Peter Bowden

Partner
Melbourne

Biography

Pete is a partner and co-head of our Restructuring and Insolvency group.

He has significant experience advising hedge funds, financiers, banks (traditional and investment banks), insolvency practitioners, creditors and debtors on restructuring, distressed debt transactions, workouts, insolvency, distressed M&A and stressed banking transactions.

An INSOL Fellow, Pete has significant international experience, including working in Tokyo with a leading global law firm and advising on numerous high-profile cross-border transactions.

Pete has played a key role in building the national  Restructuring and Insolvency team, which has achieved significant growth. The team is recognised for advising on many of the most significant transactions in the region.

Experience

Pete’s experience includes advising:

  • Credit Suisse Asset Management on its approximately $2 billion exposure to the Greensill group of companies including in relation to its security over certain GFG entities in Australia.

  • APA on all aspects of the complex restructuring and $773 million acquisition of Basslink.

  • Acciona on its acquisition of the Kwinana Waste-to-Energy project by way of a solvent creditors’ scheme of arrangement, involving the acquisition of all of the equity and debt in the project.

  • Roofoods on the voluntary administration of its Australian subsidiary, Deliveroo Australia

  • PwC as administrators of X64 on all matters arising from the administration of the company.

  • LJ Hooker on its significant exposure to its incumbent financiers and all aspects of the strategy and implementation of the restructure and recapitalisation of the business via a DOCA.

  • McGrathNicol as Administrators of Big Village Australia on all aspects of the voluntary administration of Big Village Australia.

  • PwC as Administrators of Melbourne Rebels in all matters arising from its voluntary administration.

  • XBlades Sports on all aspects of its voluntary administration.

  • McGrathNicol as administrators (appointed by Merricks Capital) of Melbourne Place, an $155 million hotel development in the Melbourne CBD.

  • CBA on its exposure to Virgin as a lessor of certain aircraft.

  • McGrathNicol as administrators and then liquidators of the Australian subsidiary of Toys “R” Us.

Awards and Recognition

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025

    Ranked for Restructuring & Insolvency

  • IFLR1000 2024

    Highly regarded for Restructuring and Insolvency

  • The Best Lawyers in Australia 2026

    Recognised for Insolvency and Reorganisation Law and Distressed Investing and Debt Trading Practice

Testimonials

Client first thinking

Peter is incredibly commercial. He is a lawyer that looks at things from a commercial lens. He looks for solutions at all times and is one of the most strategic partners in Melbourne.

Chambers Asia-Pacific

Peter Bowden is commercial, insightful and a truly supportive and collaborative team player. He stands alongside the client to deal with complex issues.

The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific
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