Nicola Cosgrove
Nicola Cosgrove
Principal & Co-founder
+61 (0)2 8313 6590
nicola.cosgrove@assuredlegal.com.au
1 minute with Nic
– What did you Google last? Why do our fish keep dying?
– Which apocalyptic dystopia do you think is most likely? Black Mirror, “Nosedive”, not exactly apocalyptic but just as scary.
– What current trend makes no sense to you? Dabbing (is that what it’s called?).
– An epic feast is held in your honour, what’s on the table? Chocolate, lots of chocolate and maybe some wine.
– What is your favourite movie? The Goonies and Good Will Hunting.
– Do you prefer cats or dogs? Don’t make me choose between Megatron and Anakin!
– What’s your favourite song? “Here Comes the Sun”, The Beatles.
– What book has had the greatest influence on your life? The Five People You Meet in Heaven.
– What law would you change if you could do so? To allow for same-sex marriage.
– What important message would you pass on to your younger self? Don’t worry so much, things have a way of working out.
To watch a little video about Nic, click here.
Experience
General experience overview
Prior to co-founding Assured, Nic was a Special Counsel in the Business Law team at a leading international law firm, where she worked for 12 years. During that time, Nic spent 18 months on secondment to a Big Four Australian Bank where she advised on governance and reputational risk.
Nic is a specialised financial restructuring and insolvency lawyer. She focuses on providing strategic and technical advice to her clients to help them resolve disputes, recover debts, minimise losses, reduce holding costs and mitigate reputational risks arising from problematic exposures.
Always up for a challenge, especially if it’s for a worthy cause, Nic has gone through what we think would be truly painful and exhausting experiences which you couldn’t pay us to even consider. Her most recent accomplishments include completing the Kokoda Track and the Oxfam Trail Walk.
Major transactions
Below is a selection of matters Nic has worked on, both at Assured and at previous organisations:
– Advising leading restructuring firm PPB Advisory on its merger with PwC Australia.
– Advising NAB/HSBC and Ferrier Hodgson as receivers of Dick Smith, trading on the business of over 400 stores and 3,300 employees.
– Acting for a syndicate of lenders in protracted litigation with a tenant over the terms of a leasehold interest located in Darling Harbour valued at +A$120 million.
– Acting for Balmain and Goldman Sachs following the acquisition of a portfolio of loans from Suncorp-Metway (the Patterson book). Advising on security enforcement, restructuring and insolvency matters. This includes advising on the restructure of a A$200 million facility provided to a development company.
– Acting for the Deed Administrator of a public company in protracted litigation comprising six separate proceedings in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the Land and Environment Court over a period of 8 years.
– Acting for the Receivers and Managers appointed over a shopping centre in New South Wales, to realise approximately A$20 million in secured debt.
– Advising and acting for a liquidator in obtaining recognition in the United States under the Cross-Border Insolvency Act.
– Acting for the Darrell Lea family following the high profile failure of the manufacturing and retail subsidiary of the iconic Darrell Lea Group. This involved appointing voluntary administrators, negotiating a moratorium with the family’s principal secured creditor and assisting in the restructuring and refinancing of the Lea family’s debt.
Professional qualifications and admissions
2012 – 2015, Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA)
Australian Graduate School of Management (graduated with Distinction 2016)
2010, Advanced Insolvency Law and Practice I and II
Queensland University of Technology (completed December 2010)
2008 – 2010, Master of Laws (LLM)
University of New South Wales (graduated with Distinction 2010)
2006, Admission as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and of the High Court and Federal Court of Australia
2006, Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (GCLP)
College of Law
2002 – 2006, Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
University of Wollongong
2002 – 2006, Bachelor of Arts (BA)
University of Wollongong
Career history
2005 – 2017: Norton Rose Fulbright Australia (formerly Deacons)
Memberships and associations
2010 – present, ARITA
2008 – present, New South Wales Young Lawyers
2007 – present, Law Society of New South Wales
2009 – 2010, Team coach for the mock trial team at Kirrawee High School – appointed by the Law Society of New South Wales
Recognition and awards
Winner of the “30 under 30” Banking & Finance Award, Lawyers Weekly, June 2013
Dean’s Award for Best Performance in a Course: Commercial Fraud, University of New South Wales, 2009
Dean’s Award for Best Performance in a Course: Trade Law, University of New South Wales, 2009
Pro bono work
2008 – present, volunteer solicitor for the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service (HPLS)
2015 – present, migration agent and volunteer solicitor for the Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS)