Insolvency lawyer passes away following battle with cancer
PROMINENT corporate insolvency lawyer Duncan Haymes has passed away, following a battle with cancer.
Mr Haymes (63) died on Friday after being admitted to The Christie Hospital in Manchester.
He specialised in company restructuring and insolvency for more than 25 years and handled high profile insolvency and restructuring cases across the region.
Having qualified as a licensed insolvency practitioner in 1986, he joined Addleshaw Goddard in 1990 and went on to become head of corporate recovery and insolvency at Hammond Suddards, now Squire Patton Boggs.
Diagnosed with a benign brain tumour in 2000, Haymes continued to practise – with a short spell at Halliwells followed by four years as legal director of Debt Free Direct.
In 2012, he joined Gunnercooke as partner and head of its new Restructuring Services team, before taking time off for his health in 2015.
Darryl Cooke, founder of Gunnercooke, said: “Duncan had a tremendous career and we were honoured and privileged when he joined gunnercooke.
“As well as being an exceptional advisor, he was a kind and hugely supportive colleague – a true gentleman in every sense. Our thoughts are with his wife and children at this sad time. He will be greatly missed.”
Throughout his career he was cited in Chambers and The Legal 500 for his work, most notably as “the top lawyer in Manchester, highly rated by clients and admired by peers. His laid back and gentle style works wonders with a client base of banks, asset based lenders and IPs”.
Mr Haymes wife Jane, an insolvency lawyer at Napthens, said: “Duncan was such an unassuming man, with nothing to be unassuming about. He had an incredible presence and a stellar legal career. I have never met anyone held in such high regard in both their professional life and their personal life.
“He was a brilliant lawyer, but an even better person. He always considered his greatest achievement to be his four children, Claire, Emma, Daniel and Ben”.
His sister Gill Jamieson said: “We are full of admiration for his many achievements in life and we hope to help him achieve a wish he expressed to support the Young Oncology Unit at The Christie hospital in Manchester and Dr Rao’s team who have looked after him so well.”
The family have set up a Justgiving page with all proceeds to be donated to the Young Oncology Unit at The Christie Hospital.
Details of the funeral, which is expected to be held next week, can be found from his daughter Emma, at EmmaHaymes@eversheds.com.
