Liquidation
50% increase to bankruptcy and liquidation fees
Just months after lifting the temporary restrictions on winding-up petitions, the Government has revealed plans that will make it harder for thousands of SMEs and microbusinesses to collect debts and force debtors into insolvency procedures. The Insolvency Service plans to hike in the cost of two key payments later this year. Firstly, the deposit a…
Read MoreCompany insolvencies rapidly increasing
Government figures reveal a 40% increase in the number of registered companies that entered insolvency procedures during the past year. Newly-released data shows the number of companies entering statutory insolvency procedures has risen 15% compared to pre-pandemic levels in June 2019. Furthermore, the number of companies that were placed into a creditors’ voluntary liquidation (CVL)…
Read MoreCVL boost in England leads to 5-year insolvency high
Between April and June 2019, the number of companies entering insolvency procedures reached a 5-year high, boosted by company voluntary liquidations (CVLs). According to the Insolvency Service, 4,321 companies fell into insolvency during the 2nd quarter of 2019. In England and Wales, this was driven by CVLs, which increased 6.7% compared with the first 3…
Read MoreNew reforms are great, but who protects unsecured creditors?
In a controversial speech to the Insolvency Practitioner’s Association earlier this year, Court of Appeal judge Lord Justice Jackson (best-known for his 2010 report into civil litigation costs) made several recommendations, which Justice Secretary Michael Gove has already begun to implement. As a result, from 1 April 2016, unsuccessful defendants will no longer be held…
Read MoreDid Sir Philip Green asset-strip BHS and cause its collapse?
Giving evidence to a government inquiry recently, Sir Philip Green claimed to have worked diligently to avoid one of his best-known retail brands going into liquidation. Nevertheless, the Insolvency Service must establish if Sir Philip had asset-stripped BHS and caused its collapse. Last month, fashion tycoon Sir Philip appeared before the Business, Innovation and Skills…
Read MoreInsolvency & Law Shortlisted for “Insolvency and Restructuring Firm of the Year 2016″ award
London-based magazine Finance Monthly, which is distributed to more than 100,000 readers across the globe, recently shortlisted Insolvency & Law (I&L) in the category of British ‘Insolvency and Restructuring firm of the year, as part of the eighth annual Finance Monthly Global Awards. To celebrate the nomination, below, I&L director Peter Murray shares his thoughts…
Read MoreHow to ensure your winding up petition is not dismissed or withdrawn
Some time ago, we presented a winding up petition to a company that owed one of our clients £50k. Upon receipt, the respondent company threatened to apply for a court injunction to restrain us from proceeding and dismiss the petition on the grounds the debt was disputed. The respondent company falsely alleged that £49k of…
Read MoreInformal Corporate Insolvency Debt Costs Creditors £5bn Every Year
An investigation into millions of collapsed British companies has found that every year, around £5bn of unpaid ‘hidden debt’ is left behind by businesses that close down without going through any formal insolvency procedure.
Read MoreDodgy Football Fat Cats like Peter Ridsdale Must Be Punished
Last month, the Insolvency Service banned football club chairman Peter Ridsdale (pictured) from holding company directorships for seven-and-a-half years. Under Ridsdale’s chairmanship, Cardiff City football club accrued debts exceeding £42m between 2006 and 2010. During the same period, Ridsdale secretly and unlawfully transferred more than £345,000 from Cardiff City into his personal bank account, and…
Read MoreWhy Didn’t Insolvency Service Prosecute MG Rover’s Phoenix Four?
The former directors of MG Rover Group (MGRG), who pocketed over £40 million as the company spiralled into administration, should have been punished with lengthy disqualifications forcing them into early retirement and out of business management. Instead, Peter Beale, John Towers, Nick Stephenson and John Edwards – known as the ‘Phoenix Four’ – received bans…
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