Radford Goodman

Radford Goodman is a litigation partner and Head of the Insolvency Group. Radford advises insolvency practitioners, financial institutions, private funds, directors and financially distressed businesses on insolvency and restructuring, finance disputes, fraud, enforcement and asset recovery.

Radford's practice covers both court proceedings and international arbitration and he has extensive experience managing cross-border teams on international mandates.

Radford sits on the Council of the Insolvency Lawyers’ Association and is a member of R3 and INSOL. He has lectured on corporate insolvency at UCL, served on a working group of the Financial Markets Law Committee and is a contributor to the leading practitioner text, Lightman & Moss on The Law of Administrators and Receivers of Companies.

Key Experience

• Acting for the US Trustee of Lehman Brothers Inc. in relation to UK litigation concerning an internal securities repo programme: Pearson and others v Lehman Brothers SA and others [2010] EWHC 2914
• Acting for the liquidators of a projects company in relation to a breach of duty claim against a former director, resulting in an influential judgment on directors' duties: Re HLC Environmental Projects [2013] EWHC 2876
• Acting for an international bank in relation to ICC arbitration proceedings to enforce rights under a complex cross-border guarantee structure, involving English, French and UAE governed contracts.
• Acting for an African bank in relation to a successful application for summary judgment to enforce a EUR142million+ loan and a EUR 30million personal guarantee: FBN Bank (UK) Limited v Leaf Tobacco A. Michailides [2017] EWHC 3017
• Acting for a German manufacturer in relation to its contested winding-up petition against the UK issuer of an unpaid letter of credit: Heytex Bramsche GmbH v Unity Trade Capital Limited [2022] EWHC 2488
• Acting for the Australian liquidators of HIH Insurance in relation to their successful application for the repatriation of assets from the UK, resulting in a landmark judgment in the field of cross-border insolvency: McGrath v Riddell (Re HIH Insurance) (House of Lords) [2008] UKHL 21.
• Acting for the Trustees in relation to proceedings to clarify the rights of the guarantor to the swap counterparty following the default of certain floating rate notes: State Street Bank and Trust Company v Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. [2010] EWHC 1461.
• Advising an ultra-high net worth beneficiary in relation to high-value asset tracing claims (including Norwich Pharmacal relief and freezing and proprietary injunctions) involving allegations of breach of trust, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, unjust enrichment and conspiracy.
• Advising a corporate issuer of bonds in relation to a dispute concerning conversion and redemption of the bonds.
• Advising a financial institution in relation to a dispute with a high-profile sports club concerning the frustration of a sponsorship contract as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Acting for a multinational company in relation to a contract dispute with a provider of management consultancy services.
• Acting for a distributor in the consumer goods sector in relation to an international arbitration following the contested termination of a commercial contract.
• Acting for an international financial institution in relation to High Court litigation with its customer arising out of payments fraud by a third party.
• Acting for a UK clearing bank in relation to the enforcement of a series of loans, including obtaining Norwich Pharmacal relief and a freezing order following the discovery of fraud and subsequent liquidation and bankruptcy proceedings against the companies and individuals involved.
• Advising numerous trade creditors on issues including the enforcement of retention of title rights over goods, set-off, debt enforcement, contract termination and winding-up petitions.
• Acting for the administrators of a company in relation to the recovery of a £multi-million loan.
• Acting for a company in the fintech sector in relation to a contract dispute with a service provider.
• Acting for the liquidator of an aircraft leasing company in relation to the recovery of certain pre-delivery payments following the termination of an aircraft purchase agreement.
• Advising PwC on all aspects of their long-running role as the provisional liquidators of Rafidain Bank.
• Advising a shareholder in relation to a contested winding-up petition brought on the just and equitable ground.
• Acting for the liquidators of a car hire company in relation to an investigation and subsequent wrongful trading claim against a former director.
• Advising a company in the mining sector in relation to the hostile appointment of a provisional liquidator in Zambia.
• Acting for an investment management services firm in relation to allegations of professional negligence.
• Acting for a Middle Eastern bank in relation to the enforcement of multiple property loans.
• Acting for a director / shareholder in relation to a corporate dispute and defending threatened bankruptcy proceedings in the UK.
• Acting for the former CEO of a multinational company following the company's entry into administration.
• Advising the directors of a UK company
• Advising a global cruise line operator in relation to the collapse of Thomas Cook.
• Advising an export credit agency in relation to the restructuring of a high-profile Spanish group in the renewables sector.
• Advising an international financial institution in relation to the collapse of a global payments company.
• Acting for a global bank in relation to proceedings in Russia concerning the bank 's role as a fund trustee, working closely with local Russian counsel.
• Advising the Special Administrators of an investment bank in relation to investigations and claims.
• Acting for two Greek banks in relation to a dispute concerning a restructuring agreement.
• Advising an international bank in relation to an investigation into receivables financing fraud.
• Acting for an international bank in relation to allegations that it failed to perform an agreement for the sale of certain securities.

Career History

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP
Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Associate, Simmons & Simmons
University of London, LLM
The University of Manchester, LLB

Articles and Publications

• Insolvency Matters publication
• Paper: The Rule in Gibbs: Exploring its value and practical use in the financial markets as a guarantor of legal predictability
• Contributor to The Law of Administrators and Receivers of Companies (Sweet & Maxwell)
• “A New Chapter in Cross-border Insolvency – UK to adopt UNCITRAL Model Law on Enterprise Group Insolvency” – first published in Global Restructuring Review in 2023