Kellie Woods

Special Counsel, Dentons Australia
Class of 2019 – Awarded: Advanced Certificate in Insolvency
WA top student in Fundamentals

By completing the ARITA Advanced Certification I have expanded my insolvency knowledge and expertise, which has allowed me to provide improved client and solution-focused legal advice and services to a wider variety of stakeholders.  

The course content was well-detailed and structured allowing for an enhanced learning experience. All teachers were very knowledgeable and experienced within the insolvency industry and shared that knowledge and experience in an engaging manner.

By completing the ARITA course I developed some key contacts within the insolvency industry which has allowed me to develop ongoing relationships with a variety of professionals. 

The remote learning platform allowed for flexible quality learning to coincide with an already busy schedule. 

I would highly recommend the course because of the flexible learning, well-detailed course content and the opportunity that the course gives to engage with other professionals and develop ongoing professional relationships.

Bishoy Genday

Senior Associate, Cornwalls
Class of 2020 – Awarded:  Advanced Certificate in Insolvency
NSW/ACT top student in Advanced Insolvency

ARITA’s Advanced Certification has deepened my knowledge and understanding of insolvency law and equipped me with a comprehensive set of practical skills that have been critical to my daily practice. 

As lawyers, we’re regularly asked to assist insolvency practitioners in particularly complex and ambiguous situations. Thanks to the course, I’m equipped to deal with these challenges, give better advice and deliver the best possible outcomes.

The Advanced Certification took a thoughtful and considered approach in examining the material. This was critical in making the course accessible and efficient, despite the complexity of the underlying material. I appreciated the balance given to explaining legal concepts and teaching practical skills, while also giving a broader appreciation of the policy considerations underlying insolvency practice. 

I was thoroughly impressed by the teachers and workshop coordinators, each of whom conveyed their comprehensive and up to date knowledge in an easily understandable and accessible manner.

The Advanced Certification has had an immediate and marked impact on my career. The course equipped me with skills that have been critical to my practice. It has allowed me to position myself as a ‘go to’ contact for insolvency issues, both at Cornwalls and to our clients, and has helped me gain professional recognition in the industry, for example by winning the Lawyers Weekly’s 30 under 30 award in insolvency. 

It has also given me the opportunity to become more involved with ARITA and has exposed me to valuable networking opportunities in the insolvency industry. The course materials are exceptionally well prepared and represent a valuable resource that I find myself regularly referring to when faced with complex issues.

ARITA’s Advanced Certification is an excellent opportunity to refine your skills in insolvency practice at an advanced level. The course is rigorous, highly effective, and well regarded in the industry. I strongly recommend it to insolvency professionals who want a comprehensive understanding of insolvency law and the practical skills necessary to succeed in the industry.

Steven Cunningham

Associate Director, KordaMentha
Class of 2021 (current student) – Completed: Fundamentals of Restructuring, Insolvency and Turnaround

The ARITA Advanced Certification has provided invaluable technical knowledge of the Corporations Act to support day to day dealings in formal insolvency matters. In particular, understanding of the powers and duties conferred under insolvency practitioners under the Corporations Act has provided additional tools to deal with commercial matters as well as assess issues with consideration of the duties expected from external administrators.

The ARITA Advanced Certification has greatly assisted my career by providing further technical knowledge. This knowledge has allowed me to deal with greater understanding of the Corporations Act 2001 and with the ability to reference specific duties under the Act, providing for more credibility when dealing with counterparties.

Overall, this certification has complemented my commercial skillset and developed my cognisant understanding of the statutory duties and powers available to make my work more efficient and effective.

The most valuable aspect of the course is the detailed walk-through of the Corporations Act and supporting Case Law to learn about our statutory powers, duties and other obligations. This has been invaluable to support my career in insolvency and restructuring.

I strongly recommend the course for those that wish to pursue a career in insolvency, restructuring and turnaround to ensure appropriate knowledge is being conferred to my fellow professionals and the industry can continue to learn and develop from previous industry cases and practices.

