United Kingdom: Insolvency/Bankruptcy

Private capital is reshaping real estate financing beyond traditional senior debt, with operational real estate at the center of this transformation. As interest rates remain elevated and traditional lenders retreat, alternative capital providers are filling the funding gap with flexible structures and creative solutions. The shift requires lenders to underwrite not just buildings, but the businesses that operate within them, fundamentally changing how distress is managed and value is realized.

When purchasing a property, discovering that it was previously gifted rather than sold can raise unexpected legal concerns. Understanding why conveyancers investigate these transactions at undervalue and how indemnity policies protect buyers from potential insolvency claims is essential for anyone navigating the property transfer process.

Steven Geerlings shares insights from his extensive international career in asset-based lending, spanning work across the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Drawing on experience managing multi-billion euro transactions for Deutsche Bank and navigating complex cross-border finance structures, he explores the operational and legal challenges that arise when lending against assets across multiple European jurisdictions. The discussion reveals how evolving regulations and practical expertise are reshaping

This comprehensive newsletter examines recent developments in UK restructuring and insolvency law, covering critical issues from Building Safety Act liability extending beyond high-rise buildings to landmark...

The Supreme Court's landmark decision in Drelle fundamentally reshapes how foreign judgment debts can be used in English insolvency proceedings, allowing creditors to present bankruptcy petitions without first obtaining recognition or registration. This ruling removes a significant procedural buffer for debtors and creates new strategic opportunities for foreign office-holders pursuing directors and recipients across jurisdictions...

英国最高法院在Drelle案中确认，持有外国法院生效金钱判决的债权人无需先在英国取得承认判决，即可直接申请债务人个人破产。

Companies House register, targeting unregulated firms that create false UK business presences for overseas clients. The latest enforcement reflects wider reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act to improve transparency, strengthen anti-money laundering controls and protect the integrity of UK company registration.

The High Court has allowed an application by the administrators of a company under section 234 Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986) requiring a bank to deliver up funds held in the company’s bank account: Laverty v Barclays Bank plc [2026] EWHC 1222 (Ch).

The Court of Appeal has partially reversed a High Court decision in a case examining whether a chargee's appointment of administrators was invalid due to improper purpose, specifically where debt acquisition followed a failed takeover bid. The judgment clarifies the boundaries of Braganza-style rationality duties in secured lending enforcement and explores when the equitable 'proper purpose' doctrine may constrain a creditor's right to appoint administrators under Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act 1986.