Harriet Ainsworth

Full Profile

Harriet has extensive experience representing a wide range of stakeholders in restructuring and insolvency matters, including complex, high-value, and multi-jurisdictional cases. Harriet's work includes litigation (with a particular focus on winding-up and bankruptcy petitions), administrations, liquidations, and advising on directors’ duties. 

Harriet's work on contentious matters involves advising a range of clients in respect of disputes arising out of distressed and insolvent situations including bankruptcy (acting for both creditors and high-net worth debtors); winding-up petitions; both defending and bringing claims against company directors; and obtaining third-party costs orders.

Harriet also works on non-contentious matters, dealing with transactions arising out of insolvent situations in a variety of sectors with her experience including data management, retail, mining, and professional practices including law firms.

Experience

• Bankruptcy - Acting for high-net worth individual in his defence of a bankruptcy petition presented by a consortium of Indian Banks (majority government led) of a debt of £1.4bn. 
• Winding-up petitions - Acting for a group of Hong Kong companies in respect of their creditors' winding-up petition filed against a company which the petitioner provided IT infrastructure to for digital asset tracing. 
• Debt recovery - Acting for a specialist lender to UK businesses in the recovery of multiple debts owed by individuals under personal guarantees following defaults by corporate borrowers. 
• Creditors' committees - Acting for a creditor in an administration of a company which had brought an unsuccessful claim against the client. Ultimately secured a third-party costs order against a funder of the litigation.
• Administration - Acting for insolvency practitioners (as prospective administrators) and the board of a data management company (servicing the energy sector) in respect of a proposed sale and pre-packaged administration requiring international negotiations. 
• Insolvent estate administration - Acting for trustees on all matters arising out of their appointment over the insolvent estate of a deceased individual.
• Enforcement of judgment debt - Acting for a major news publication in respect of the recovery of a judgment debt from a high-profile individual following an unsuccessful defamation claim against the client. 
• Defence of insolvency proceedings - Acting for a leading estate agent in respect of a statutory demand received from a purported creditor demanding payment of 200million USD. Obtained an injunction to restrain presentation of a winding-up petition and an order for costs.
• Company director claims - Acting for a company director pursued by the company’s liquidator for repayment of HMRC liabilities resulting from the use of an Employee Benefit Trust. Advised the director during settlement negotiations and resolution through mediation.