Benjamin Schierhuber

Associate Director, BDO
Class of 2020 – Awarded: Advanced Certificate in Insolvency
QLD top student in Fundamentals
QLD and National top student in Advanced Insolvency

As I approached 10 years in the Business Restructuring and Insolvency team at BDO (Nth Qld), I considered undertaking the ARITA Advanced Certification as a natural next step in progressing my career, including in ultimately seeking registration as a Liquidator.

The Advanced Insolvency course was high quality and integrated comprehensive, up-to-date theory within practical settings. Throughout the course we were encouraged to consider issues from both technical and commercially appropriate perspectives.

The course facilitators were exceptional and supported our engagement with technical content in a manner that was compatible with real-world practice. The materials were structured to be available at any time and any place, which allowed me to complete my studies around my work commitments.

With the industry subject to rapid change and in these current times of economic uncertainty, I considered the course to be an excellent opportunity to refine my skills to prepare for the challenges ahead.

Maria Yum

Senior Associate, Coleman Greig
Class of 2020 – Awarded: Advanced Certificate in Insolvency and Advanced Certificate in Restructuring & Turnaround (dual certification)
NSW and National top student (equal first) for Advanced Restructuring & Turnaround subject

I am a Senior Associate at Coleman Greig Lawyers. I work on a range of commercial litigation matters with a focus in the corporate and personal insolvency space. I enrolled and completed the ARITA Advanced Restructuring and Turnaround course whilst on maternity leave with child #3.  The course allowed me to kill two birds with one stone: to connect with new and existing networks in the industry; and learn more on restructuring and turnarounds from the leaders in the insolvency space. 
 
Generally, a lawyer’s brief on a turnaround project usually involves advice on specific issues within the project rather than managing the daily challenges of the distressed business. The course gave me a broader understanding of a turnaround project, through the eyes of a turnaround advisor. This newly gained perspective on turnaround projects will be very useful in my law practice.  
 
Thank you to Garth O’Connor-Price for sharing your wealth of knowledge in the industry for the group assignment. Thank you also to the course lecturers for sharing your invaluable knowledge and experiences in the restructuring and turnaround space.    
 
Having completed the course, I have an improved appreciation of the competing interests of a turnaround advisor. This translates directly into broadly contextualised legal advice to insolvency practitioners and stakeholders of a distressed business. 

In the end, the course has allowed me to deliver better outcomes for my clients.

 

Lucinda O'Dwyer

Senior Associate, Allens
Class of 2019 & 2020 – Awarded: Advanced Certificate in Insolvency and Advanced Certificate in Restructuring & Turnaround (dual certification)
VIC/TAS and National top student (equal first) in Advanced Restructuring & Turnaround

I completed the ARITA Advanced Certification in Insolvency in 2019. I enrolled in Advanced Restructuring and Turnaround because it was always my ambition to obtain the dual certification. I wanted to better understand the full continuum of corporate decline from initial distress to entry into a formal insolvency process, and various options for turnaround through formal and informal processes. 

The course usefully provided both a theoretical and practical framework for effecting a successful corporate turnaround, including crisis stabilisation, initial diagnosis, stakeholder management, strategic redirection, operational improvement and financial restructuring. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the interdisciplinary nature of the course. Advanced Restructuring and Turnaround covers all operational aspects of restructuring and turnaround and draws on materials from law, accounting, finance and management strategy. I appreciated reading about the real-world restructuring examples presented in the materials and applying these principles and strategies to a hypothetical turnaround case study. 

There has been a shift from formal insolvency appointments to informal workouts and financial restructurings. The Advanced Restructuring and Turnaround course has provided me with a strong understanding of the competing stakeholder interests in a restructuring context. This equips me to provide strategic legal advice that supports a client's specific objectives, having regard to their role in the turnaround plan.