What Happens to a Director of a Company in Liquidation?

When a company enters voluntary liquidation, its directors must adhere to specific legal responsibilities. These include acting in the best interests of creditors and avoiding any actions that could be construed as wrongful or fraudulent trading.

The process of liquidation requires directors to cooperate fully with the appointed liquidator and ensure the fair distribution of company assets to creditors. Compliance with these duties is crucial, as failure to do so can lead to personal liability or, in severe cases, director disqualification.

We’ll explain this in much more detail below.

What Does Liquidation Mean for a Director?

If you are a director of a company in compulsory liquidation or creditors’ voluntary liquidation, your role as director ceases. You must assist the insolvency practitioner and will face investigation, as part of the liquidation process, for any potential wrongdoing that may have occurred in the period preceding insolvency.

1. Directors may be subject to legal actions or disqualification, particularly if their actions are found detrimental to creditors or shareholders.
2. Directors have a duty to cooperate with the liquidator and provide accurate financial records and information.
3. If wrongful trading or misconduct is identified, directors could be personally liable to contribute to the company’s assets.

Your Legal Duties as a Director in Liquidation

When your company goes into liquidation, whether it’s voluntary or compulsory, you have important legal responsibilities to follow. These responsibilities are vital to make sure the process is fair and legal, safeguarding the interests of creditors, employees, and others involved.

Stop Trading: Your first duty is to stop all business activities immediately. Continuing to operate after insolvency can lead to accusations of wrongful trading, where you might be personally responsible for increasing the company’s debts.

Keep Accurate Records: You must maintain accurate company records and make them available to the liquidator. This includes financial records, lists of assets, and details of creditors. Proper documentation is essential for a transparent liquidation process and for deciding how assets will be distributed.

Prioritize Creditors: During liquidation, you must act in the best interests of creditors, not shareholders. This means making decisions that aim to maximize returns for creditors.

Avoid Wrongdoing: You must avoid any actions that could be seen as fraudulent or preferential. This includes transferring assets to family or friends at less than their market value or favoring certain creditors over others. Such actions can result in legal penalties, including personal liability.

Cooperate with the Liquidator: You need to cooperate fully with the liquidator appointed for the process. This involves providing them with all necessary information, helping with asset valuations, and identifying creditors. Failing to cooperate can lead to delays and potential legal issues.

Reporting Requirements: In some cases, you may need to submit specific reports about your conduct and the company’s affairs leading up to liquidation. These reports are crucial for assessing whether any wrongful or fraudulent trading occurred.

What are the Consequences of Liquidation for Directors?

What consequences liquidation will have on a director depends on the circumstances and the director’s conduct leading up to and during the process. Here’s a closer look at what can happen:

Wrongdoing Found:

1. Personal Liability for Company Debts: Directors may become personally liable for the company’s debts if they are found to have continued trading while the company was insolvent or engaged in wrongful or fraudulent trading. This often occurs when the interests of creditors are not adequately considered during insolvency.
2. Director Disqualification: Directors guilty of misconduct may be disqualified from serving as directors or participating in the management of any company for up to 15 years. Misconduct can include failing to keep proper financial records, neglecting to submit tax returns, or using company funds for personal benefit.
3. Legal Action for Misconduct: In cases of significant negligence or fraud, directors could face legal actions, potentially leading to fines or imprisonment. Actions that can lead to these consequences include misrepresenting the company’s financial status or mismanaging company assets.

No Wrongdoing Found:

1. No Consequences: If no wrongdoing is identified, directors face no direct consequences from the liquidation. They remain free to pursue other employment opportunities or establish new businesses, subject to complying with relevant rules and legal requirements.

If You Liquidate a Company, Can You Be a Director Again?

Yes, former directors can assume the role of a director again after liquidation, provided there has been no case of misfeasance.

However, it is essential to observe certain restrictions. Utilising the same or similar business name as the previously liquidated company could lead to legal actions, and being associated with a company in compulsory liquidation or a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL) may impose a ban on managing or forming a business with a similar name for up to five years.

