Industry Insights: Exclusive Interviews

Julie Miecamp, Deputy Global Head of Editorial at Octus, opens the episode by framing the state of European restructuring after 25 years of near-constant reinvention, from post-Lehman scheme innovation to the LME wave now redefining how deals get done. She sits down herself with Kon Asimacopoulos, partner at Sullivan and Cromwell.

Kon walks through the move from Kirkland after nearly two decades (04:30), the origins of the Fitness First and Travelodge CVAs that cracked open landlord restructurings in Europe (27:30), and how the practitioner mix has shifted from insolvency lawyers to debt-native operators (41:40). He shares his read on where LMEs go next, why 90% of his recent hires come from a debt background (54:02), and where the UK restructuring plan actually stands after a bruising couple of years (1:00:55). 

The rapid-fire close lands on Toys R Us, TikTok, and one piece of career advice he ignored.
  • (00:00) - Introduction from Julie Miecamp
  • (02:01) - Julie introduces Kon Asimacopoulos
  • (02:35) - Reflecting on 20 years at Kirkland and Ellis
  • (09:07) - The move to Sullivan and Cromwell
  • (19:39) - From Sydney to London and finding restructuring
  • (27:11) - Fitness First, Travelodge, and the CVA breakthrough
  • (40:55) - How the European restructuring market has changed
  • (48:29) - AI, efficiency, and the next generation of lawyers
  • (53:07) - LMEs, debt literacy, and the new practitioner
  • (01:00:55) - UK Part 26A, the European toolkit, and advice to juniors

What is Industry Insights: Exclusive Interviews?

Industry Insights sits down with the people who run the firms that move the credit market. Private credit, CLOs, restructuring, munis and everything in between. Every episode brings a new guest and a new interviewer from across Octus, talking through what they're seeing, what's changing and where they think it all goes next.