MSP Secretaries

Taking Company Director Identity Verification Seriously With the enactment of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act in 2023 (ECCTA), Companies House has been given the responsibility to verify the identity of company directors (and equivalent roles like managing officers and general partners) and people with significant control (PSCs and relevant legal entities).  This is…

Addidat, a leading provider of outsourced ESG, have announced a strategic partnership to offer integrated support to companies (PLCs) in the preparation of Annual Reports and AGM documentation. By working together, the partnership will provide end-to-end reporting support by combining deep expertise in corporate governance, regulatory and ESG disclosure to streamline the reporting process for…

Continuing our two-part guide on preparing and conducting an AGM, we look at the key elements required to conduct an annual general meeting successfully.  This two-part guide covers all the essentials from calling the AGM and establishing a quorum to voting and the required follow-up actions. The Board has resolved to hold the company’s AGM…

We’re heading into the AGM season for PLCs. PLCs whose year ends on 31st December need to hold their AGM by 30th June. Here, in the first of two articles, we give an overview of the considerations required to ensure a PLC is compliant. In part one, we look at requirements and giving notice for…

Good governance practices sit at the core of a charity, and regardless of a charity’s size or structure, there are four activities that help satisfy good governance, all of which benefit from the support of a company secretary: registering, record-keeping, reporting, and compliance – these areas will be explored below; but first, what is meant…

For those public companies whose financial year ended on 31st December, AGM season is now fast approaching.  Company minds will be turning to AGM resolutions that permit companies to issue shares for cash consideration, without being obliged to first offer the new ordinary shares to current shareholders.  To issue the shares non-pre-emptively.  This guide outlines…

With many financial years ending on 31 December, directors’ and shareholders’ minds turn to dividends, declaring dividends to shareholders follows a defined process, with compliance required at each stage if they are to be lawful.  MSP Company Secretarial has created this practical guide to the steps companies need to follow to declare dividends lawfully. This…

The significant increase in machine learning and AI powered minute taking software has questioned whether Company Secretaries are still required for minute taking in board meetings.  Michael Clarke, manager at MSP Company Secretarial investigates the significant pitfalls faced by an over-reliance on AI platforms. AI and boardroom minute taking: Do you need a company secretary?…

Enacted on 26 October 2023, the

Put simply, corporate governance is the framework, or the guidelines, for ensuring responsible business practice. Governance codes guide and form best practice, giving shape to the way companies and their directors operate, and setting standards for transparency and accountability. The Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) Corporate Governance Code (the “QCA Code”) is a set of principles…