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With rising insolvency rates, driven in particular by the number of creditors’ voluntary liquidations reaching record highs, the decision in the recent Court of Appeal case of PSV 1982 Limited v Langdon [2022] EWCA Civ 1319 serves as a timely reminder for directors of the personal risks involved in re-using the name of a liquidated company.

The Supreme Court handed down its long-awaited judgment in BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana SA on 5 October 2022. This important case addresses the duties of directors to consider the interests of creditors as a company approaches insolvency.

While the judgment will be welcomed by many as providing some useful guidance on a number of issues, there still remain some key areas of uncertainty which, as we consider in further detail below, will present clear challenges for directors seeking to navigate their way through a company’s financial difficulties.

The government’s monthly insolvency statistics for August 2022 present a concerning trend for companies hoping to weather the storm amid the current economic crisis. Largely driven by creditors’ voluntary liquidations, company insolvencies were 43% higher than the same period last year and 42% higher than in 2019 (pre-pandemic).

Howard Morris and Sonya Van de Graaff, Morrison & Foerster LLP and Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

This is an extract from the third edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.

Scope of the chapter

Ross Miller, Simmons & Simmons LLP

This is an extract from the third edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.

Introduction

Kon Asimacopoulos and Gabe Harley, Kirkland & Ellis International LLP

This is an extract from the third edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.

Introduction

Darren Azman and Natalie Rowles, McDermott Will & Emery

This is an extract from the third edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.

Introduction

Jacqueline Ingram and Sarah Levin, Milbank LLP

This is an extract from the third edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.

Christopher J Howard, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

This is an extract from the third edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.

Introduction

Kate Colman, Sarah Levin and Ryan Al-Hakim, Milbank LLP

This is an extract from the third edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.

Introduction