Overview

Buvini Kularatne acts as lead counsel for various stakeholders across the capital structure (including large corporates, creditors, sponsors, investors and insolvency practitioners) on large, complex, multijurisdictional restructuring matters. Buvini’s broad experience and diverse client base let her help clients navigate risk, and identify and exploit opportunities to protect and maximise value.

Her work has spanned more than 25 jurisdictions and numerous industry sectors, and she has particular experience in navigating politically sensitive and high-profile matters. Buvini is a trusted advisor and “first port of call” for many clients on multifaceted restructuring matters. A client’s quote in The Legal 500 says “Buvini Kularatne is the real deal: a sophisticated litigator”. She has particular skill in distressed real estate work and has undertaken two secondments at a private equity real estate investment fund.

Buvini is also the partner advisor for the London office's diversity and inclusion committee, and works closely with the associates on formulating and implementing related initiatives.

Representative Experience

Buvini has represented:

  • Advising a series of debtor companies in relation to out-of-court administration appointments and restructurings.
  • Advising Essar Oil (UK) Limited in relation to its contingency planning, stakeholder management and restructuring.
  • A debtor in relation to restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings in Luxembourg and Jersey.
  • A creditor in relation to the restructuring of Intu Properties Plc.
  • Advising Fitness Anywhere UK Limited in relation to contingency planning and stakeholder management in the context of its parent group's Chapter 11 proceedings and related sales process.
  • Advising Northwood Investors in relation to the distressed acquisition of an Austrian hotel out of a security enforcement sale and its subsequent restructuring.
  • Advising a banknote supplier and creditor in relation to the restructuring of a foreign exchange company.
  • Advising Northwood Investors on its acquisition of Five Acre Square.
  • A creditor in relation to its position in the Thomas Cook proposed refinancing and eventual liquidation.
  • A creditor in relation to its position in the Casino refinancing.
  • An Irish Bank Resolution Corporation in relation to the English law governed settlement of multi-jurisdiction litigation proceedings, including the sale of an Indian real estate holding company out of an Indian resolution process.
  • A global serviced office and co-working space provider on its continued internal restructuring in various European, Asia Pacific and African jurisdictions and in relation to the acquisition of various competing businesses out of administrations and via loan to own strategies.
  • Famar on the successful restructuring, recapitalization and strengthening of its capital structure.
  • A creditor in relation to its position in the Noble restructuring.
  • The lender side in relation to the international restructuring of Pacific Andes Resources Development Limited (PARD), China Fishery International Limited and certain subsidiaries of PARD and China Fishery Group Limited, involving proceedings in, among other jurisdictions, Singapore, BVI and Peru and Chapter 11 proceedings in New York.

Other matters:

  • Advising Northwood Investors on the acquisition of a majority holding in the €961 million French-listed Prime Office SIIC, CéGéREAL S.A.
  • Advising Northwood Investors on the acquisition and subsequent restructuring of the £635 million Highcross portfolio of UK regional, commercial properties together with the related asset management platform, Highcross Strategic Advisers Limited.
  • Advising Northwood Investors on several matters, including the purchase of loans from Irish Bank Resolution Corporation and the related acquisitions and refinancings of Diagonal Mar Shopping Center in Barcelona, the Four Seasons Hotel in Prague and the offices at Heuston South Quarter in Dublin.
  • Advising a Chinese property development company in its restructuring of five series of convertible notes through inter-conditional Cayman and Hong Kong schemes of arrangement and Chapter 15 recognition.
  • Advising a successful bidder for a portfolio of CDO securities auctioned by a UK-based commercial bank in connection with the acquisition of such securities and liquidation of underlying assets.

Related Industries

Related Topics

Credentials

Admissions

Solicitor of the Courts of England & Wales [Solicitors Regulation Authority]

Education

University of Nottingham
LL.B. with honours (2005)

BPP Law School
LPC with distinction (2009)

Insights & Events

Honors

  • The Legal 500 — United Kingdom, 2024
    • Finance and Restructuring, 2024