Download as PDFCeri Bryant

Called: 1984

 

 

Profile

Specialist in company law and corporate insolvency (contentious and non-contentious), with a particular emphasis on advice on corporate and capital reorganisations, takeovers, members' and creditors' schemes of arrangement, schemes for the transfer of insurance business and capital reductions. Advises on all aspects of the operation of companies, such as construction of articles of association and shareholders' agreements, directors' duties and powers and shareholders' rights, meetings and resolutions.

What the Journals say

Ranked in: Chambers and Partners
Company and Restructuring/ Insolvency

• “Ceri Bryant is ‘a hugely practical and tenacious advocate’ who is renowned for her ‘commercial brilliance’. Her ‘ability to convey complex information quickly and effectively, regardless of her audience’ was often highlighted.” (Chambers and Partners)
• “Ceri Bryant is ‘a very intelligent and experienced senior junior’. She specialises in company law and corporate insolvency…” (Chambers and Partners)
• “Ceri Bryant was able to show off her expertise in re Linton Park. In this case, as in all the others she undertakes, she showed herself to be ‘dogged and spirited at all times’, according to sources. (Chambers and Partners)

Ranked in: The Legal 500
Company

• “Ceri Bryant is ‘great for schemes of arrangement and other technical matters’ ” (The Legal 500)
• “Ceri Bryant is lauded for ‘outstanding advisory work’ and her ‘approachable and incisive manner’ ”. (The Legal 500)

Practice Review

Ceri was successful in the Court of Appeal on the meaning of “subsidiary” in the Companies Act in Enviroco Ltd v Farstad Supply A/S in December 2009.

Ceri has advised and appeared on schemes of arrangement for (amongst others):

• Tradus plc on its acquisition by Naspers Limited’s MIH Internet BV
• Linton Park plc on the acquisition of its minority shareholders by Camellia plc
• Soho House plc on its buyout of founder shareholders and fundraising
• Jarvis plc on its debt for equity swap
• Drax Group plc on its restructuring and re-entry into the Official List
• Pan-Ocean Energy Corporation Limited on its acquisition by Addax Petroleum Corporation
• Interflora on the reorganization of its membership and its company structure
• T&N Limited’s administrators in relation to the establishment of a fund to meet employees’ asbestos liability claims against the T&N group’s insurers;
• Sovereign Marine & General Insurance Company Limited and its subsidiaries on their closing schemes for the WFUM Pool
• Opus International Group plc on its restructuring as a company with a Malaysian holding company
• Tribune Tracker UK plc on its merger with Edinburgh UK Tracker Trust plc
• Spark Networks plc on the migration of its holding company to the US
• US hedge funds on their challenge to the legality of the Eurotunnel restructuring
• Findexa Limited on its acquisition by Eniro AB
• Retail Decisions plc on its acquisition by RD Card Limited
• La Mutuelle du Mans Assurances IARD and Scottish Eagle Insurance Company Limited on their closing schemes
• Two mutual insurance companies (Structural Engineers Professional Indemnity Association Limited and Mutual Accountants Professional Indemnity Company Limited) on their closing schemes
• Merrydown plc on its acquisition by SHS Group plc
• MacQuarrie European Infrastructure plc on its restructuring as a company with a Bermuda-domiciled holding company

Ceri has advised and appeared on several schemes for the transfer of insurance business under Part VII of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 for (amongst others):

• Aviva plc on a transfer of insurance business including the first reattribution to involve a Policyholder Advocate
• The Takeover Panel when its “put up or shut up” rules were tested in the Expro Scheme
• RiverStone Insurance (UK) Limited on the transfer of general insurance business from 13 insurance companies
• The transfer to Tenecom Limited from “Winterthur” Swiss Insurance Company of the general insurance business written through H.S. Weavers Underwriting Agencies Limited
• Ecumenical Insurance Company Limited on its transfer of general insurance business to Ansvar Insurance Company Limited
• Direct Line Insurance plc on the transfer of the general insurance business of Privilege Insurance Company Limited
• Pinnacle Insurance plc (part of the BNP Paribas Assurance group) on the reorganization of its Scandinavian business
• The XL Re group of companies on the restructuring of their European operations
• Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc on intra-group transfers of general insurance business from 5 insurance companies
• Global General and Reinsurance Company Limited on the transfer of its long term insurance business to Sterling Life Limited
• Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc on the transfer of general insurance business from Bradford Insurance Company Limited
• Legal & General Assurance Society Limited on the transfer from Skandia Life Assurance Company Limited of its in-payment pension annuity business

Case List

• Enviroco Ltd v Farstad Supply A/S
  [2009] EWCA Civ 1399
• Expro International Group plc
  [2008] EWHC 1543
• Re Linton Park plc
  [2008] BCC 17
• Re T&N Ltd & others (No. 3)
  [2007] 1 BCLC 563
• Re Altitude Scaffolding Ltd, Re T&N Ltd
  [2007] 1 BCLC 199
• Re Continental Assurance of London plc (in liquidation) (No. 4)
  [2007] 2 BCLC 287
• La Mutuelle du Mans Assurances IARD
  [2006] BCC 11
• Re Pinecord Ltd (in liquidation)
  [1995] 2 BCLC 57
• Re Cimex Tissues Ltd
  [1994] BCC 626
• Re Melcast (Wolverhampton) Ltd
  [1991] BCLC 288
• Re Lonrho plc (No 4)
  [1990] BCLC 151
• Re Virgo Systems Ltd
  [1989] BCLC 34
• Re Corbenstoke Ltd
  [1989] BCLC 496
• Lonrho plc v Bond & others (No. 2)
  [1989] BCC 776

Education

Girton College, Cambridge (MA, LLM), with first class honours in each part of the Law Tripos and in the LL.M.

Called to the Bar

1984 Lincoln's Inn

Practice

Joined Erskine Chambers in 1986.

Publications

Contributor to “Buckley on the Companies Acts” published by LexisNexis Butterworths and to “Hannigan and Prentice: The Companies Act 2006 – a commentary” published by LexisNexis Butterworths and to the “The Law of Majority Shareholder Power” published by Oxford University Press.

Professional Organisations

COMBAR, Chancery Bar Association