Meet Our Speakers: IPA Roadshow | Wales 2024
The UK Economy: Where Now, Where Next?
Stephen Hicks, Agent for Wales, Bank of England
Steve became Agent for Wales in June 2015, after a 12-month secondment from the Office for National Statistics in the agency. After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Social Sciences from Nottingham Trent University he joined the Government Statistical Service in 1998. He has undertaken a range of roles in Government that have included analysis of the labour market, employment relations, business and regional statistics as well as measuring national well-being. He has led various development projects to improve the quality of statistics as well as providing statistical advice to policy makers on monitoring and evaluating government policies.
An Update From the Insolvency Service: What to Watch Out For in 2024
Claire Hardgrave, Head of Insolvency Practitioner Regulation, Insolvency Service
Claire Hardgrave was appointed as Head of Insolvency Practitioner Regulation in April 2021, and before that worked for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in Audit, Policy, and Regulation. She has a long and varied background in Government strategy.
An Update From the Insolvency Service: The Work of Official Receiver Services and the New Operating Model
Stephen Baxter, Official Receiver, Wales and South-West, The Insolvency Service
Steve joined the Insolvency Service in 1989 as an administrator and has worked his way through the grades, becoming an Official Receiver in 2015.
His team deal with bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases in the Wales region, investigating conduct matters and the recovery of assets. Steve is part of the Civil Service Senior Leadership Talent Network Wales and is an Insolvency Service and Cross Government Mentor.
Regulatory Outlook 2024
Alan Limb, Monitoring Inspector, IPA
Alan’s insolvency career began more than 30 years ago. He joined the IPA as an Inspector in 2020 and combines his own experience as an IP, having taken appointments for 14 years, with the assessment skills he developed when studying for a PGCE and qualifying as a Business Studies Teacher in 2019.
He has trained as a Mental Health First Aider and acts as the IPA’s Vulnerability Point of Contact, supporting IPs whose health is affected by their work and vice versa.
Recent Case Studies and Procedure
Charlotte May, Associate Director, Manolete Partners PLC
Charlotte is based primarily in the South West and Wales. She is experienced in complex commercial disputes with specialist expertise in property, negligence, and insolvency. Charlotte qualified as a solicitor in 2009. In December 2018, Charlotte joined Manolete from national firm Burges Salmon LLP where she worked on high profile retail and property insolvencies. Charlotte is the current Chair for R3 South West & Wales.
Recent Case Studies and Procedure
Andrew Murphy, Associate Director, Manolete Partners PLC
Andrew joined Manolete in March 2023 from Blake Morgan’s insolvency team. He qualified as a solicitor in 2012 and was previously Head of Insolvency at JCP Solicitors in South Wales, before moving to an offshore insolvency and trusts litigation role at Appleby’s Guernsey office. Ranked in the 2018 edition of the Legal 500 as a “Leading Individual” for restructuring and insolvency, Andrew enjoyed a varied portfolio of contentious and non-contentious insolvency work in private practice, predominantly acting for insolvency office holders and high street lenders.
Office-Holders: Immunity from Future Claims Where a Court Approves Their Decision?
Andrew Meech, Director, JCP Solicitors and Undersheriff of West Glamorgan
Andrew has built a reputation in the business community in both South and West Wales, and has experience in providing advice to a range of businesses, boasting a portfolio of clients who operate on a local, national and international level. Andrew is the Under Sheriff of West Glamorgan.
Andrew regularly advises Insolvency Practitioners on various matters regarding personal and corporate insolvency with a particular emphasis on disputes concerning misfeasance, breach of duty, preferences, transactions at an undervalue and transactions designed to defraud creditors. As part of Andrew’s litigation practice, he is fully rehearsed in all methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Office-Holders: Immunity from Future Claims Where a Court Approves Their Decision?
Govinder Chambay, Barrister, Guildhall Chambers
Govinder Chambay is a specialist commercial and insolvency practitioner who practises from Guildhall Chambers. He regularly appears in both the County Court and the High Court. He is developing a substantial insolvency practice which includes: (i) applications to extend/end an administration; (ii) advising on misfeasance/directors duties claims; (iii) petition/statutory demand work; (iv) possession and sale applications; and a wide range of other Insolvency Act applications.
Companies House: Update on Transformation and the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act
Mark Buckley, Senior Implementation Lead, Companies House
Mark has worked for Companies House for over 20 years and has held senior roles within Policy, Operations and within the Enforcement and Intelligence teams. Mark has worked extensively with Enforcement and Intelligence partners throughout the UK and is currently the Senior Implementation Lead responsible for developing the Authorised Corporate Service Provider registration and maintenance service under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill.
HMRC: MVLs and Tax Clearance
Martin Tossell, Networks and Governance Lead, Insolvency Profession, HMRC
An experienced civil servant, Martin trained as a tax inspector before becoming part of HMRC’s Specialist Investigations Unit, managing civil investigations of fraud and enforcement and collection of tax debts. Martin progressed into financial crime, working on HMRC’s most complex joint criminal/civil interventions, before moving into legal services.
Martin is a manger in the Insolvency Governance and Professionalism Team. Providing insolvency governance, training and advice across HMRC, he holds the portfolio for networks and governance.