The Forward Thinking conference
The conference, organised by the Insolvency Service, provides a link between academia, the insolvency sector and policymakers with a platform for insolvency research and technical discussion.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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The UK is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading insolvency legislative frameworks and with expert professionals that are well regulated and a world class judiciary.
The Insolvency Service launched the Forward Thinking conference to help maintain the UK as a centre of excellence for insolvency and to connect with key stakeholders.
Working alongside partners from the public, private and academic sectors, the Forward Thinking conference showcases academic papers on insolvency policy and legal matters and technical issues relating to operational insolvency experience.
Forward Thinking 2025
Following the success of the conferences held at Aston University, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Liverpool, the Insolvency Service’s successful policy and technical conference returns in 2025.
The conference will return in partnership with University College London, UCL Laws acting as host on Tuesday 8 April 2025.
The call for prospective academic and technical papers is now live.
We welcome scholars, researchers, postgraduate students, insolvency practitioners, the legal profession and anyone else with an interest in insolvency law and related technical matters to submit their abstracts for a paper to be presented at the conference.
Whilst papers on all insolvency related matters will be accepted, we are taking this opportunity to provide information on those subject matters where papers will be particularly welcomed:
- Personal Insolvency: Papers on the future of the personal insolvency landscape, or certain aspects. For example, how can the framework reduce the stigma of personal insolvency on individuals, address the issues around movement between debt relief and repayment options, the treatment of assets such as family homes, or evidence on the value of debt advice to individuals or society generally.
- Bonding and Compensation: The Insolvency Practitioner sector is one of the few professions that does not have such a scheme. We welcome papers on specific models or how compensation and redress could work in this sector.
- Employee Rights in Insolvency: Papers covering redundancy in insolvency and how it might be reformed, the relative duties of Insolvency Practitioners, and its interaction with other duties.
- Environmental Liabilities in Insolvency: Papers exploring the issues of important environmental responsibilities and how they should be addressed in insolvency situations. This can also include supporting sustainable development goals. Papers that have regard to insolvency law’s interaction with environmental regulation and the relevant regulators would be particularly welcome.
- AI in Insolvency: Papers that further explore how AI could play a greater role in insolvency, particularly the administration of both personal and corporate insolvency matters and the many functions that insolvency office-holders must perform. This can include how the insolvency profession can capitalise on the reforms introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and contribute to the transparency and integrity of the Companies House register.
- Special Administration Regimes (SARs): Papers on how the SARs currently work, looking at recent examples, how they have succeeded and how they might be improved. This could (but need not) include a holistic view at how the numerous SARs that have been created over the past 30+ years might be better incorporated into the insolvency legal framework.
- Antecedent Recovery Powers: Papers exploring how the antecedent recovery powers have succeeded (or failed) to date and how they could be enhanced or adapted, taking into account changes in the way such transactions are made over time and perhaps in light of the recent BHS judgment, Wright and others v Chappell and others; Re BHS Group Limited [2024] EWHC 2166 (Ch).
- Crypto and Sanctions Regimes: Papers exploring the potential issues facing an insolvency office-holder in dealing with insolvencies that must contend with entities or individuals subject to a sanctions regime. Also, crypto assets from a practical and legal standpoint, both domestically and internationally
- National Interest Cases: Papers that explore the challenges and unique factors arising in cases that impact on the public interest and larger cases dealt with by the official receiver.
- Cross-Border Data Sharing: In an increasingly global world, what provision is there in the civil sphere for provision of information across borders in civil enforcement investigations whether in insolvency or company law, and if there is and potential to either improve UK legislation to broaden or strengthen its extraterritorial reach, or are there any measures that might otherwise be taken to improve access to information for civil enforcement investigations?
- Directors Responsibilities and the Enforcement regime: Papers exploring how the evaluation and publication of enforcement outcomes can be used effectively to deter director misconduct and encourage good corporate governance. We would also welcome papers exploring whether there are sufficient resources available to Directors to provide them the knowledge required to make informed decisions at the right time ahead insolvency.
- Corporate Insolvency: Reflections on and analysis of the permanent or temporary changes to insolvency law contained within the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020.
- Landlords and Insolvency: Papers that explore the position and treatment of landlord creditors in insolvency and restructuring procedures, noting the Insolvency Service funded research on landlords and company voluntary arrangements from 2022. Papers may focus on one or more insolvency/restructuring process.
We expect the conference to feature 8 to 10 papers, each lasting approximately 20 minutes with additional time for questions from both in-person and online delegates.
The papers will be presented in person at the conference venue and broadcast simultaneously via the internet. Please note that the Insolvency Service is unable to cover the cost of travel or accommodation for presenters and delegates.
By submitting an abstract you agree, that if your papers is selected, to attend the conference in person and for your presentation to be published online, hosted by the Insolvency Service.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, 13 January 2025. Please send your 500-word abstract to [email protected]. Your covering email should include:
- whether you are submitting a research paper or a technical issue
- your name
- firm/affiliation/role (where applicable)
- telephone number
For more details, please contact [email protected].
