Nicola Hughes

Since joining Mayer Brown:

• Acting for funds managed by Permira credit arm on their acquisition of a large portion of the stationery retailer Paperchase, a move which rescued the business from administration.
• Advising the joint administrators of Nationwide Accident Repair Services and 8 of its subsidiaries in all aspects relating to the sale of the business and certain assets to RunMyCar Limited. The business, operates a nationwide network of garages, servicing the accident repair market for a number of large UK general insurance firms. 
• Advising Cath Kidston’s parent company, Hong Kong-based Baring Private Equity Asia, which bought the online, franchise and wholesale business of the brand, after the retailer went into administration in April 2020.
• Represented insolvency practitioners from Alvarez & Marsal Europe, the leading global professional services firm, in connection with all aspects of their appointment as the liquidators of Joannou & Paraskevaides (Overseas), a construction company operating in the Middle East, Europe & North Africa. The liquidators were appointed by an order of the Guernsey Court.
• Successfully defending Insolvency Practitioners at trial in a £250m claim in relation to alleged negligent failures to rescue the company as a going concern and/or to sell its development site at an appropriate value (In the matter of One Blackfriars Ltd).

Prior to joining Mayer Brown:

• Advising the administrators of a Rugby League Betfred Championship team on the sale of its business and assets.
• Representing a number of creditors and shareholders in the reported case of a successful application for the removal of four administrators from office. The company was an advertising and marketing technology company, once valued at £1.5bn.
• Advising an unconnected purchaser in the £9.5m acquisition of a poultry hatching and rearing business, with 18 growing farms, from its administrators in a pre-packaged administration sale.
• Advising a company on a number of post-completion matters relating to its purchase of the business and assets of a well-known company in the retail sector from its administrators.
• Advising the directors of a company in administration in relation to litigation pursued against them by the administrators of the company for various antecedent transactions and breach of their fiduciary duties. The claims had an estimated value of £9m.
• Representing a director in their successful application for leave to be a director of two companies when subject to a 5-year disqualification order. 
• Advising the Trustee in Bankruptcy of an individual with a substantial property portfolio in the north of England. Represented the Trustee in Bankruptcy in litigation arising from a Deed of Separation and Trust Deed produced by the wife of the bankrupt.
• Representing the administrators of 17 group companies in the sale of a national pub chain.
• Advising individuals and insolvency practitioners in respect of requests for documentation under sections 234, 235 and 236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (and similarly sections 366 and 367 of the Insolvency Act 1986 in relation to bankruptcy matters).

• England and Wales