Jamie leads the Insolvency and Restructuring Disputes team at Enyo Law. He has over 20 years’ experience in insolvency and banking litigation and acts for all stakeholders in distressed and insolvent situations—insolvency practitioners, directors, creditors and debtors—across a range of sectors, advising in relation to both domestic and cross-border insolvencies and restructurings.
In addition to his core insolvency and restructuring disputes practice, Jamie has particular experience of advising on issues arising in complex restructurings and of insolvencies in the financial services sector, and of advising foreign insolvency officeholders on obtaining recognition and assistance in England. He also has extensive knowledge of banking and finance litigation and fraud.
Jamie has been recognised by the legal directories as “a great insolvency litigator” and “a really good, technical insolvency lawyer” who is “noted for his expertise in UK and cross-border mandates” and “focuses on restructurings in the financial services sector and stands out for his experience advising on related litigation.” He is a solicitor advocate, with higher rights of audience before the English courts, and has also appeared before the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Jamie qualified as a barrister in 2000 and completed his pupillage at two commercial chancery sets in Lincoln’s Inn. He re-qualified as a solicitor in 2003, and worked in the restructuring teams at Clyde & Co and Eversheds Sutherland, where he was a partner from 2011 and led the insolvency litigation practice. He joined Enyo in 2021.
Representative cases:
- Acting for the administrator of Greensill Bank AG in relation to the recognition of the German insolvency proceedings in the UK, under the Cross Border Insolvency Regulations 2006, and disputes with Greensill Capital UK Ltd (in administration) in relation to proprietary claims over funds held by GCUK
- Representing a bank creditor in opposing a scheme of arrangement (Re DTEK Energy BV)
- Acting for Formula One driver Sergio Perez on the contested appointment of administrators to an F1 racing team (Re Force India Formula One Team Limited) and advising the administrators on the subsequent administration
- Acting for a large landlord in issuing, and subsequently settling, a challenge to a CVA proposed by a high-street retailer during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Representing the administrators of a failed FinTech “unicorn” on investigations and possible claims arising from its collapse
- Acting for a bank creditor in a challenge to the practices of the UK’s largest bulk provider of individual voluntary arrangements – successfully establishing that those practices were improper and leading to the reprimand and sanction of the relevant insolvency practitioner (Royal Bank of Scotland PLC -v- Munikwa)
- Giving expert evidence of English law in Italian insolvency proceedings (in relation to antecedent transaction avoidance)
- Advising the victim of a significant fraud on devising and implementing an insolvency-based strategy for the investigation of the fraud and the pursuit of international asset-recovery actions
- Representing a hedge fund creditor in successfully opposing an application by liquidators for court approval of a global compromise of claims held by the relevant company, and achieving the replacement of the relevant officeholders so as to preserve the possibility of a return on the claims
- The provisional liquidation and liquidation of Allied Wallet Limited, an FCA-regulated e-money provider, including obtaining directions on novel points of law raised by the proceedings
- Acting for the liquidators of Alexander David Securities Limited, an insolvent investment bank, on the liquidation and the distribution of the client money pool.
- Acting for the German insolvency administrator of Maple Bank
- Advising substantial creditors of Sova Capital and VTB Capital on the insolvency of those entities
- Advising an EU clearing house on the enforceability of its terms and conditions against an insolvent UK member, following Brexit
- Acting for one of the largest creditors of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) on the administration of LBIE and the “Waterfall” proceedings
- Advising the directors of a well-known fashion retailer on their duties and possible liabilities, in view of financial distress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and transactions proposed by the shareholders
- Representing the director of an insolvent FCA-regulated entity in successfully defending against claims for misfeasance and wrongful trading.
- Advising the boards of two distressed renewable energy companies on their duties
- Advising the directors of a property company on their possible risks and liabilities, resulting from changes to the law following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
- Advising the directors of a civil engineering and construction group on its restructuring
- Acting for the managing director and finance director of a printing business in defending proceedings under the Directors Disqualification Act 1986 and achieving a consensual resolution of those proceedings (involving a significant reduction of the period of disqualification)
- Acting for a group of investors in a failed real estate developer in proceedings to seek recoveries from those behind the developer
- Representing an alleged personal guarantor in challenging the guarantee on the basis of undue influence.
- Defending a commercial real estate fund in Commercial Court proceedings brought by a defaulted borrower (CNM Estates (Tolworth Tower) Limited -v- VeCREF 1 sarl)
Testimonials
Legal 500, 2024
"Jamie Leader is a very good technical lawyer with brilliant communication skills.".
Chambers & Partners, 2023
"Technically very able", "Jamie is an excellent leader, has a great knowledge of the legal issues and is quick in providing his answers." -Chambers & Partners, 2023
Chambers & Partners, 2022
Jamie Leader is noted for his expertise in UK and cross-border mandates. He focuses on restructurings in the financial services sector and stands out for his experience advising on related litigation.
"Jamie is a really good, technical insolvency lawyer. He is very bright, clever and switched on - a really nice guy."
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“….His work is of an excellent standard, and he is on top of all of the detail - a very impressive insolvency partner."
Chambers & Partners, 2020
Sources say Jamie Leader is "a great insolvency litigator" who has "a tight grip on the issues and is razor sharp on the law."
Legal 500, 2019
The 'fantastic' Jamie Leader has 'huge intellectual ability and sound commercial sensibilities' which he applies to good effect in relation to complex contentious insolvency matters.
