OUR PEOPLE

Sam Payne is a fantastic person, first and foremost. He has a real skill of engaging with people as a restructuring and insolvency lawyer, but also as an empathetic and sympathetic ear. It's such an important skill.

Sam Payne’s expertise was called upon when the administrators of Lendy – a peer-to-peer lender that entered administration – needed advice. The administrators effectively took on the role of management of the company’s loans - a complex and multi-faceted assignment. Sam was called in to advise on the full scope of restructuring and insolvency matters, calling upon HCR’s wider expertise to deal with a range of issues including property litigation and dispute resolution problems. Damian Webb of RSM said: “Sam’s excellent understanding of all intricacies of both the financial and insolvency aspects to this administration, and his great team, are why we continue to instruct them.”

When a lender had serious concerns relating to a shallow mine business it had lent to in Northumbria, they turned to Sam Payne – our head of restructuring and insolvency – for advice. A full security review was provided, as well as calling on the firm’s wider resources to provide a holistic approach to the issues at hand which went beyond solvency concerns. With the assistance of our planning, construction and regulatory teams, Sam and his team formulated a plan which included the appointment of administrators. Jo Power, of FRP (previously ExWorks), said: “Sam is great at building relationships, has a strong knowledge of the marketplace and will make introductions to relevant third parties. He is proactive and very commercial, coming up with suggestions and solutions that we hadn’t thought of. “Sam doesn’t just focus on the legal documentation, but also uses his mind to find ways forward. He is very down to earth and is never difficult to get hold of. Sam offers a genuine, partner-led approach.”