About James A. Davison

James Davison is a solution-focused restructuring lawyer whose broad practice encompasses debtor and creditor side mandates, with an emphasis on corporate rescue and turnaround to maximize value for stakeholders. James has led high-profile (often cross-border) restructurings across a range of sectors, including hospitality and leisure, travel, retail, consumer goods, industrials and financial services, using early intervention and practical dealmaking to safeguard and enhance clients’ interests. James also routinely advises boards, management teams, private equity sponsors, lenders and other investors on accelerated mergers and acquisitions (M&A), capital structure resets, workouts and contingency planning.

Strategic, business-focused restructuring leader

James approaches complex matters with a focus on identifying and pursuing the critical path to a solution, coordinating workstreams and aligning stakeholders around the necessary actions. His completion of secondments to two lending institutions and a global private credit fund (incorporating debt and equity interests) contributes to his well-rounded, multijurisdictional experience, as well as his ability to understand the key objectives of a range of stakeholders. Clients turn to James as a trusted advisor at critical inflection points because of his ability to combine calm, strategic judgment with clarity and speed of execution under pressure. Financial advisory firms with aligned practices often refer clients to James, reflecting his reputation for developing longstanding relationships and delivering dependable and commercially sound legal counsel.

James "has been at the forefront in the development of Part 26A Restructuring Plans (The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2025)," with particular know-how in the design and implementation of such plans under Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006. He has acted on a series of high-profile cases since this tool was introduced in the United Kingdom in 2020 (with similar tools having come online in other European jurisdictions more recently). These tools bear some of the hallmarks of Chapter 11 and provide a route to rescuing a company in financial difficulty without the need for a formal insolvency.

"James is fantastic to work with — sensible, commercial and completely 'on it'." "James is prolific in bigger-ticket work and is very experienced."

Chambers UK 2025

Practice Focus

  • Restructuring
  • Consumer goods, food and retail
  • Financial services
  • Industrials
  • Real estate

Representative Experience

  • Advised Fitness First Group on a successful Restructuring Plan, delivering a financial and operational turnaround for the group despite significant opposition from landlords. *
  • Advised FTI Consulting on the accelerated sale of Elvie, the leading provider of wireless breast pumps and other FemTech innovations, to US-based competitor, Willow Corporation. *
  • Advised administrators at Teneo on the accelerated sale of online fashion retailer Missguided to Frasers Group. *
  • Advised Sandton Capital Partners on the refinancing of Camerons Breweries. *
  • Advised a key stakeholder on the Energy Supply Administration of Bulb Energy. *
  • Advised FTI Consulting on the accelerated sale of globally recognised men’s tailor Gieves & Hawkes. *
  • Advised Bibby Offshore on its divestment and recapitalization via a scheme of arrangement. *
  • Advised the CVA nominees and supervisors on the corporate rescue of historic retailer Clarks Shoes. *
  • Advised Cargologicair, an airline impacted by UK sanctions, on the wind down of its operations and the return of funds to non-sanctioned creditors. *
  • Advised various stakeholders on numerous phases of the restructuring of UK Coal. *
  • Advised Revolution Bars Group PLC and its subsidiaries on a successful Restructuring Plan alongside a complex equity raise in the capital markets (AIM) and the refinancing of the group’s banking facilities. *
  • Advised the Poundland Group on its successful leasehold restructuring, delivered through a Restructuring Plan. *
  • Advised restaurant and bars group Drake & Morgan on its financial and operational turnaround, delivered through inter-conditional CVA's of various group entities. *
  • Advised Virgin Money, as secured creditor, in connection with the first Restructuring Plan proposed by an SME, Houst Limited. *
  • Represented a global financial institution in connection with the insolvency of Thomas Cook. *
  • Advised a global clothing brand on its joint venture with a listed UK retailer to move the client’s UK presence online and wind down its UK store portfolio. *
  • Advised King & Wood Mallesons in connection with the acquisition (out of administration) of various offices and teams within its Europe and Middle East business, maintaining the firm’s presence in key jurisdictions. *
  • Advised LA Fitness Group of its financial and operational restructuring, delivered through inter-conditional CVA's of various group entities. *
  • Advised a prominent US private equity investor on a series of hotel portfolio disposals with a value of more than £700 million. *
  • Advised AlixPartners as lead financial advisors in connection with the restructuring of global consulting firm Enzen. *
  • Advised administrators at Deloitte on the accelerated sale of Gourmet Burger Kitchen to Boparan. *
  • Advised a global payment services group on its recapitalization and the implementation of a credit bid acquisition by its secured lenders. *
* Experience prior to Katten
Practices
Industries
Education
  • BPP Law School, London
  • University of Sheffield
Bar Admissions
  • England and Wales
Community Involvements
  • Law Society of England and Wales, Member
  • Institute for Turnaround, Member
Recognitions
Recognized or listed in the following:
  • Chambers UK
    Restructuring/Insolvency, 2023–2026
  • The Legal 500 United Kingdom
    Leading Partner, 2026
Award Methodologies