Following an investigation by the Insolvency Service, Davis Acquisitions Ltd, based in Manchester, has been shut down after the company became the director of 78 companies and provided unauthorised insolvency services, avoiding formal insolvency procedures and director conduct scrutiny.

Davis Acquisitions, owned by director Christopher Davis, 53, was incorporated in March 2023 but acted as a ‘front’, purportedly acting for the clients of a business offering exactly the same services, Save Consultants Ltd, which was set up in January 2023 but was shut down last July following a separate investigation. Both companies used the same location in Moston Lane in northeast Manchester as their registered address, according to Companies House filings.

During the latest investigation, it was found that Davis Acquisitions had become the director of 78 companies previously associated with Save Consultants Ltd, allowing directors to transfer control and avoid formal insolvency proceedings.  

Former directors of some of the 78 client companies confirmed they had dealt exclusively with Save Consultants Ltd, indicating that ‘Davis Acquisitions Ltd acted solely as a front’, the Insolvency Service said. 

Save Consultants was also Manchester based and had four directors before it was wound up in September 2024

Websites for the companies promised directors they could ‘leave their debts behind’ and avoid ‘difficult insolvency proceedings’ by selling their companies within 48 hours.

However, the services on offer bypassed legitimate procedures designed to protect creditors and ensure proper scrutiny of director conduct. 

Investigators found that Davis Acquisitions had used multiple addresses without permission, including a mail forwarding service that was used without authorisation, and it also failed to pay invoices.

Despite repeated attempts at contact by the Insolvency Service, the company’s phone number was disconnected, and emails were not answered. 

David Usher, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: ‘Davis Acquisitions Ltd was acting as a front to help company directors avoid their responsibilities while harming creditors who were left unable to recover money owed to them. 

‘The company completely failed to co-operate with our investigation and was deliberately undermining the proper insolvency processes that support people and businesses. 

‘This behaviour undermines the integrity of the insolvency system and we have taken robust action to protect creditors and the public interest.’

Insolvency work such as acting as a liquidator or an administrator for a company is regulated and can only be done by a licensed insolvency practitioner.  Individuals must pass Joint Insolvency Examinations Board exams and must also meet certain requirements set out by the regulatory bodies, which include evidence of insolvency experience, fitness, and propriety together with one or more references.  

Davis Acquisitions Ltd was wound up at the High Court in Manchester on Tuesday 30 September. 

Rogue insolvency firm shut down | 15 Jul 2024