Ian heads our Restructuring and Insolvency group and advises across the full spectrum of restructuring, refinancing and insolvency matters. He has significant experience advising companies (and their boards), lenders, investors and buyers on complex and international restructuring and distressed situations. Ian also frequently advises governments, central banks and insolvency practitioners.
Ian sits on the City of London Law Society’s Insolvency Committee and was included in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 in 2020. He is ranked in Chambers UK, 2022 which says that “he has particular strength in advising on high-value mandates” and that he is “a leading light, very experienced, very calm and very measured”. He is also listed as a “Leading Individual” by the Legal 500, 2022, and is a “Highly Regarded” practitioner in the IFLR 1000, 2022.
Highlights:
- Valaris plc, an industry leading offshore drilling service provider that operates one of the largest global fleets in the sector on its ongoing restructuring through Chapter 11. Approximately $7.1 billion of debt facilities were restructured under the matter and it represented a comprehensive financial restructuring.
- Seadrill Limited, one of the world’s largest oil contractors, on two comprehensive Chapter 11 restructurings which involved restructuring billions of dollars of bank and bond debt.
- Interserve plc, one of the world’s leading support services and construction groups, on the development and implementation of a deleveraging plan designed to reduce the group’s debt by approximately £485 million and provide £110 million of fresh liquidity.
- The Board of Thomas Cook Group plc, in connection with the proposed recapitalisation plan, the liquidation of Thomas Cook Group plc and the subsequent parliamentary inquiry.
- Credit Suisse, in relation to the financial restructuring of Danaos Corporation.
- Carillion, in relation to its restructuring efforts, as well as the Official Receiver and Special Managers (PwC) in connection with the sale of certain businesses.
- HM Treasury, the Central Bank of Cyprus, the Irish Government and the Portuguese Ministry of Finance in connection with the financial crisis and bank resolution and recapitalisation options.
- The Wonga Group, which was previously the UK’s largest payday lender, on a potential restructuring before its entry into administration, and subsequently the administrators in relation to the conduct of the administration.
- Cineworld, one of the largest cinema chains in the world, on its financial restructuring, including the successful emergence of entities making up its US and UK and Irish businesses (together, the “Chapter 11 Companies”) from their Chapter 11 cases and the pre-packaged administration of Cineworld Group plc.
- Next plc on the acquisition out of administration of the majority of the assets of Joules by a newly formed joint venture (“JVCo”) between NEXT and Tom Joule, for cash consideration of £34 million. NEXT owns 74% of the equity in JVCo with the remaining 26% owned by Tom Joule. In addition, NEXT has acquired the current Head Office of Joules for £7 million in cash.
"A class act, Ian Johnson is a reassuring presence in difficult situations." Legal 500 2025
“Ian Johnson is calmness personified." Legal 500 2025
"Ian is an incredible lawyer. He provides pragmatic advice on very complex and technical issues. His art is taking the complex and making it very easy and digestible." Chambers 2025
"Ian is excellent - he's a calm hand offering well-judged advice in complex situations." Chambers 2025
"Ian Johnson is highly experienced and commercially aware of clients' needs." Chambers 2025