Overview
Maria Staiano-Kolaitis is the Knowledge and Innovation attorney in the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s London office.
Maria has spent the past decade in private practice, regularly advising a broad range of stakeholders (including borrowers, directors, clearing banks and alternative investment funds) in their capacity as senior, junior and rescue finance lenders, bondholders, distressed investors and insolvency practitioners across a variety of sectors. She now leads the financial restructuring technical expertise and European origination function at Paul Hastings, leading the group’s technical business development initiatives and supporting the team with complex problem-solving on deals. This includes advising on restructuring plans, schemes of arrangement, cross-border recognition, enforcements (including by way of distressed disposal) and directors’ duties in the zone of insolvency.
Memberships and affiliations
Maria is a member of the Insolvency Lawyers’ Association (ILA) and a member of the ILA Technical Committee, which plays a crucial role in identifying key developments in insolvency law and providing updates to its members. She is also a member of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) and acts as a mentor in IWIRC London’s mentoring scheme.
Accolades
- Paul Hastings Wins Global Corporate Rescue of the Year – Legal Team Award at Turnaround, Insolvency & Restructuring Awards - December 3rd, 2025
- Paul Hastings Wins ‘Restructuring Team of the Year’ at 2025 Legal Business Awards - October 1st, 2025
Education
- College of Law, Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course
- University of Cambridge, M.A. (Cantab)
Representations
- The senior lenders (BlackRock and CDPQ) on their strategic options in relation to their exposure to the Active Care Group.
- Lendlease in respect of the hive-up of a property, namely 21 Moorfields, as part of a solvent liquidation in connection with its acquisition from Land Securities plc (on which the wider Ashurst team advised).
- LEBC Group Limited (an FCA regulated entity) in relation to its strategic options following the carrying out of a past business review instructed by the FCA of LEBC’s past book of pension scheme transfer advice, culminating in a pre-pack administration sale of the business and assets to LEBC's sister company (Aspira Corporate Solutions Limited). Ashurst has continued to advise the administrators following their appointment.
- A private debt fund as a unitranche lender on the restructuring of the ZyroFisher Group, the leading distributor of parts, accessories and clothing to the UK and Irish cycling markets;
- McLaren Group Limited and its subsidiaries on the consideration and implementation of solutions to fund both its short-term liquidity requirements and its long-term business plan. This has included advising on the terms of a full recapitalisation of the Group, which involves the simplification of McLaren Group Limited's share structure and corporate governance arrangements, in addition to the injection of multiple tranches of interim funding.
- S direct lender (private credit fund) in relation to the proposed acquisition of the Aurora Group by way of debt for equity swap.
- Morrisons on its agreement to acquire the business of McColl’s out of insolvency.
- The Official Receiver, KPMG and Alix Partners (as special managers) in connection with the compulsory liquidation of the Thomas Cook Group.
- A consortium of UK and European banks on the restructuring of over EUR 1 billion of debt owed by Anglo Dutch shipbuilder, Royal IHC.
- The ad hoc cross-holder committee of bondholders (and its subsidiaries) on its restructuring of the Carlson Travel Group Inc (formerly Carlson Wagonlit) through a Chapter 11 pre-pack process.
- The joint administrators of Carluccio’s on the sale of the group’s business and assets out of administration, and advising the company in the period immediately prior to the appointment of administrators, largely to safeguard the livelihoods of the 2,100 employees via access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and to maximise the potential for a successful “rescue administration”.
- A leading alternative asset manager on the successful enforcement of security over shares in the Airopack group’s main operating company as part of a €165m Dutch restructuring – the first initiated in the Netherlands Commercial Court.
- The ad hoc minority lenders in relation to the proposed restructuring and sale process of the Four Seasons Healthcare Group.
- The directors of Palmer & Harvey (the UK’s (then) largest delivered wholesaler and the fifth largest privately owned company in the UK) on its proposed restructuring and subsequent administration.
- The directors of a higher education institution, providing them with advice on their duties as directors during a prolonged period of significant financial uncertainty.
- The lending syndicate of the largest private equity-owned extra-curricular educational group (Inspiring Learning) on its consensual financial restructuring and subsequent debt-for-equity swap.
- Barclays in relation to their investment in Blue Co London LLP (formerly Ince & Co LLP), and the subsequent pre-pack insolvency sale of Ince to Gordon Dadds, creating the UK’s largest listed law firm.
Engagement & Publications
- “Distressed Energy Update: Strengthening financial resilience in energy supply; Bulb to be sold; and court hearings on energy supply company insolvency,” Ashurst, Co-author (November 7, 2022)
- “Funds Insider Energy Crisis,” Ashurst, Co-author, (August 3, 2022)
- “GRR Europe, Middle East and Africa Restructuring Review 2026,” Paul Hastings, Co-author (March 26, 2026)