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Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

England and Wales: Unlawful distributions breach s171; directors liable; s1157 relief refused absent reasonable belief; Duomatic requires informed consent; adverse inference from missing records (Re TMG Brokers)

Published on: 29 April 2021

Published by a LexisNexis Restructuring & Insolvency expert
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Article summary

Re TMG Brokers Ltd (in liquidation); Baker v Staines [2021] EWHC 1006 (Ch) — What are the practical implications of this case?

  • Company payments treated as shareholder distributions that ignore the statutory framework in Part 23 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) are ultra vires, and consequently amount to a breach of the director’s duty under CA 2006, s 171 (among other duties)...
  • Directors must be able to explain and justify sums leaving the company’s bank account (Re Idessa (UK) Ltd [2012] 1 BCLC 80), and where the company’s books and records are not produced, the court may draw adverse inferences (Re Mumtaz Properties Ltd [2011] EWCA Civ 610)...
  • For relief under CA 2006, s 1157, honesty on its own is not enough—the director must also establish that the belief relied upon was reasonable in the circumstances...
  • The onus lies on defendants who wish to invoke the Re Duomatic Ltd [1969] 2 Ch 365 principle to prove that it applies...

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Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...

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