The Court of Appeal has recently clarified an important aspect of cross-border enforcement in insolvency proceedings. In Servis-Terminal LLC v Drelle [2025] EWCA Civ 62, the Court of Appeal ruled that a foreign judgment cannot be used as the basis for a bankruptcy petition in England and Wales unless it has first been recognised by an English court.
Owners and directors of small and medium-sized businesses and start-ups are often required to sign personal guarantees in order to secure funding.
Should you face corporate insolvency a personal guarantee can put all of your personal assets at risk, including your family home, so you should always take independent legal advice before signing one to ensure that you understand your liability and the extent of the risk involved.
Why you might be asked to sign a personal guarantee
A winding up petition is a legal document that can be served by a company’s creditors when they are owed money by the company. If the debt amounts to £750 or more, then a creditor has the right to go to court and ask for a winding up petition to be issued, although courts view this remedy as something that should be reserved for when a company is genuinely believed to be insolvent, and not simply used as a means of debt collection.
If a company becomes insolvent, it is crucial that its directors comply with their legal duties. Failure to do so can result in personal liability for the company’s debts as well as legal action and disqualification from being a company director or being involved in a company in the future.
We look at exactly what a director’s duties on company insolvency are and some of the risks to be aware of in dealing with an insolvency.
What is insolvency?
The current difficult economy is causing continual financial problems for many businesses. Directors are warned that entering into written agreements to make payments when they know their company is unable to meet its debts may equate to deceit under the terms of the Statute of Frauds (Amendment) Act 1828.
This could result in personal liability for the director who has made an implied representation about his company’s ability to pay.
Case law
A winding-up petition allows a company’s creditors to attempt to recover money owed to them by having the company’s assets sold, with the proceeds used to pay outstanding debts. It is a serious step and should only be undertaken as a last resort.
A recent case has highlighted the dangers of the treatment of a Director’s Loan Account (“DLA”), and the risks to directors of trying to re-categorise their DLAs as salary payments. This can mean that the information previously provided to HMRC was incorrect and puts directors at risk of penalties and possibly even a charge of tax evasion.
Conversion of Director’s Loan Accounts to Dividends
Company directors have a number of duties imposed on them under the Companies Act 2006 as well as under common and other laws. Failure to carry out directors’ duties can result in substantial penalties, including personal liability for any losses suffered by the company, its shareholders and its creditors.
When a company director fails to carry out their legal responsibilities, they run the risk of being disqualified. This can be a lengthy procedure resulting in a period of disqualification during which it is not permitted to form, promote or manage a company.
The main law governing disqualification is contained in the Company Director Disqualification Act 1986.
Grounds for disqualification as a company director