LEXLAW Solicitors & Barristers
The High Court set aside a £16.3 million bankruptcy petition and alternative service order against a Qatari billionaire who owned a £115m property portfolio on Queen Anne’s Gate in Westminster. Property ownership cannot act as a procedural shortcut for valid territorial service when the debtor was residing in Doha. Substantive jurisdiction cannot substitute for a valid service strategy.
In complex civil litigation, lower courts can commit critical procedural errors, such as deciding an application based on arguments that were never formally pleaded by the parties. As demonstrated by the High Court’s ruling today in Arran Coghlan & Anor v Lexlaw Ltd, an appellate strategy that holds a lower court to the boundaries of civil procedure can successfully reverse an irregular judgment.
From outdated statute to FCA rulebook: the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is facing its most significant overhaul in fifty years. Automatic sanctions that have protected borrowers for decades are proposed for repeal, voluntary termination rights hang in the balance, and the window to enforce existing statutory protections is closing. Here is what every borrower needs to know before the law changes.
Directors who continue trading after they knew, or ought to have concluded, that there was no reasonable prospect of avoiding insolvent liquidation or administration may face personal liability under section 214 of the Insolvency Act 1986. During the period in which a company is insolvent or nearing insolvency, directors’ decisions may also come under closer scrutiny, particularly where losses to creditors increase.
You have just 18 days to challenge a statutory demand. Act fast, if you have a genuine dispute or legal defence, you may be able to stop bankruptcy proceedings. This succinct guide provides legal guidance from City of London’s specialist insolvency litigation team.
Our client, Dr Elizabeth Donald represented by Jaron Dosanjh, told The Times that MFS’s collapse had been a “nightmare” in regards to her personal portfolio. Barclays, Santander and Wells Fargo are some of the institutions thought to be caught up in the Mayfair lender’s collapse — but what about individuals? Article by James Hurley, Assistant Business Editor, The Times
When a company defaults, directors who have signed personal guarantees may face direct personal enforcement. This guide explains how personal guarantees operate under UK law, when liability arises, how creditors pursue guarantors, and what legal options may be available to protect personal assets.
We are the leading firm representing Directors and Companies facing HMRC Security Notices and we regularly succeed on behalf of clients. Here, our counsel successfully fought HMRC Security Notices that sought to impose over £215,000 in personal liability for VAT and PAYE debts. The case is a landmark victory against HMRC Notices of Requirement to give Security.
A winding-up order places a company into compulsory liquidation and has immediate legal and financial consequences for directors, creditors, and employees. This guide explains what happens after a winding-up petition order is made, the role of the liquidator, and the key risks and options that follow.
Under the old Martland rules missing a tax tribunal appeal deadline meant case closure as time limits were treated as virtually absolute. The Upper Tribunal’s 2025 decision in Medpro v HMRC restores judicial discretion and elevates case merits. Taxpayers with credible explanations now have a realistic path to rescuing late appeals. Understanding the shift and presenting your circumstances effectively to a tribunal, could mean the difference between recovering a valid claim and losing it permanently.