Struggling businesses should think twice about taking out loans for survival, especially where Personal Guarantees (“PG’s”) are involved

The increasing challenge of securing business finance – and the potential risks of using Alternative Lenders The ability for small businesses to secure finance has become significantly more challenging in recent years. According to a recent analysis by Funding Xchange, businesses seeking loans are now carrying more than double the debt-to-turnover ratio compared to pre-pandemic […]
Antony Batty & Company Employee Focus: Tom O’Keeffe

Insolvency Specialist Tom is based at our Central London Office and specialises in Creditors Voluntary Liquidations and Administrations. This month we are shining the spotlight on one of our colleagues, Tom O’Keeffe, an insolvency specialist who is based at our Central London office. Tom works closely alongside our Licensed Insolvency Practitioners and specialises in Creditors Voluntary Liquidations. […]
Joiner receives 15 month suspended jail sentence for Covid Bounce Back Loan fraud despite repaying the Loan in full

The Government’s tough stance on Covid Bounce Back Loan (BBL)* fraud continues In a recent case, a former joiner from Romford has been sentenced for Covid Bounce Back Loan fraud (BBL)*, demonstrating the seriousness with which the Insolvency Service addresses such misconduct. Details of this Case Charles Ling, aged 57, of Havering-atte-Bower, Essex, who operated […]
Are there alternatives to liquidating a limited company without using an Insolvency Practitioner?

“I can’t afford to liquidate my company. What are the alternatives to liquidation?” This ia question we are often asked. When directors are facing the stressful task of closing their limited company, the cost of appointing a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner (IP) to run a formal procedure, such as a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL), can seem […]
Section 216 – Did you know The Reuse of a Company Name After Liquidation is Prohibited?

Section 216 – Did you know The Reuse of a Company Name After Liquidation is Prohibited
A reminder of the rules from our Insolvency Practitioners
Directors, if you do the same things again, you risk getting the same result – another liquidation!

“What am I going to do for work if I have to liquidate my company?”* I meet many directors every year, especially those of small companies, where we have acted as liquidators, who then tell me they want to set up a new business and start again. They say they don’t know anything different, want […]
In the Nicest Way, I Don’t Want to See You Again!*

Preventing Multiple Liquidations and Avoiding Director Disqualification Multiple liquidations can lead to an Insolvency Service investigation and possible Director Disqualification for directors breaching their duties. As a director at a firm of Insolvency Practitioners, my primary goal is to help businesses navigate through financial distress and, when necessary, guide them through the liquidation process. However, […]
What can agreeing Personal Guarantees mean in insolvency? Personal liability is the legacy from insolvency

Directors must always be wary of Personal Guarantees when borrowing money, especially when ‘alternative lenders’ are involved. One of the first questions we ask directors of insolvent companies is whether they have any Personal Guarantees (PG) on outstanding loans. The answer is often no, and yet, we quickly discover that many of them do. In […]
Record number of company closures and 5,000 more tax inspectors

More businesses under financial pressure, whilst Government announces 5,000 additional tax inspectors focusing on SMEs and reducing the tax gap After years of difficult trading for many businesses, two key statistics show that the outlook for many is worsening as we head into 2025. Plus, with the news that the Government is recruiting an extra […]
Honesty and listening are the best policies when Insolvency Practitioners are approached by directors of struggling companies

Nitin Joshi argues that when it comes to Creditors Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs), listening and being honest help craft the most cost-effective solutions In this article, one of our partners, Nitin Joshi, looks at the recent focus on Creditors Voluntary Liquidations by the Government’s Insolvency Service, much of it on costs. Nitin argues that these issues are […]