Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s Insolvency and Business Restructuring Team provide specialist advice to clients on a wide range of both contentious and non contentious insolvency related matters. Our dynamic and experienced team takes a practical and commercial approach to protecting the interests of clients who are affected by corporate restructure, recovery and insolvency. We also work with under-performing businesses, national and local insolvency practitioners, banks and other financial institutions

Content divide

Areas of Expertise

  • Administrations
  • Liquidations
  • Company Voluntary Arrangements
  • Individual Voluntary Arrangements
  • Appointment of Fixed Charge Receivers
  • Review of security
  • Distressed Company and business disposals and restructuring
  • Cross jurisdiction asset tracing and fraud cases
  • Distressed property sales
  • Director Disqualification
  • Adjustment of prior transactions including preference payments and – Transactions at an Undervalue
  • Possession proceedings
  • Interim Order Applications
  • Stays in Advertisement of Bankruptcy
  • Annulment of Bankruptcy
  • Debtor Bankruptcy petitions

Notable Cases

  • Advising the Joint Administrators of Drenagh Farms Limited (In Administration) which assets included a large country estate, outhouses and circa 750 acres of land in County Londonderry
  • Advising the Administrator of Skyline Superstores Limited and Gearys (Belfast) Limited which held the Dreams Furniture & Beds Franchise in NI
  • Advising the Liquidator of Geotech Construction Limited (In Liquidation) which assets included a considerable quarry in County Tyrone.
  • Advising the Joint Administrators of Derry City Football Club
  • Acting on behalf of local and national banks in relation to the appointment of Fixed Charge Receivers in respect of individuals, companies and Limited Liability Partnerships
  • Advising local and national banks in relation to enforcement options for realising security and enforcing Personal Guarantees to recover shortfalls in respect of individuals, companies and Limited Liability Partnerships for debts of tens of millions of pounds up to circa £3million
  • Advising Trustees in Bankruptcy on contentious matters relating to adjustments of prior transactions involving Transfers at Undervalue, Preference payments and Transactions Defrauding Creditors.
  • Annulment of Bankruptcy
  • Debtor Bankruptcy petitions

Why Us?

The team, led by Director Jeanette Donohoe, is one of the largest and most experienced in Northern Ireland, with a total of 6 team members. Our team is well recognised as providing a focused service, with a view to securing a successful outcome as expeditiously and efficiently as possible.  According to Chambers and Partners UK 2019, our team is recognised as demonstrating “excellent technical ability and service”.  Our team has been described as “very attentive, they get things done and they can see the commercial outcome”.

Jeanette Donohoe heads up the firm’s insolvency team and is praised by Chambers and Partners UK for her “strong knowledge” of insolvency law and “very sensible and pragmatic” approach which leads to “a commercial resolution very quickly” . She has been described as “very easy to work with and very proactive”.

Underpinning our team’s specialist industry knowledge and expertise are additional qualifications and certifications held by individuals within our team. The team comprises a solicitor qualified to practice in England and Wales, a solicitor qualified to act as a Mediator and a solicitor who has attained Part I and II Qualifications from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, demonstrating a wealth of understanding and proficiency in all aspects of this specialist practice area.

Our team holds membership in recognised insolvency organisations including R3 and the Insolvency Practitioners’ Association. We also have extensive court experience and regularly appear before the Chancery Master and Judge in the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland. Our expertise in insolvency and restructuring is supported by a depth of resources and niche specialisms throughout our practice, a benefit which is becoming increasingly recognised and relied upon by our clients.