Can a Director Be Investigated if a Company Goes into Liquidation?

Investigations into the actions of directors during the period leading up to insolvency are not only common but also a legal requirement in the liquidation process. Both Official Receivers and insolvency practitioners have a statutory duty to investigate the actions and conduct of directors to ensure that the best interests of creditors were prioritised.

If the Official Receiver is involved they may require directors to attend an interview, where they must provide a detailed statement of the company’s affairs, including financial accounts, activities, and decisions that may have led to insolvency. The aim is to ascertain whether any misconduct or negligence occurred that adversely affected the company’s creditors.

Insolvency practitioners appointed to manage the liquidation process have a similar responsibility to conduct thorough investigations. They must examine various aspects, such as:

• Assessing whether the directors engaged in wrongful or fraudulent trading.
• Scrutinising overdrawn director accounts and personal guarantees.
• Investigating potential preferences or undervalue transactions that might have favoured specific creditors at the expense of others.

Directors must approach these investigations with utmost transparency and cooperation. Comprehensive preparation, including the provision of all relevant documents and truthful engagement with investigators, is essential.

» MORE Read our full article on Directors Personal Liability

Can a Director be Made Liable for Debts in a Liquidation?

Typically, in a corporate setting, a company is treated as a separate legal entity from its directors and shareholders. This separation usually protects directors from personal liability for the company’s debts. However, there are specific circumstances where this protection can be breached, as follows:

1. Wrongful Trading: If a director continues to trade when they knew, or ought to have known, that there was no reasonable prospect of the company avoiding insolvent liquidation, they can be held personally liable for debts incurred during this period. This is known as ‘wrongful trading.’
2. Personal Guarantees: Directors may have provided personal guarantees for certain loans or credit facilities. In such cases, if the company is unable to fulfil its financial obligations, creditors can pursue the directors personally to recover the guaranteed amounts.
3. Fraudulent Trading: If a director is found to have been knowingly involved in fraudulent trading, which includes any business conducted with the intent to defraud creditors, they can be made personally liable for the company’s debts.
4. Breach of Fiduciary Duties: Directors are bound by certain fiduciary duties to the company. If a breach of these duties, such as misusing company funds or assets, leads to the company incurring debts, the director may be held personally liable.
5. Statutory Offences: Certain statutory offences under company law, like failure to pay taxes or keep proper accounting records, can also lead to personal liability for directors.

It is important to note that the liability is not automatic and usually requires a legal process, where the conduct of the director is thoroughly examined. Directors facing potential personal liability should seek legal advice to understand their position and the possible defences they may have.

Can a Director of a Liquidated Company Be Sued?

Yes, directors of a liquidated company can be sued, particularly in cases involving misfeasance, wrongful trading, fraudulent trading, or if they’ve provided personal guarantees for company debts. Additionally, they may face legal challenges for negligence, breach of contract, or other civil wrongs. These circumstances often arise from actions that breach their responsibilities or legal obligations during their tenure as directors.

Can a Director Resign During Liquidation?

Resignation as a director during liquidation is a possibility, but it doesn’t absolve the individual of their obligations to the liquidator. If the director signed a personal guarantee and the company lacks funds for loan repayment, the responsibility remains with the director.

It’s imperative to understand that leaving the company does not mean leaving behind the liabilities tied to it. Ensuring proper removal from any personal guarantees prior to liquidation is a prudent step. This section aims to delineate the procedural aspects of resigning as a director during liquidation, outlining the continuation of specific obligations and the importance of handling personal guarantees appropriately.

How to protect yourself as a director during Insolvency

There are a number of things that directors can do to protect themselves from the risk of being sued after liquidation, including:

• Seek legal advice: Directors should seek legal advice from a qualified solicitor to understand their duties and obligations and to assess their potential personal risks.
• Gather evidence: Directors should keep comprehensive records of all their decisions and actions, as this can help to defend them against any allegations of misconduct.
• Act ethically: Directors should act in a responsible and ethical manner at all times, both before and during liquidation. This includes avoiding conflicts of interest and acting in the best interests of the company’s creditors.