1st Business Rescue

Insolvency and business rescue advice for limited company directors

1st Business Rescue is a British firm focused on advising directors of limited companies facing financial difficulties. Its work centres on insolvency, liquidation and the orderly closure of companies, as well as the management of corporate debt. The firm states that it has over 50 years of accumulated experience in the sector and a team that has been advising directors since 1997.

The approach the company describes places the director, not the creditors, at the centre of its work. According to its presentation, the aim is to protect the director and their personal assets, explain the available options without technical jargon and support the client at every stage of the process, regardless of the alternative they choose.

Services for companies with debts

The firm's range of services covers various legal and structured routes for dealing with insolvency or corporate indebtedness:

• Liquidation and company closure.
• Review of director's loan accounts.
• Advice on Bounce Back Loans and CBILS.
• Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVA).
• IR35-related matters.
• Closing companies with debts.
• HMRC, VAT and corporation tax debts.
• Pre pack transactions.

The firm also offers a free guide entitled Directors Guide to Liquidation, aimed at directors considering closing their company through liquidation or insolvency.

A director-focused approach

The company stresses that its priority is the director and their personal situation, not just the company. It notes that many people do not know what is expected of them or what the best courses of action are, so its role is to remove uncertainty and provide information at every stage of the process. Among the recommendations the firm shares with directors facing debt problems are not to put more money into the business, not to take on more credit, not to make staff redundant and not to borrow more money before receiving advice.

The initial consultation is presented as free, with no obligation and completely confidential. The company states that it has helped hundreds of business owners and has hundreds of five-star reviews on Trustpilot and Google, which it describes as one of the few five-star ratings in the business insolvency sector.

Team and experience

The team includes professionals with backgrounds in insolvency, tax investigations and business finance. Among them are Justin Barker, who leads the firm and has advised companies in insolvency processes for years; Alan Levene, with experience in civil and criminal tax investigations, tax dispute resolution and forensic support to accountants, solicitors and barristers, and with previous roles at Grant Thornton, KPMG and HM Customs & Excise; Stephen Johnson, with over 30 years leading teams in invoice finance, corporate banking and asset finance; and Gary Whitehead, who developed his career at Barclays from 1984 and later founded a property finance business with FCA approval in 2006.

Presence and ways of meeting

The firm states that it is based in the north-west of England and can meet the client in person wherever is most convenient, whether at its offices in London, Manchester or Lancashire or at a location near them. It also offers the possibility of holding the conversation by phone, Zoom or Skype.

Resources for directors

The site brings together informative materials aimed at limited company directors, such as articles on preparing for a creditors' voluntary liquidation, closing a limited company with HMRC debts or a complete guide to liquidation for UK directors. The firm also maintains a blog, a knowledge bank and a video archive.

Offices and locations

Location 1: International House, 142 Cromwell Road, London, SW7 4EF

Manchester location: Lowry House, Marble St, Manchester, United Kingdom M2 3AW