Nicola Rout

Client feedback elicited by the Legal 500 UK guide includes: "Nicola Rout is … really dedicated to her clients and has really sought to understand our business and market when delivering her legal services." and "Nicola Rout … handled the work with great humour and professionalism … what's not to like!"

Restructuring & Insolvency

On both the debtor and creditor side, Nicola represents companies, hedge funds, investment banks, and insolvency practitioners in distressed debt, restructuring, and insolvency transactions, as well as creditors and directors of companies in insolvency proceedings. Her aim always is to give clients practical commercial advice in a timely manner, drawing on more than 20 years' experience to offer innovative solutions to legal problems.

The firm's finance and restructuring practice has been recognized in Chambers Global 2026, Chambers UK 2026, Legal 500 UK 2026, and the Global Restructuring Review's GRR 30 list for 2026. Client feedback notes "[t]he restructuring team is led by a highly professional group of partners and associates, consistently delivering excellent client service, even on short notice".

Corporate & Commercial Law

As well as restructuring and reorganisations, Nicola has previously advised and provided corporate support to UK and international clients on corporate and commercial matters.

Charities & Nonprofits

Nicola has counselled local and national charities on charity incorporation, ongoing governance, and a broad range of legal matters.

Representative Experience

• Advised the directors of a distressed UK construction company on its appointment of administrators.
• Acted for the liquidators in a four-day hearing in the High Court of Justice regarding distributions to creditors in the liquidation of an LLP.
• Advised a tenant at London's historic Billingsgate Market on draft legislation going through Parliament regarding the Market's planned closure and the related potential insolvency defaults.
• Advising the administrators in respect of debt settlements and recoveries from directors of insolvent companies.
• Advising the liquidators of companies entering into members' voluntary liquidations.
• Advising an insolvency officeholder on a continuity of practice agreement.
• Advised the liquidators during a creditors' voluntary liquidation (CVL) of a furniture retail group.
• Advised on the administrative receivership of a structured investment vehicle, which was one of the first insolvencies related to the subprime crisis of early 2008.
• Advised stakeholders on the Lehman Brothers collapse in September 2008.

Personal Interests

Nicola enjoys singing and is a member of Basildon Choral Society. She has sung throughout the UK and further afield, including a solo performance for Radio 4 from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens with the All Souls Orchestra. Nicola ran the London Marathon in 2017 and 2022 and has taken up boxing. She is a keen cook and baker and enjoys travelling with her family.