Peter Bowden

Partner
Melbourne

Biography

Pete is a partner and the co-head of our Restructuring and Insolvency group.

He has significant experience advising hedge funds, financiers, banks (traditional and investment banks), insolvency practitioners, creditors and debtors on restructuring, distressed debt transactions, workouts, insolvency, distressed M&A and stressed banking transactions. An INSOL Fellow, Pete has significant international experience including working in Tokyo for a leading global law firm as well as acting on numerous high-profile cross-border transactions.

As Co-head, Pete has played a lead role in building the national team and practice which has seen significant growth in the team and its profile advising on most of the market leading transactions in the region.

Experience

Pete’s experience includes advising:

  • Credit Suisse Asset Management on its circa $2 billion exposure to the Greensill group of companies including in relation to its security over certain GFG entities in Australia.

  • APA on all aspects of the complex restructuring and A$773 million acquisition of Basslink.

  • Acciona on its acquisition of the Kwinana Waste-to-Energy project by way of a solvent creditors’ scheme of arrangement, involving the acquisition of all of the equity and debt in the project.

  • Roofoods on the voluntary administration of its Australian subsidiary, Deliveroo Australia

  • PwC as administrators of X64 on all matters arising from the administration of the Company.

  • LJ Hooker on its significant exposure to its incumbent financiers and all aspects of the strategy and implementation of the restructure and recapitalisation of the business via a DOCA.

  • McGrathNicol as Administrators of Big Village Australia on all aspects of the voluntary administration of Big Village Australia.

  • PwC as Administrators of Melbourne Rebels in all matters arising from its voluntary administration.

  • XBlades Sports on all aspects of its voluntary administration.

  • McGrathNicol as administrators (appointed by Merricks Capital) of a $155 million hotel development in the Melbourne CBD, named “Melbourne Place”.

  • CBA on its exposure to Virgin as a lessor of certain aircraft.

  • McGrathNicol as administrators and then liquidators of the Australian subsidiary of Toys “R” Us.

Awards and Recognition

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024

    Ranked for Restructuring & Insolvency

  • Best Lawyers 2024

    Insolvency and Reorganisation Law, Distressed Investing and Debt Trading Practice

Testimonials

Client first thinking

Peter is incredibly commercial. He is a lawyer that looks at things from a commercial lens. He looks for solutions at all times and is one of the most strategic partners in Melbourne.

Chambers Asia-Pacific

Peter Bowden is commercial, insightful and a truly supportive and collaborative team player. He stands alongside the client to deal with complex issues.

Legal 500 Asia Pacific
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