United Kingdom: Insolvency/Bankruptcy

The High Court of England & Wales recently examined the scope of liquidators' powers to request documents from related parties under the Insolvency Act 1986. When liquidators sought an 'everything forever' order requiring a sister company to produce all documents relating to the company in liquidation, the court had to balance the statutory duty to cooperate against the principle of proportionality and reasonable necessity.

The Court of Session has taken a novel approach to assessing unfair prejudice in CVA challenges, moving beyond traditional vertical and horizontal comparisons to consider broader equitable factors. This first reported Scottish decision in such circumstances could make predicting CVA challenge outcomes significantly more difficult if the approach is adopted in future cases.

When liquidators of Styles & Wood Group assigned potential claims against directors to a third party, the directors challenged this decision in the High Court. The court had to determine whether the directors had standing to bring the challenge and whether the liquidators' decision to assign the claims was objectively reasonable.

Private capital markets have transformed substantially over the past decade. Private credit has established itself as a mainstream asset class, sponsor-backed mid-market buyouts have grown increasingly sophisticated...

The High Court sanctioned a contested restructuring plan in Re Waldorf Production UK plc, cramming down HMRC as a dissenting creditor and facilitating a $205 million sale to Harbour Energy.

Foreign bankruptcy and insolvency orders are not automatically enforceable in England and Wales. In most cases, recognition is the first step before a foreign officeholder or creditor can seek relief...

An officeholder should consider whether and to what extent they can use their powers under sections 234, 235 and 236 of the Insolvency Act 1986...

In Webb and another (as liquidators of Eversholt Rail (365) Limited (in liquidation)) v Eversholt Rail Limited and another [2026] EWHC 101 (Ch), the High Court dismissed the liquidators' appeal against a decision not to allow their extensive application for the production of documents under s.235 and s.236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986).

The casual dining and hospitality sector is navigating a period of profound upheaval, driven by macroeconomic pressures, regulatory uncertainty, and shifting consumer preferences.