Under the Companies Act 2006, the directors (and company secretary, if there is one) must ensure their company complies with certain regulatory requirements. Our expert commercial solicitors can advise on all aspects of company secretarial work, if you need assistance. Our service assists boards of directors to operate smoothly and comply with the regulations, by the provision of legal and compliance services.
What does our company secretarial service include?
This wide-ranging company secretarial service includes:
- acting as company secretary,
- forming companies,
- forming groups,
- restructuring groups,
- converting companies to other types (where permitted),
- applying to strike off a defunct company (winding-up),
- assisting in the liquidation of a company, where a more formal winding-up is required,
- providing a registered office service,
- applying for registration of a foreign company’s branch in the UK,
- changes of company name and the use of restricted words in company names,
- the restoration of a company that has been struck-off the register at Companies House,
- paying Stamp Duty on share transfers,
- advising on, and applying for, Stamp Duty exemptions that apply,
- advising on procedures in compliance with the Companies Act 2006,
- transferring shares and advising on procedures, pre-emption rights or drag-along and tag-along rights,
- advising on share buy-backs and capital reductions,
- compliance work in relation to PSCs (persons with significant control),
- filing confirmation statements (or correcting ones already filed with mistakes),
- amending the Articles of Association, or advising on compliance with them,
- issuing new shares (including for funding rounds),
- creating new types of share class,
- advising on share class rights,
- creating and issuing share options,
- providing, writing up or updating company books (A.K.A. statutory registers),
- corporate governance advice, and advising on directors’ duties,
- preparing board minutes and assisting in the board’s operations and procedures,
- advising on boardroom disputes and the appointment and removal of directors,
- preparing resolutions, notices and other paperwork for the board or shareholders,
- advising on disputes between shareholders or disputes between the company and shareholders,
- drafting any relevant forms and other paperwork for Companies House,
- filing any relevant forms and other paperwork at Companies House, and
- resolving any problems with filings at Companies House.
Company books or statutory registers
While it is the law that all companies must have up-to-date company books, in some cases it will be essential to have these. When you want to sell the company, by selling 100% of the shares in it to someone, then the buyer will insist on your providing up-to-date company books. If these have never been written up (yes, it happens) or lost (this is more frequent than you’d think), then we can help by reconstituting them from the records at Companies House.
After any issue of new shares or a share buy-back, you should update the company books. We can help with this too.
You can keep either a physical book or ring-binder with your records in it or keep it electronically nowadays.
Easing the administrative burden with our company secretarial service
Our company secretarial service will help ease your compliance burden. We can give advice, draft documents and help you with any company law matters. We will help keep you compliant and avoid fines and penalties.
