Directors guilty of BBL abuse face disqualification

Directors face disqualification for Bounce Back Loan (BBL) abuse

A few months back, we protested the Insolvency Service’s decision to chase the owners of failed businesses for failing to repay Bounce Back Loans. However, the findings of a report by the House of Commons public accounts committee suggest the agency’s strategy may be appropriate after all. To help struggling small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) during the…

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CVL 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…

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New 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…

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Did Sir Philip Green asset-strip BHS and cause its collapse?

Sir Philip Green BHS

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…

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Insolvency & Law Shortlisted for “Insolvency and Restructuring Firm of the Year 2016″ award

Insolvency and Restructuring Firm of the Year

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…

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How to ensure your winding up petition is not dismissed or withdrawn

Ensure your winding up petition is not dismissed

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…

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