Registration for tickets will open in the New Year when we announce the agenda of papers to be presented on the day.
Forward Thinking 2023
Co-hosted by University of Liverpool, the 2023 conference has no over-riding theme. Instead, papers were invited on 10 suggested subject matters of particular interest. The response resulted in a great variety in the agenda:
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Corporate Insolvency Regimes Through The Years: Have We Got It Right With The Regimes We Have? by Professor Andrew Keay, University of Leeds and Professor Peter Walton, University of Wolverhampton
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Diversifying Rescue: Corporate Rescue And The Models Of Receivership by Dr Bolanle Adebola, University of Reading
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The “New” Connected Persons Administration Regulations, 2 Years On: An Evaluators Perspective by Stuart Hopewell FCICM, Pre Pack Pool Ltd
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The FCA’s Consumer Duty And Its Potential Implications For The Insolvency Sector by Katie Hudson, FCA
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Insolvencies Of Gas And Electricity Suppliers, Meghan Bryson & Ian Gill, Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP
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UK Law Governed Contracts And Their Modification In Foreign Insolvency Proceedings by Professor Gerard McCormack, University of Leeds
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X Marks The Cross-Border Restructuring Spot? The Gibbs Past And The Model Laws Future by Professor Irit Mevorach, University of Warwick and Dr Riz Mokal, South Square Chambers
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In Defence Of The Rule In Gibbs by Professor Sarah Paterson, London School of Economics and Political Science
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Disqualification Of Directors And Education Requirements Dr Neeti Shikha, University of Bradford and Professor Rebecca Parry, Nottingham Trent University
Click here for videos of the talks and their accompanying papers.
Forward Thinking 2022: Insolvency response in uncertain times
In 2022, the theme was ‘Insolvency response in uncertain times’. It was held at Nottingham Trent University on 18 November 2022. The agenda featured:
- The dynamics of the cost-of-living crisis: Desperation borrowing, the economic problem of the debt overhang and the changing role of personal insolvency by Dr Katharina Möser, University of Birmingham
- The effects of insolvency practitioner firms’ and secured financial creditors’ market share and their prior relationship on direct insolvency costs by Professor Yvonne Joyce and Dr Betty Wu, University of Glasgow
- Enabling greater use of section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (‘IA86’), ‘Restriction on re-use of company names’ by Ben Luxford of R3 and Stewart Perry from Fieldfisher LLP
- A multi-case study database of reporting matters in insolvency practitioner reports to creditors by Professor Yvonne Joyce, University of Glasgow and Eileen Maclean, Insolvency Support Services
- In the matter of Baglan Operations Limited [2022] EWHC 647 (Ch): the future of trading liquidations? by Philip Hertz, Melissa Coakley, Giles Allison and Robert Davey of Clifford Chance
- Communitarianism and the public interest in large corporate insolvencies: Future directions for value and potential in commonweal undertakings by Dr John Tribe, University of Liverpool
- Dealing with large insolvent companies where the public interest intrudes: Some forward thinking by Professor Andrew Keay, University of Leeds and Professor Peter Walton, University of Wolverhampton
- “A thing that has no value does not exist” by Dr Stephen Baister, Manolete Partners
Click here for videos of the talks and their accompanying papers.
Forward Thinking 2021: Insolvency strategies for a post pandemic economy
The theme of the inaugural conference was ‘Insolvency strategies for a post pandemic economy’, and it was held at Aston University, Birmingham on 19 November 2021. The agenda consisted of:
- Should we rescue in Insolvency? by Dr Kayode Akintola, Dr Sofia Ellina and Professor David Milman
- Rescuing Companies or their Creditors: The role of the Company Voluntary Arrangement as a rescue procedure in the UK by Dr Sue Morgan of Enigma Resource Group
- Individual insolvency - The case for a single gateway by Professor Peter Walton
- Should administration or compulsory liquidation be the process of choice for large strategic insolvencies? by Inga West
- Rehabilitating the Prepack: A framework for fine tuning the new regulations by Dr Alfonso Nocilla and Dr Riz Mokal
- Transforming Perceptions: The Development of Pre-pack Regulations in England & Wales by Dr Bolanle Adebola
- A Matter of Forms. The use of applications and claim forms in insolvency proceedings: the case for reform by Dr Stephen Baister
- An insolvency regime to support the digital economy by Professor Rebecca Parry
- A panel of academics, technical experts and policy professionals reflect on the conference proceedings
Click here for videos of the talks and their accompanying papers.
Contact
Please come back for more news in future and follow @insolvencygovuk on Twitter for updates.
For further information, please contact [email protected].
Updates to this page
Published 1 August 2022Last updated 4 October 2024 + show all updates
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Conference 2025 update
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Details for 2025 event added
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2023 conference information updated.
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Updated information for 2023 event
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Updated to include information on the Forward Thinking 2023 conference call for papers.
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Disqualification Regime added to subject matter for 2023 event. Invitation to Tender for host locations.
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Information relating to the 2023 event have been added
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Link to registration for 2022 conference now added.
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First published.