Mark Sterling, managing partner of Allen & Overy's global restructuring and insolvency practice, is probably one of the most-admired lawyers sorting out the world's troubled companies.

In the 1990s downturn, he helped rescue the businesses of Heron, Canary Wharf and Ferranti in the UK. During the Asian crisis, he applied his skills to Peregrine Investment Bank, Asia's largest home-grown investment bank, and Asia Pulp and Paper, burdened with $5.7bn of debt.