Nick Axup

Nick is a restructuring and insolvency partner with a focus on contentious insolvency, often involving cross-border enforcement and asset recovery. Nick has a particular specialism in complex cross-border receiverships, including acting in litigation involving Proceeds of Crime and acting for court-appointed receivers.

He acts for insolvency practitioners, creditors, debtors and other stakeholders in both corporate and personal insolvency contexts. He also acts on High court and Insolvency Act claims and advises on the use of insolvency powers as part of an asset recovery strategy.

Examples of Nick's contentious insolvency work include acting for:

• Enforcement Receivers appointed pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act on multi-party cross border litigation and asset recovery to enforce the biggest Confiscation Order obtained by the SFO;
• Court-appointed receivers appointed over the assets comprising a professional football club;
• Court-appointed receivers over equitable rights in funds held by an American bank;
• applicants, respondents and third parties to freezing orders, various injunctive relief and disclosure and delivery up applications; and
• various winding up and debt recovery actions in the Insolvency Act and High Court actions.

Nick also has considerable in non-contentious insolvency matters and advisory work, particularly in respect of retail and fashion as well as sport-related insolvency. Recent examples of non-contentious matters include acting for:

• Benji Dymant and Dan Smith (of Teneo Financial Advisory) as administrators No Ordinary Designer Label Limited (trading as Ted Baker);
• Companies and boards of directors on directors duties and the implication of prospective insolvency;
• administrators of a global fashion business;
• administrators of a London listed Australian mining company;
• administrators of a Championship football club; and
• various other confidential football, cricket and rugby insolvency advisory matters.

Nick Axup is one of the best lawyers, if not the best lawyer, I’ve ever worked with"

Global Restructuring Review 2023

Helping you succeed in tomorrow's world

I am committed to my client's issues and enjoy the creative application of the insolvency toolkit to maximise recovery for clients. I also act on pro bono mandates, including for The Twinning Project, a charity pairing professional football clubs with their local prisons to provide training and coaching qualifications to inmates with a view to reducing reoffending rates.