Pensions Regulator’s first notice June 30, 2010 The Pensions Regulator has issued its first contribution notice against a European company, ordering Belgium-based weaving machine maker Michel Van De Wiele (VDW) to make good a gap in the pension scheme of a UK subsidiary it claimed had been liquidated to avoid maintaining the fund. The group tried to dodge its liability by putting [...]
Risk aversion will undermine euro June 29, 2010 DEMAND for risky assets has been undermined this week by concerns about both the strength of the US recovery and that Chinese growth may not be as rapid as had previously been thought. The euro has also started to wobble again, destabilised by a resurgence in fears about Europe’s banking sector. These worries about the [...]
BA’s pension recovery gets the go-ahead June 22, 2010 BRITISH AIRWAYS (BA) has agreed a plan with its trustees that will see the airline deal with its £3.7bn pension deficit head on. Under the new agreement, BA will commit to annual contributions of £330m with a three per cent rise every year, at the same time promising that it will make additional contributions should [...]
BA agrees recovery plan for £3.7bn pension deficit June 22, 2010 BRITISH Airways has agreed a recovery plan for its £3.7bn pension deficit – removing a final obstacle to its planned merger with Spain’s Iberia. BA said it had reached a deal with the trustees of its Airways Pension Scheme (APS), which last December had a deficit of £1bn and its New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS), [...]
More directors facing disqualification June 20, 2010 THE number of directors of insolvent companies facing disqualification proceedings for involvement in criminal activity has increased by 52 per cent in a year, new figures show. City law firm Wedlake Bell, which obtained the figures, has warned this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the year up to 31 March 2010, 265 [...]
Vantis shares suspended as crisis deepens June 14, 2010 VANTIS, the troubled accountancy outfit, is preparing a fire sale of its assets unless it can find an investor with a “wad of cash” to help pay down its £54m debt pile. The Aim-listed firm tumbled deeper into crisis yesterday when its shares were suspended due to doubts over its ability to continue operating. In [...]
EU leaders in an attempt to calm markets June 13, 2010 EUROPEAN Union leaders will make a new attempt this week to convince financial markets they can contain a debt crisis by agreeing how to tighten economic policy coordination and strengthen budget discipline. The 27 EU member states and the executive European Commission will also set out plans for boosting economic growth and creating jobs at [...]
Mid-market firms feel the upturn strain June 13, 2010 MIDDLE market lawyers and consultants are struggling to tap into the nascent economic recovery, according to the second monthly City A.M./Begbies Traynor health monitor for the Square Mile. While bigger players are benefiting from the return of property development and corporate activity, our numbers show smaller operations are fighting to survive as clients demand more [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS June 13, 2010 Bupa The healthcare provider has appointed Rita Clifton to its board as a non-executive director, effective from July. Clifton is also a director at DSG International and chairman of brand consultancy Interbrand. She began her career in advertising at DMB&B and J Walter Thompson, before joining Saatchi and Saatchi in 1986, where she became vice-chairman [...]
Begbies Traynor acquires insolvency firm Tomlinsons June 10, 2010 SHARES in Begbies Traynor fell yesterday after the corporate restructuring specialist said it would buy Tomlinsons, an unlisted insolvencies practitioner, for an undisclosed sum. Tomlinsons has 13 staff in offices in Manchester and Blackburn. Begbies Traynor will absorb the smaller company into its existing insolvency practice to bolster its presence in the north west. Alan [...]