Scott Atkins is the Global Head of Restructuring, and Head of the Australian Risk Advisory practice. He is the immediate past Global Chair and Australian Chair.

Scott is the Immediate Past President and Fellow of INSOL International (2021-2024), and a Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association. He served as ARITA’s President from 2019 to 2021. He is an active member of both the International Insolvency Institute and The World Bank’s Insolvency and Creditor / Debtor Initiative.

In recognition of his contribution to the development of restructuring and insolvency systems globally, and his standing in the market, Scott was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy in 2025 and subsequently, appointed as Honorary Professor of the University of Sydney School of Law. 

Scott is Australia’s Delegate on appointment by the Attorney-General to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s Working Group V (Insolvency). Currently, Scott is leading a successful proposal from the Australian delegation on the preparation of a revised Guide to Enactment for the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency.

Recognised as an Eminent Practitioner in restructuring and insolvency by Chambers & Partners, Scott has deep industry knowledge and experience, developed over three decades in practice.

Scott acts on leading cross-border restructuring and insolvency mandates, debt restructuring, insolvency, bank resolution, special situations and distressed investment matters both in Australia and abroad. Scott has an extensive cross-border insolvency practice and has been involved in precedent-setting recognition and relief matters which have shaped the interpretation and application of the Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency, and the development of cross-border judicial communication and coordination protocols.

Scott has also made an enduring contribution to global insolvency reform, having led several major reconstruction and capacity building initiatives in emerging markets, including Myanmar, Armenia, Bhutan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Brunei, Nauru and Indonesia. In these countries, Scott has helped to design and implement new insolvency laws and frameworks and devised institutional measures that have seen the introduction of more flexible restructuring alternatives, improvements in the efficiency of liquidation processes and greater uptake of insolvency mediation and out-of-court workouts. 

Scott’s work in Myanmar led to the passage of the country’s first ever Insolvency Law in 2020, which included a simplified insolvency process for micro and small enterprises. This has since served as a best-practice comparator internationally and has shaped similar insolvency laws in other countries.
Scott serves on the International Advisory Council of the Singapore Global Restructuring Initiative and is an Advisory Board Member of the Asia Society in Australia.

Scott established the firm's dedicated Risk Advisory practice in 2018, the first of its kind among Australian law firms. Its pioneering approach and market impact have since been the focus of a Harvard Law School case study. 

Under Scott’s leadership, the practice brings together a multidisciplinary team that advises on complex and emerging risk issues across anti-money laundering and financial crime, climate and environmental risk, cybersecurity, data privacy and protection, governance standards, regulatory investigations and crisis management.

Scott is a widely published author, and is also a sought-after speaker for conferences, seminars, keynote addresses and industry events both in Australia and internationally.

https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en-au/people/132060