Geoff O’Dea

Geoff O’Dea is a partner in the firm’s Private Equity group. His practice focuses on restructuring and insolvency and acquisition finance. In the restructuring and insolvency space, Geoff has extensive experience in advising all stakeholder groups in restructurings including debtors, shareholders, directors, boards, creditors, insolvency officials, providers of capital, special situations investors, purchasers and suppliers. In the acquisition finance space, he works with clients on matters involving lending products, particularly European term Loan B, unitranche, bank/bond financings, and rescue financings.

He is the co-author of a leading textbook on schemes of arrangement — the predominant large-cap corporate restructuring tool in the UK — which has been cited in UK case law, and has contributed chapters on insolvency to other texts. He is also the editor and primary author of a leading textbook with Oxford University Press entitled Restructuring Plans, Creditor Schemes and other Restructuring Tools covering the key restructuring tools in the UK and European markets including the recently introduced restructuring plan regime. He also frequently lectures and participates in guest panels on restructuring matters.

Geoff’s clients include those in the private equity and special situations investor space, direct lenders, banks, security agents, insolvency practitioners, restructuring advisors, and corporate clients.

Restructuring and Insolvency:

• Global Ports Holdings plc on its restructuring and schemes of arrangement*
• PwC as joint administrators of Paperchase in its administration*
• The ad hoc group of senior secured noteholders on the Modernland Group restructuring*
• Jain Irrigation on its restructuring of senior unsecured notes*
• Bowers & Wilkins on its restructuring and sale to Sound United*
• Bounty Brands on its restructuring in South Africa, Poland, Malta and the UK*
• The banks in the Petra Diamonds restructuring and scheme of arrangement*
• Ideal Standard on its financial restructuring and prepacked enforcement sale under English and Luxembourg law to creditors*
• The second largest creditor in the Bartec restructuring*
• The security agent and creditors on the Debenhams administration appointment and CVA challenge. Other security agent representations include on the Hertz, PizzaExpress and Swissport bank and bond restructurings by way of restructuring plans and schemes of arrangement*
• Bank of China in connection with the restructuring of a loan to an insolvent mining company in Australia*
• The European Investment Bank in the Access Bank resolution process*
• Barclays Bank PLC in the GHG (a UK healthcare company) financial restructuring and enforcement sale and in the Swissport restructuring*
• Several credit funds and family offices on confidential loan-to-own pre-packaged receivership/administration/appropriation enforcement sales, including of a food manufacturing business, an aircraft leasing business, a listed logistics business, a media business, a home builder, an automotive parts business, and a gaming business*
• The committee of bank guarantee providers on aspects of Imtech's (a Dutch multinational) several financial restructurings*
• The shareholders and bidders in the OTAS/Turkish Telecom (headquartered in the UAE and Turkey) financial restructuring and the shareholders in the eircom restructuring*
• Debtors on numerous schemes of arrangement, including Global Ports Holding plc, New World Resources, Stemcor, Bulgarian Telecom, Estro, La Seda, Metrovacesa, Primacom, TI Automotive, Rodenstock, Schefenaker, Telecolumbus, and VGG*
• Several financial institutions on the insolvency aspects of their regulatory compliance and liaising with UK regulatory bodies on their behalf* 

Acquisition Finance and Corporate Lending:

• ODLO International, a Swiss performance brand in Monte Rosa Capital’s portfolio, on its agreement to acquire British sailing brand, Henri-Lloyd
• HoldCo SAS, a holding company controlled by Xavier Niel, in the financing of the simplified public tender offer for iliad SA shares launched by HoldCo II, a holding company controlled by HoldCo. The iliad Group is one of the largest telecommunications companies in Europe 
• Firmenich International SA on the financing of its acquisition of Les Dérivés Résiniques et Terpéniques. The acquisition was financed via the provision of a EUR2.8 billion bridge-to-bond facility and a parallel CHF 750 million revolving credit facility and the subsequent bond take-out and hybrid bond issuance*
• The lenders to Cabot Financial and Encore on their USD1.1 billion bank/bond financing and several taps/amendments*
• The lenders providing a TLB to Apollo and Stellex capital for their proposed bid to acquire a company in the food and beverage space*
• Around Town SA and Grand City Properties on several corporate loan and development facilities*
• The lenders to IK Capital for its acquisition of the Visolit Group and several other confidential matters acting for IK’s lenders*
• Permira Debt Managers as lender on several confidential unitranche/European TLB/private high yield financings*
• The underwriters on the Schoeller Allibert bank/bond issuance (English law intercreditor and RCF together with NY law bonds)*
• The lenders to Partners Group on its acquisition of Vermaat Groep B.V. (European TLB)*
• Marsh & McLennan Companies on its public-to-private acquisition of Jelf Group PLC*
• CKI on its public-to-private acquisition of Northumbrian Water*

*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Geoff was most recently a partner in the Banking & Finance group at Baker McKenzie in London. Previously, he was a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Geoff spent the first several years of his career working in Sydney, Australia.

Geoff was recognized by Chambers UK (2025) in the Restructuring and Insolvency category, in which clients described him as “a talented and collaborative lawyer” who is “highly experienced, knowledgeable and easy to work with”.

Geoff is a recommended lawyer for Restructuring & Insolvency by Who’s Who Legal. Who’s Who Legal also notes: “Mr. O’Dea impresses market commentators with his deep expertise in representing debtors and lenders in the full range of restructuring and insolvency issues.

Other client testimonials have cited the following:

• "Geoff is technically very strong. He is an excellent problem solver with good commercial and negotiating strengths."
• “Geoff O’Dea is one of the leading restructuring lawyers in the market and a renowned expert on schemes and restructuring plans.”
• “Geoff O’Dea is one of the very rare lawyers in the market who is excellent at both leveraged finance and restructuring. Very strong commercial capabilities and extremely creative, responsive and focused.”

Panelist, “Credit Funds Series — Europe’s Distressed Recovery,” Goodwin webinar, May 2021

He is the co-author of a leading textbook on schemes of arrangement — the predominant large-cap corporate restructuring tool in the UK — which has been cited in UK case law, and has contributed chapters on insolvency to other texts. He is also the editor and primary author of a leading textbook with Oxford University Press entitled Restructuring Plans, Creditor Schemes and other Restructuring Tools covering the key restructuring tools in the UK and European markets including the recently introduced restructuring plan regime. He also frequently lectures and participates in guest panels on restructuring matters.