Chris Cruikshank
Chris Cruikshank
Principal & Co-founder
+61 (0)2 8313 6590
chris.cruikshank@assuredlegal.com.au
1 minute with Chris
– If someone narrated your life, who would you want to be the narrator? Neil Degrasse Tyson. Or Screech from Saved by the Bell.
– What awful movie do you love? Where to begin… Flying High. Blazing Saddles. Hot Shots. Hot Shots Part Deux. Tropic Thunder.
– What is your biggest accomplishment and how did you achieve it? My children (though they are still very young so ask me again in a few years). And mind your own business.
– Do you prefer cats or dogs? Definitely dogs. Though my oldest daughter is in the early agitation stages of a campaign for a cat. I can feel myself caving and I already feel sorry for our dog Teddy…
– What’s your secret talent? People tell me I hide my talents so well they are really never seen. I took a Magic class in year 10. But I only just passed (based on the theory component).
– What do you want to be remembered for? Captaining Australia to a hard-fought Ashes win over the Poms.
– What was the last song you sung along to? The theme song from Frozen. My daughters have a lot to answer for.
– What did you Google last? “How to get sacked by a leading international law firm in Sydney”.
– If you could drive any car, what would it be? A skyblue with white trim 1962 EK Holden Special Sedan. With bench seats and column shift.
– What was the scariest movie you’ve ever watched? Bowling for Columbine.
To watch a little video about Chris, click here.
Experience
General experience overview
Chris is an insolvency and restructuring specialist with over 15 years’ experience. Prior to co-founding Assured, he was a partner at a leading international law firm in Sydney. Chris also worked for a couple of years at the London office of Latham & Watkins, the preeminent global law firm.
A down to earth practitioner, Chris specialises in advising banks, financial institutions, financial advisers and insolvency practitioners on debt restructuring. This includes security enforcement, receiverships and litigation. When not thinking about the law, he dreams about his frustrated cricket career.
Major transactions
Below is a selection of matters Chris has worked on, both at Assured and at previous organisations:
– Advising leading restructuring firm PPB Advisory on its merger with PwC Australia.
– Advising Deloitte in the administration of Howards Storage World.
– Advising National Australia Bank Limited and then Ferrier Hodgson in the receivership of Dick Smith Electronics.
– Advising Morgan Stanley and Blackstone in the management, restructuring and recovery of various distressed property loans acquired from BoSI and Capital Finance.
– Advising NAB and its receivers and managers in a trade on receivership of a major Australian stud farm, including providing new money funding and asset realisations.
– Advising one of the ‘Big 4’ Australian banks in the restructuring of a mining services company, culminating in a back-door listing onto the ASX.
Professional qualifications and admissions
2016, ARITA Advanced Certification – Advanced Restructuring & Turnaround
2005, Insolvency Qualification and Insolvency Education Program Certificate, IPA
2002, Admission as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW
1996 – 2000, Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
University of New South Wales
1996 – 2000, Bachelor of Science (BSc)
University of New South Wales
Career history
2012 – 2017: Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
2009 – 2011: Latham & Watkins (London) LLP
2002 – 2009: Deacons Australia
Memberships and associations
2005 – present, ARITA
2005 – present, Turnaround Management Association (TMA)
2002 – present, Law Society of New South Wales
Recognition and awards
Named one of 2008’s ‘Young Guns’ by Lawyers Weekly
Nominated for Australian Law Council’s 2008 Young Lawyer of the Year