Simon Skelton

Simon Skelton is a Managing Director in the Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment. Simon has over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and expert testimony and a further 15 years of commercial experience in legal practice. He has industry expertise in mining and mining services, manufacturing, retail, financial and professional services and in managed investment schemes.

Simon diverse experience spans a range of disciplines, including all types of formal insolvency, class actions, general advisory work and expert testimony. Simon typically works on major corporate restructures, where he focusses principally on operations and treasury management; class action claim adjudication and Settlement Scheme distributions; financial due diligence and expert testimony on financial loss, solvency and professional duties.

Significant engagements

• Restructuring: Corporate restructure of an ASX listed company with Brazilian mining operations, including debt trade and equity recapitalisation; Chapter 7 and VA contingency planning for ASX listed global mining service company (4,500+ workforce, annual revenue USD$650m); advising bondholders of an insolvent ASX listed managed investment scheme, including annual bond revaluations (unsecured debt AU$100m); wind down of a UK utility broker and business consulting firm (750+ workforce, annual revenue GBP70m).
• Operations: Operations management of Queensland Nickel (550+ workforce, annual revenue AU$700 million); operational and financial model review for an ASX listed subsidiary, advising on contract negotiations with state government.
• Class actions: Adjudication of claims for class action against an insolvent ASX listed company (3,000 creditors, claims AU$85m); advising ASX listed litigation funder on distribution quantification (AU$150 million+).
• Due diligence: Working capital due diligence of university pathway and vocational education provider (annual revenue AU$300m); red flag due diligence for global special situations fund of Australian mining service companies (annual revenues AU$110m); cash flow lend analysis for financial institution lending to helicopter rescue service (secured debt AU$30m).
• Expert testimony: Expert witness court reports for Supreme Court and Federal Court proceedings including duties of receivers, solvency and appropriateness of financial forecasts.