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Partner

Kelly Rothwell

London, United Kingdom
Languages
  • English

Kelly Rothwell is a Partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency Team at CMS in London. Kelly has extensive experience in advising, among others, banks, funds, investors, borrowers and insolvency practitioners at all stages of financial downturns, restructurings and insolvencies. Her focus includes advising on distressed asset sales, loan-to-own strategies, debt sales, insolvencies, cross-border restructurings, non-performing loan portfolio transactions (both buy and sell side), as well as advising on a broad range of general finance transactions. Kelly is listed as a Next Generation Partner in Legal 500. 

Kelly trained at CMS and then spent time as sole legal counsel at an asset based lending fund in London before returning to the firm. Prior to that, as a trainee, undertook a secondment to the distressed debt trading team at Deutsche Bank, London Branch.

Kelly is the current Co-Chair of IWIRC London Network. 

Awards & Recognitions
01 –
  • Award
    IWIRC London Network Champion Award
    IWIRC London Network Awards, 2025
  • Quote
    "Kelly provided excellent legal support on a recent transaction, leading on a big push to get closing done over the Christmas period and offering consistently strong advice in a very challenging timeframe. Her support was much appreciated by the team."
    Client Quote

Relevant experience

  • Middle east portfolio - a hedge fund and global investment bank on their joint acquisition of a distressed loan portfolio with face value of USD 1.4bn in the Middle East.
  • UK fibre - a global private investment firm on its acquisition of the business and assets of a UK broadband provider out of administration following a successful restructuring of the business, allowing it to move forward debt free.
  • Retail - a US Hedge Fund on its loan-to-own acquisition and restructuring of a cruise line retailer following an urgent liquidity need.
  • Debenhams – the company’s administrators on various aspects of the company’s “light touch” administration and worked closely with both the administrators and the company’s management throughout the administration.
  • Asset based lending - a US investor in its acquisition of this asset-based lending business, a simultaneous restructuring and the expansion of the platform.
  • UK portfolio – a fund on the purchase of a c.EUR 900m NPL portfolio from a UK building society, backed by German and French real estate security, with borrower connections covering 12 different jurisdictions.
  • Debt trading – a trading counterparty on its distressed LMA trades in credits such as Intrum and Atos.
  • Oak Furnitureland - a US hedge fund on its acquisition of the group’s secured indebtedness and subsequent restructuring by way of a pre-packaged administration sale.
  • Intu – one of the key lenders to Intu in relation to their exposure to two shopping centres in the Intu portfolio on the insolvency, the transitional service arrangements, variations to the facilities, certain real estate and IP issues and a sale in a stressed situation.
  • Recycling Lives – on the recycling and waste management business on a trio of business sales including pre-packaged administration sales.
  • Asset Alliance - a syndicate of five banks in connection with asset-backed facilities made available to a transport and commercial vehicle leasing group in relation to a potential sales process and other enforcement or restructuring options, resulting ultimately in a sale which kept the banks whole.

Education

2010 – LPC (with Distinction), BPP Law School, London 
2009 – GDL (with Distinction), College of Law, London 
2008 – BA (Hons) English Language & Literature, University of Liverpool

Practice Areas
Banking & Finance Asset Based Financing Corporate Lending & Leveraged Finance Restructuring & Insolvency

Insights by Kelly

See all Insights
Legal Update United Kingdom

MFS collapse and the double pledging risk

16 Mar 2026 6 min read
Publication United Kingdom

The role of private credit in distressed debt

22 Jan 2026 6 min read
News United Kingdom

CMS Partner Kelly Rothwell elected Co-Chair of IWIRC London

12 Jan 2026 2 min read
Legal Update International

The new UAE Central Bank law: Early intervention and resolution regime

18 Dec 2025 4 min read
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