Using the same or similar name of a company that is in insolvent liquidation is prohibited by s 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA). A director who acts in breach of s216 by being a director of, or being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company that is using a prohibited … Continue Reading
In the recent case of Re Active Wear Limited (in administration), the High Court ruled that the purported out-of-court administration appointment by a sole director of a company with unmodified model articles, was valid notwithstanding the earlier High Court decision in Re Fore Fitness Investments Holdings Ltd [2022] EWHC 191 (Ch). We have set out … Continue Reading
The Court of Appeal recently handed down its judgment in the Hoey case. The case is noteworthy because it helps illustrate the extent of HMRC’s powers to collect tax by shifting compliance obligations from one person to another. As can be readily appreciated, this could be particularly of note for directors of companies that have … Continue Reading
A lot is said about directors’ duties – ensuring that they are complied with to avoid potential claims resulting in personal liability – and that remains the case. However, as officers of a limited liability company, directors should also be aware of the circumstances in which they could be personally liable for the company’s tax … Continue Reading
In the second of our short videos in relation to business recovery and resilience, John Alderton (Partner in our Restructuring & Insolvency team), responds to the question: As we are coming out of the COVID crisis, what should directors be thinking about? Please click here to listen to John’s answer. This series of videos are … Continue Reading
On 12 May 2021, The Rating (Coronavirus) and Director Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill passed through the Commons stages unaltered and recently passed the Committee stage at the House of Lords on 10 November 2021. The Report stage will be taking place on 1 December 2021.… Continue Reading
From 1 March 2020 until 30 June 2021, the rules on wrongful trading were suspended – albeit there was a short period between 1 October 2020 and 25 November 2020 where they did apply. The temporary suspension has now lapsed, meaning that the courts will no longer assume that a director was not responsible for … Continue Reading
For the past year, many Australian businesses, ranging from very significant publicly listed corporations, to much smaller family businesses, have benefited from public and private relief measures intended to soften the impact of COVID-19. Although those measures were introduced as a direct result of pandemic-related concerns, the economic reality in many sectors was already uncertain … Continue Reading
In the third (and final) of our blog series on recent CVA cases, in Rhino Enterprises Properties Ltd & Anor [2020] EWHC 2370 (Ch), the High Court gave permission for misfeasance proceedings to be brought against two former joint administrators. This was despite an approved Company Voluntary Arrangement (“CVA”) containing a clause releasing the joint … Continue Reading
On 26 November 2020, The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (Coronavirus) (Suspension of Liability for Wrongful Trading and Extension of the Relevant Period) Regulations 2020 (the “Regulations”) came into force. The Regulations have exactly the same impact as the suspension of liability for wrongful trading that was brought into force by the Corporate Insolvency … Continue Reading
Our quick guide, “Preparing for the “New Normal” – Key Points for Australian Businesses to Consider” focuses on key issues for Australian businesses to consider in determining their viability as Australia continues to “unlock”. This guide considers a range of issues, including: Cash flow and financing Supply and demand Employee considerations Operational costs Directors’ duties … Continue Reading
Our financial health roadmap sets out key dates that UK businesses should factor into future forecasting and planning over the coming months. In particular, it highlights when temporary financial or other support offered by the UK government and HMRC will be tapered or come to an end, and changes in law or policy that may … Continue Reading
Following the UK government publishing the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill which sets out temporary changes to the UK Insolvency laws on wrongful trading (see here for further discussion) we have updated our guide on directors’ duties.… Continue Reading
The UK government has released its recovery strategy dealing with how the UK might move from lockdown to the “ new normal” enabling some businesses to re-open. The ability to begin rejuvenating businesses that have been mothballed for the past couple of months is good news but corporates should proceed with caution as they take … Continue Reading
On 20 May 2020, the UK Government introduced the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill (the “Bill”) to the House of Commons. The aim of the Bill was temporarily to amend corporate insolvency laws to give companies the best possible chance of weathering the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the significant measures can be … Continue Reading
Organisations need to understand how they can prepare ahead of the UK government preparing to bring the country out of lockdown, while not necessarily knowing the timescales or details of how restrictions will be lifted, or in what order. We have prepared a quick guide to help UK businesses start to think about some of … Continue Reading
This quick guide summarises the duties that directors of companies incorporated in the Czech Republic are subject to, and how those duties change when the company is insolvent or at risk of being insolvent. It also gives an overview of the personal risk to directors when the company is in financial difficulty and suggests some … Continue Reading
COVID-19 poses many acute dilemmas for boardrooms. Directors and executives need to make highly sensitive decisions to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis. Decisions taken now could come under scrutiny and potentially give rise to future litigation and regulatory intervention, so directors should be mindful of their duties and consider how their decisions may look in … Continue Reading
It is often common practice for small businesses to structure payments to a director (who is also a shareholder) through a combination of dividend payments and salary, in order to minimize PAYE liabilities and reduce tax. Consequently, rather than be paid a salary, a director is “remunerated” by dividend payments. This works when the company … Continue Reading
On 26 August, the Government announced that it will be making changes to UK insolvency legislation. The changes are intended to support distressed companies and address issues highlighted by major company failures and include: the ability for all companies to apply for a moratorium a new insolvency process – the “restructuring plan”, enabling companies to cram … Continue Reading
Directors of a company in financial distress will often turn to their professional advisors to assist in making decisions about the company’s future; whether that be their lawyers, accountants, bank, tax advisors or insolvency professionals. It is often a period of high pressure, where the right or wrong decision may have far-reaching consequences for an … Continue Reading
HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) has issued a consultation entitled “Tax Abuse and Insolvency: A Discussion Document” on how it proposes to confront those who misuse insolvency law as a means of avoiding or evading their tax liabilities. HMRC often describes itself as an “involuntary creditor” because it does not choose to trade with debtors. … Continue Reading
VE Vegas Investors IV LLC and others vs Shinners and others [2018] EWHC 186 Ch Background The applicants were creditors of VE Interactive Limited (In administration) (“VE”). VE encountered financial difficulties and its directors sought insolvency advice from insolvency practitioners at Smith and Williamson (“S&W”) and appointed them to advise on and effect a pre-pack … Continue Reading
Media attention has waned from the initial deluge of front-page headlines regarding the Carillion collapse. It would therefore be easy to be ignorant of the ongoing disintegration of the web of Carillion companies beneath Carillion Plc, the ultimate parent company of the Carillion group, which (according to its latest accounts) holds interests in over 350 subsidiaries … Continue Reading
