International Debt Recovery

As a firm with many international clients, we sometimes get involved in cross-border debt recovery.

Many of our clients operate in a number of countries and to have an international debt recovery capability helps them to maintain control of their creditors and, more importantly, to have the reassurance that their work is being handled by a competent team.

Over the years, our Debt Recovery team has developed an extensive network of agents and strong contacts in law firms in every continent which enables us to recover debts on a truly international basis.

Firms which do not have this established network may think they can handle international debt recovery, but may not know the best way to approach the debt. Sometimes it can be handled effectively from the UK, others it needs a local presence and deciding the approach to take is where our debt recovery team can help.

Below are two examples of our international debt recovery work in action. For further information on how we can help your business, contact one of the Debt Recovery team on the numbers shown below.

Recovery of disputed sums claimed from an international hotel chain operating in Portugal

We were instructed by an event management company in England to recover unpaid commission due from an Algarve resort, operated by a major international hotel chain. Approximately half the amount claimed was recovered through our own communications with the hotel management, after our client had failed to achieve a response. We instructed our agent in Portugal to begin court action for the remainder after researching and advising on the precise ownership of the hotel, jurisdictional issues, costs and risk. The pressure of court action produced payment of the balance promptly, along with all recoverable costs.

Pursuing an American corporation for a $60,000 debt due to an insolvent UK company

Our clients were the Administrators of a company in England. The company's books showed a debt due from a USA corporation controlled by the same directors as the English business. They wanted to avoid payment as they already had personal liabilities to the insolvent company, but there was no defence to the claim. As the solvency of the US business was also shaky, we advised the Administrators on the tactics to employ to negotiate a reasonable settlement, resulting in a satisfactory sum being paid.