William Shirley > Howes Percival LLP > Norwich, England > Lawyer Profile

Howes Percival LLP
FLINT BUILDINGS
1 BEDDING LANE
NORWICH
NR3 1RG
England

Work Department

Insolvency

Position

Partner

Career

William has over 13 years experience in acting for Government Departments, including the Insolvency Service and HMRC. William has acted for the Insolvency Service in particular in high profile and complex directors disqualification proceedings and also in relation to winding up companies that are trading contrary to the public interest. William also works with the Insolvency and Corporate Recovery team and deals with a broad range of both contentious and non-contentious corporate and personal insolvency matters.

  • 2018 – Present: Partner, Howes Percival LLP
  • 2012 – 2018: Director, Howes Percival LLP
  • 2008 – 2012: Associate, Howes Percival LLP
  • 2004 – 2008: Solicitor, Howes Percival LLP (UK qualified in 2005)
  • 2001: Insolvency Service
  • 2000: Admitted as attorney in South Africa
  • 1998: Articled clerk at Blakes Maphanga in South Africa
  • University of Natal Durban (South Africa) – Bcom LLB 

Lawyer Rankings

East Anglia > Dispute resolution > Debt recovery

The ‘professional, polite and efficient‘ debt recovery team at Howes Percival LLP handles high-value and complex matters, partly through its role on the Crown Commercial Services Panel, which sees it act for The Insolvency Service. Morris Peacock, the ‘very helpful, informative’ Norwich-based Gordon Simpson, and Cambridge-based litigation specialist Michael Green are the practice heads. Peacock acted for The Insolvency Service in the investigation into the failure of BHS Limited and connected companies whilst Simpson notably assisted Bures Farm Partners in contentious debt recovery matters to secure £250,000. William Shirley in Norwich also plays a key role in the practice.

East Anglia > Finance > Insolvency and corporate recovery

(Leading individuals)

William ShirleyHowes Percival LLP

Howes Percival LLP‘s insolvency practice is noted as having ‘superb expertise in this field’. The group is led by head of insolvency and corporate recovery Michael Green from Cambridge and Morris Peacock from Norwich, who oversees the firm’s work for the Insolvency Service. He notably acted for the Insolvency Service in the investigation into the alleged failure of BHS Limited and connected companies and the subsequent conduct of directors’ disqualification proceedings. The team is noted as having ‘a wealth of experience in running all aspects of heavy litigation’. In Norwich, ‘excellent solicitor’ William Shirley, ‘who is very experienced in litigation and advisory work’, and senior associates Leon Head and Patrick Manning are all central to the practice.