When do Solicitors refer Clients to Insolvency Practitioners?

Solicitors don’t just refer clients to insolvency practitioners when a company is in financial distress. In fact, Antony Batty & Company regularly works with legal teams across multiple departments, often before insolvency becomes a threat. In this article, Jonathan James, Business Development Manager at Antony Batty & Company, Thames Valley explores two legal scenarios where […]
Update: Insolvencies Hit 30-Year High in September 2025

Since the original publication of this article in April, the insolvency landscape has worsened significantly. September 2025 saw some 2,000 corporate insolvencies in England and Wales, the highest monthly figure in over 30 years. This sharp rise reflects the cumulative impact of rising labour costs, persistent inflation, and weakening consumer confidence. With the Autumn 2025 […]
The Personal Financial Risk for Directors Is Increasing: What Do Directors Need to Know?

Why are Directors facing greater personal financial risk? In recent years, both HMRC and Companies House have been granted enhanced powers to pursue directors personally for company-related liabilities. These powers are no longer theoretical. They are being actively used, and directors – especially those of struggling or insolvent companies – are increasingly finding themselves exposed […]
Hospitality businesses under pressure: why turnover is vanity and profit is sanity

It’s no secret that the hospitality sector is facing one of its toughest periods in recent memory. From pubs and restaurants to cafés and catering firms, businesses across the UK are grappling with rising costs, shrinking margins and growing uncertainty. For many directors, the question is no longer whether things are difficult. It’s how long […]
Business rates changes 2026. What directors need to know – and do – about the coming changes

Why are business rates back in focus for UK companies? From April 2026, many firms will see an increase in their business rates bills. But unlike other cost pressures, this one isn’t a surprise. The end of transitional relief and the impact of the 2023 revaluation are already mapped out, giving directors a clear window […]
UK insolvency and company rescue in 2025: what’s changing and what Directors need to know

As Insolvency Practitioners, we believe one of our strengths is what we call our ‘bedside manner’, in other words, how we deliver a caring and bespoke personal service to directors whose businesses are facing financial difficulties. Part of this is keeping up to speed with what’s going on with businesses that are struggling to better […]
Can Main Market and AIM listed PLCs facing insolvency be rescued and relisted?

How did we use Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) to restore two PLCs to the stock market? We recently advised two London Stock Exchange listed companies – Electric Guitar PLC and Curzon Energy PLC – on restructuring their balance sheets via Company Voluntary Arrangements. Both were facing insolvency, but our specialist input enabled their restoration to […]
Difficult times for Pubs, Restaurants & Hotels. How can Insolvency Practitioners help?

The pub industry is facing long-term decline. Over 400 pubs closed in England & Wales in 2024 – total numbers fell below 39,000 for the first time – the most since 2021 during the COVID pandemic. Rising National Insurance contributions, increased wages, and reduced business rate relief from April 2025 will further strain the sector. […]
Family Business Insolvency: when relationships and risk collide

Family businesses are a cornerstone of the UK economy. They outnumber all other private sector firms, employ millions, and contribute significantly to national output. But when a family-run company faces financial difficulty, the challenges go far beyond the balance sheet, with impacts on relationships, succession plans, and even personal assets. In this article, we look […]
Antony Batty and Company Thames Valley welcomes Lucy Garner as its new Senior Manager

We are delighted to announce the arrival of Lucy Garner as our new Senior Manager at the Thames Valley office of Antony Batty and Company. Lucy joins the team at a really exciting time for Antony Batty and Company Thames Valley, now well into its 4th year of trading, and she is looking forward to working with […]