Duff & Phelps bolsters corporate finance capabilities in Asia

Duff & Phelps Managing Director, James Cook, has been moved by the firm to its Asia-Pacific base in Hong Kong to bolster its restructuring practice. Restructuring demand is expected to increase in the region as more companies find themselves in distress on the back of an economic slowdown.

James Cook currently serves as Managing Director of Duff & Phelps’ Restructuring Practice in the UK. Cook previously worked at Zolfo Cooper (now AlixPartners), in his last role as a Director, following more than 11 years at the consultancy. Cook was educated at Loughborough University and is a Chartered Accountant. His more than 15 years of debt advisory and restructuring experience was developed across a range of cross-border operational issues.

The firm recently announced that it will be shifting Cook from his duties in the UK to bolster its corporate finance capabilities in Asia. In his new role, Cook will be working collaboratively with restructuring teams across key financial centres around the world, as well as the firm’s Asia-based valuation, disputes and investigations, M&A and fairness opinions practices. Recent analysis from AlixPartners found that company distress in Asia is on the rise, following the slowdown in key Asian economies.

David Lu, Head of Corporate Finance in Asia, says, “Duff & Phelps’ Asia Restructuring Advisory practice will complement our existing services in the region, particularly against the backdrop of rapid credit growth, higher default rates and a proliferation of cross-border stakeholder disputes in Asia. We look forward to leveraging our credibility, broad service offering and international expertise to assist our clients with turnaround and restructuring situations.”

Duff and Phelps’ presence in Asian currently spans 11 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.