CIGA – Relevant Periods Summary – Updated 1 July 2021

The collapse of Woodville Consultants Ltd has exposed significant vulnerabilities in the rapidly expanding litigation funding market, which operates largely outside mainstream financial regulation. With nearly £300 million owed to retail investors and questionable lending practices to law firms, the case raises critical questions about investor protection, regulatory oversight, and the future balance of power in funded litigation.

Formal insolvencies continue to increase in England and Wales with numbers currently 10% higher than in 2022. In particular, quarterly numbers for Q1 and Q2 2023 are higher than they have been since Q2 2009.

Companies House register, targeting unregulated firms that create false UK business presences for overseas clients. The latest enforcement reflects wider reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act to improve transparency, strengthen anti-money laundering controls and protect the integrity of UK company registration.

On 14th July, the John Lewis Partnership announced that it would be cutting up to 1,000 jobs across its John Lewis and Waitrose stores in a bid to streamline management structures.

The English High Court has stayed proceedings challenging Hunkemöller's liability management exercise pending judgment in related New York litigation. This decision examines the limitations of multi-jurisdictional litigation strategies in cross-border restructurings and the enforceability of exclusive jurisdiction clauses for beneficial noteholders. The ruling provides critical guidance on the sequencing of claims across different jurisdictions when challenging complex liability management exercises.

Directors of insolvent companies may face misfeasance claims when liquidators or administrators investigate potential misuse of company funds, breaches of fiduciary duties, or prioritizing personal interests over creditors. Understanding the legal framework under section 212 of the Insolvency Act 1986, common allegations, and available defenses is crucial for directors navigating these serious investigations that can result in personal liability and disqualification.

An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a formal debt solution that allows individuals to repay creditors through affordable monthly payments over five to six years, with remaining balances typically written off. This legal alternative to bankruptcy requires approval from creditors holding at least 75% of the debt value and is supervised by a licensed insolvency practitioner throughout its duration.

The High Court has determined that administrators can enter into litigation funding arrangements allowing funders to be repaid from litigation proceeds ahead of moratorium debts with "super priority" status, provided this aligns with the administration's purpose and the administrators' duties. This ruling addresses a critical question about the interplay between protected moratorium creditors and the practical realities of funding litigation in insolvency proceedings.

The High Court has clarified the interaction between mental health crisis moratoriums under the Debt Respite Scheme and secured lending enforcement. When property security covers a company's debt rather than an individual's personal liability, receivers can proceed with sales despite the moratorium. This decision provides crucial guidance for insolvency practitioners and lenders navigating the complex intersection of mental health protections and security enforcement.

England's new Private Rented Sector Database introduces mandatory landlord registration requirements that create immediate compliance obligations for lenders, receivers and insolvency practitioners enforcing over tenanted residential property. Without active registration entries, courts cannot grant possession orders except in limited circumstances, fundamentally altering enforcement strategies and timelines.

Generative AI has created a legal vacuum where synthetic images and deepfakes can be created and shared without consent, yet English law offers no standalone "image right" to protect individuals. With celebrities like Lisa Riley and over 80 performers demanding reform, the question is whether the UK's patchwork of intellectual property, data protection, and common law protections can adequately address this rapidly evolving threat to personal autonomy and reputation.

The UK Government's Commercial Payments Bill is rapidly advancing toward becoming law, with the proposed ban on cash retentions in construction contracts now scheduled for third reading in October 2026.

The UK government has accelerated the implementation of new subscription contract regulations, moving the deadline from spring 2027 to January 2027. Businesses selling consumer subscriptions must now rapidly prepare for compliance with the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which introduces stringent requirements around pre-contract information, renewal reminders, cancellation methods, and cooling-off periods to prevent subscription traps.

The US FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health has published a discussion paper exploring how generative AI-enabled medical devices might be regulated, proposing a competency-based evaluation...

LGBTQ dating app Grindr has agreed to pay £26m to settle a group-action lawsuit alleging unlawful sharing of users' personal information, including HIV status, with third parties. This case highlights how data protection compliance extends beyond regulatory scrutiny to encompass substantial financial exposure from large-scale individual claims. The settlement raises important questions about third-party data sharing arrangements, consent mechanisms, and the handling of special category data under UK GD

Recent ASA decisions highlight how AI-generated advertising content can perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes and offensive imagery, particularly through deepfake technology. As generative AI becomes increasingly prevalent in marketing campaigns, regulators are emphasizing that marketers remain fully responsible for ensuring their AI-generated content complies with advertising standards, regardless of the technology used to create it.

The UK government has confirmed significant employment law reforms taking effect on 30 October 2026, including heightened sexual harassment prevention duties, new third-party harassment liability...

UK data privacy regulator, the ICO, has published the final version of its age appropriate design code (the Children's code).

When parents separate, understanding how a child's wishes factor into living arrangements can be complex. English and Welsh law doesn't set a fixed age threshold for children to decide where they live...

The High Court has clarified the interaction between mental health crisis moratoriums under the Debt Respite Scheme and secured lending enforcement. When property security covers a company's debt rather than an individual's personal liability, receivers can proceed with sales despite the moratorium. This decision provides crucial guidance for insolvency practitioners and lenders navigating the complex intersection of mental health protections and security enforcement.