1 SOLVENCY II 1.1 First batch of EIOPA consultations on technical standards under expected amendments to Solvency II Directive On 1 October 2024, EIOPA published its first batch of consultation papers on technical standards which relate to anticipated changes under the Solvency II Directive1.
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
New rules in the UK allow Companies House to share non-public information with insolvency officeholders and the Official Receiver.
While in many cases there may be limited non-public information available from Companies House that will be useful to insolvency officeholders, this is another tool available to deploy in appropriate cases. It is specifically envisaged to assist officeholders pursuing claims for fraudulent and wrongful trading, transactions at an undervalue and preferences.
In this first of a series of articles looking at current issues and recent case law in the world of distressed PFI/PPP projects, we consider the recent outcome of the Tameside Hospital dispute, and what pointers can be taken from it which may help avoid or resolve disputes in future so that distressed projects can get back on track. This is a tale of disagreement, adjudication, threats of insolvency, Court proceedings and – ultimately – a settlement which may offer a useful benchmark to which other troubled projects can have regard.
Key developments in 2024
2024 has seen one of the most significant insolvency cases in recent years. In June, Justice Leech handed down his judgment on the claim brought by the liquidators of BHS against certain of its former directors for wrongful trading and misfeasance. This judgment is likely to have important consequences for the D&O market.
It was particularly noteworthy as it was the first time that the directors of a company had been found guilty of the novel claim of 'misfeasant trading'.
In 2023 we published 10 do’s and don’ts for restructuring plans, find our previous article available here. Following on from our initial article we have outlined five more do’s and don’ts reflecting the development of restructuring plans in 2024.
Starting life as a market trader, Balvinder Shergill went on to run a number of companies, mostly in the furniture business. Two of his early companies used the trading style Houghton Furnishing. After they stopped doing business, Mr Shergill went on to become involved as a director in five other companies.
The question of whether it is competent for the court to order a retrospective administration order has been the subject of much debate before the English courts. However, until now, there have been no reported Scottish decisions dealing with the point.
A recent case considered whether a tax avoidance scheme could constitute a transaction defrauding creditors under section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986). The decision hinged on whether the transactions were made for a "prohibited purpose" under s423(3)(a).
Facts of Purkiss v Kennedy
Restructuring Plans (RPs)
2024 was a year of firsts for RPs, and as case law in this area continues to evolve, there is little doubt that this will carry through into 2025.
It would be remiss not to expect to see more RPs in 2025. News of Thames Water's restructuring is "splashed" all over the press and Speciality Steel's plan might see the first "cram up" of creditors, but there seems a long way to go to get creditors onside.