Insolvency

Pump Court Chambers is committed to delivering an approachable, highly efficient service across all areas of corporate and personal insolvency, both domestically and with cross-border matters involving jurisdictions such as Nigeria and the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

Our barristers are recognised for their deep expertise in both litigation and advisory work. Members of our team act for insolvency practitioners, creditors, directors, debtors, trustees, and other stakeholders. Our collaborative approach ensures close working relationships with solicitors, insolvency practitioners, and professionals across related disciplines, providing clients with strategic, pragmatic advice that leads to real-world solutions.

Corporate Insolvency

We advise and act in all aspects of corporate insolvency, including:

Administrations, liquidations, receiverships, and CVAs
Winding-up petitions and applications for provisional liquidators
Validation orders and injunctions to restrain petitions
Misfeasance, wrongful and fraudulent trading
Director disqualification and post-liquidation claims
Remuneration disputes and challenges to office-holder decisions

Members of the team are frequently instructed to handle contentious and technical claims, including those involving asset recovery and those arising from complex corporate structures, trusts, and offshore entities.

Personal Insolvency

We cover the full spectrum of personal insolvency law, regularly advising on:

Bankruptcy petitions and statutory demand challenges
Annulment and suspension of discharge applications
Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs)
Trustee appointments, remuneration, and replacement
Property possession, sale, and beneficial ownership disputes
Bankruptcy restrictions and examinations (public and private)

Our team has experience handling cases involving cohabitees, family arrangements, and disputes over shared ownership, blending insolvency and property law expertise to achieve effective outcomes.

Crossover Expertise

Insolvency rarely exists in isolation. Our barristers are well placed to deal with the complex intersection of insolvency and other specialist areas, given their in-depth experience in family, property, traditional chancery, inheritance matters, commercial chancery, and business and company work. We are regularly instructed in matters where specialist crossover advice is essential:

Insolvency and Death

We advise on the treatment of insolvent estates and applications for Insolvency Administration Orders following death. These matters frequently involve both probate and insolvency regimes and often arise in contentious estate litigation or during estate administration where liabilities exceed assets.

Insolvency and Divorce

We assist in navigating conflicts between financial remedy orders and insolvency proceedings, including when there are efforts to place assets beyond the reach of creditors. We also advise on the impact of bankruptcy on Consent Orders and the enforceability of financial settlements.

Insolvency and Property Law

Our barristers frequently advise on TOLATA claims, constructive and resulting trusts, and beneficial ownership disputes, particularly where one party to a cohabiting relationship is bankrupt. We act for and against trustees in bankruptcy seeking to realise property assets, and we offer clear advice on equitable accounting and competing interests.

Insolvency and Directors

We provide practical, robust advice to directors facing claims post-insolvency, such as disqualification proceedings, breach of duty claims, and restrictions on management during and after bankruptcy or liquidation.

Insolvency and Compromise

We support clients in commercial, family, and property settlements where the risk of insolvency is real or developing. Our advice ensures that settlements are enforceable and strategically sound, taking into account the impact of future or ongoing insolvency proceedings.

Offshore & Cross-Border Work

Our offshore team brings extensive experience in cross-border insolvency litigation, including jurisdictions such as Nigeria and the BVI. We advise on international asset recovery, recognition of foreign insolvency proceedings, and multi-jurisdictional creditor claims, offering seamless, strategic solutions for clients operating across borders.

Commitment to Access to Justice

As part of our wider commitment to supporting access to justice, members of chambers volunteer with the Chancery Litigants in Person Scheme (CLIPS). We regularly provide free representation to unrepresented companies facing winding-up petitions, helping to ensure fair outcomes for all parties in the insolvency process.