deft negotiator and a good project shepherd. Being based in the US, I, as General Counsel, also appreciated the numerous occasions on which she provided me advanced insights into the flow of the deal or legal obstacles she anticipated would bear down upon us. The deal was tough but nonetheless successfully concluded, an outcome that we could not have achieved without her energy, humor and counselor skills.” Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Global manufacturer and distributor, December 2014
- Susan is referred to as “first rate”. The Legal 500 2017
- Susan is noted as “a very strong leader who continues to be excellent at restructuring”. Clients have also said the team are “distinguished by their global reach. Despite their international reach and being a big firm, you get big resources at short notice and the offices do talk to teach other. The service offering is joined up.” Chambers 2016
- Susan is mentioned as leading a “very professional” team and is described as “exceptional”. The Legal 500 2016
- Susan’s team offers strength in depth with “strong leadership”. Chambers 2015
- Susan is well respected as “an exceptional business lawyer with an outstanding ability to handle the most complex, difficult and diverse range of matters”, “technically good, commercial and very robust”. She is described as a “leading individual”, “robust” and clients agree that she “provides a real partner led approach to client services”.
Susan and her team “handle a broad range of restructuring matters and are always very impressive – really brilliant”
They are known for their “ability to effectively utilise the firm’s significant international footprint to provide clients with a seamless service on cross border matters”.
They are noted as providing “a very bespoke service with a strong desire to understand their clients”.
“If I was referring or recommending someone, they would be my first choice.” Chambers UK 2014
- Susan is described as “expert in creating simple, clear and effective strategies to deal with complex matters”. The Legal 500 UK 2014
- “Susan tackles new and complex issues and is able to provide us with expedient commercial solutions” and “is praised for her straight forward approach to getting deals completed”. Chambers UK 2013
- Susan is “very well respected by the banks” and lauded for her “strong focus on the detail”. Chambers UK 2012
- Susan is described as “focused, efficient” and “results oriented”. The Legal 500 UK 2012
- Susan is “particularly strong in pensions related matters”. The Legal 500 UK 2011
- Susan is commended as “commercial, informed, succinct and direct”. The Legal 500 UK 2010
- Susan has “a fantastic reputation among accountants and has the ability to pull in top people to give clients a well-rounded service”. Susan and her team boast “strong credentials and a real talent for handling pensions and asset backed lending work”. Chambers UK 2009
- Susan “has an excellent standing in the North West”. The Legal 500 UK 2009
- Susan “is the most proactive” and “impressive”. The Legal 500 UK 2008