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Overview
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Experience
Introduction
Bernie is an experienced restructuring lawyer with a focus on transactional restructuring.
Bernie Walrut regularly advises special situation funds, alternative lenders, bondholders, private equity and hedge funds in respect of opportunistic investments or turnarounds.
Bernie also advises insolvency practitioners in both formal and informal insolvency situations.
In addition to this Bernie has been involved in a number of company side engagements, assisting corporate entities in all forms of restructuring and turnaround.
Bernie has been recognized in Legal 500 and Best Lawyers in respect of Restructuring and Insolvency.
- Trafigura Pte Ltd | Advising Trafigura and its Receivers, in respect of its exposure to the Vitrinite Group, a significant coal producer in Queensland.
- WACO Group | Advising the South African parent companies of the WACO Kwikform Group, one of Australia's largest scaffolding operations on the restructure of its New Zealand and Australian operations.
- McGrathNicol | Advising McGrathNicol as administrators of Armour Energy in respect of the restructure by way of Deed of Company Arrangement and Creditors' Trust of a significant energy producer throughout Australia.
- FTX | Acting for the creditors of FTX in a determination of rights arising out of the collapse of the FTX group and the rights of creditors vis a vis the Australian and US Bankruptcy.
- Calibre Group of Companies | Advising the Calibre Engineering Group of Companies on the restructure of its AU$250 million facilities with a syndicate of lenders and the subsequent divestment of the divisions of Calibre Group totaling $1 billion.
- Natures Care | Advising members of the lending syndicate to the on the restructure and sale of the global Nature's Care business, one of the largest vitamin and health products producers in Australia.
- Seafolly | Advising L Catterton the private equity owners of Seafolly, a leading Australian swimwear brand, on the restructure and recapitalization of Seafolly, through a Voluntary Administration process and a debt for equity swap.
- BlueSky Group | Advising the BlueSky group of companies on the restructure and recapitalization of various portfolio companies including ESVolta, Thr1ve and Shoes of Prey and subsequently the restructure and divestment of various entities following its entry into Voluntary Administration.
- KordaMentha | Advising on the restructure and subsequent wind down or the Botany Mill Defined Benefit Scheme a longstanding employee pension scheme for employees of the Botany Paper Mill.
- Longreach Credit Investors | Acting for Longreach Credit Investors to Top Shelf International Holdings Limited, through a DOCA proposal to acquire the operating entities as well as establishment of new financing and a debt for equity swap.