Roger Dobson offers clients his extensive experience working on large, complex restructuring and insolvency matters in Australia. Over the past decade, Roger has represented main banking syndicates, offshore funds holding a substantial debt position, companies experiencing financial distress, liquidators, administrators, and receivers. His experience covers a diverse range of industries, including energy and resources, mining services, construction, engineering services, media and communications, investment banking and financial services, retail, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
Recent matters include advising a consortium that provided a recapitalization proposal for Arrium Limited; acting for the administrators of TopShop; acting for the administrators of the Payless Group; advising the major creditor of Paladin Energy Limited; and acting for the U.S. and European lenders and the receivers to the failed Australian satellite company, NewSat Limited.
Prior to joining Jones Day in 2016, Roger advised a group of mostly U.S. funds as creditors in the financial restructuring of the Nine Entertainment Group Limited and advised the seven-banking syndicate (four major Australian domestic banks and three international banks) on the corporate collapse of ABC Learning Centres, one of the largest and most high-profile collapses in Australian corporate history. From 2012 to 2014, he acted for the liquidators of Hastie Group, a significant player in the construction industry, and 44 of its subsidiaries.
Roger is a member of the Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association (ARITA) and INSOL International.
Experience
The following represents experience acquired prior to joining Jones Day.
Acted for the syndicate of lenders at the headstock level in the Babcock & Brown group, which involved 400 operating entities across 26 countries, with total group debt of $66 billion.
Acted for two of the largest bank creditors in relation to the $1.2 billion debt restructuring of Allco Finance Group.
- Columbia University (LL.M. 1987); Adelaide University (LL.B. Hons. 1981)
- Supreme Court of New South Wales and High Court of Australia
Best Lawyers in Australia: banking and finance law, distressed investing & debt trading practice, insolvency and reorganization law, including State Lawyer of the Year in Distressed Investing and Debt Trading (2022)
Recognized numerous times as a "recommended" and "leading" lawyer in restructuring & insolvency by:
Chambers Asia-Pacific, where clients respect him for being "highly intelligent and non-confrontational on difficult matters"
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
Best Lawyers
Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession
IFLR
- Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia (1982-1983)