Lender advice and support

There are two main ways in which we help lenders. The first is to assess the viability of lending to a business – so that you are aware of the risks involved and can properly assess the risk is appropriate for you – and the second is when a business is suffering difficulties, to ensure that you have adequate support to recover the monies owed. In each of these cases, you need a team that you can rely on to provide you with timely and accurate information together with sound advice and judgement.

Each partner at Moorfields has well established relationships with a large number of senior professionals in the UK finance market. Many seek our views on a range of matters; from viability reviews to more complex restructuring issues, even fraud investigations. Lenders rely on us because they value our swift, commercial response and they like our friendly approach to business.

Finally, we appreciate and understand the forces of competition on lenders. This is one of the key reasons why we work hard to build lasting relationships and strategic partnerships with our clients to help them compete successfully and grow their businesses.


Our services to lenders include:

• Pre-lending Reviews - Before deciding whether to lend to a client you need to be sure that the risk is acceptable and exit routes are understood; our pre-lending reviews can ensure this.
• Viability Reviews - Our assessment looks at the viability or otherwise of the business entity, so that you have an objective view of a client’s strength at any particular time.
• Strategic Assessments - Sometimes it’s necessary to go one step further and assess the longer term viability of a client’s business and this is something that we have a great deal of experience in.
• Fraud Investigations - Where fraud is discovered (as a cause of the business’ failure or in any other scenario) we can advise you how to take the next steps to fulfil your statutory obligations and to protect you as far as possible..

Contingency planning
Contingency planning involves working with management to find the ideal solution for a crisis, whilst simultaneously preparing a plan of action if this solution cannot be achieved. This may mean being ready to implement an insolvency procedure at short notice or having an alternative option to use if certain external events occur.

Given the many pressures faced by directors in these uncertain times, the range of options available both within and outside of a formal insolvency procedure can be bewildering. Having a number of options, although it doesn’t always feel like it, is positive as it signifies a higher degree of control over the destiny of your business.


Helping Directors
With our unique insight from a funders perspective and our extensive commercial, restructuring and turnaround experience, we can quickly focus on the options that are relevant to you and your business.

Whether it is just a second opinion you are seeking or whether you wish to voice your concern about particular difficulties, we are able to help in a professional, practical, sensitive and strictly confidential manner.


Our formal work in the area can include the following:

• Advice on funding options
• Cashflow planning
• Full business review
• Secure equity injections
• Securing payment plans for PAYE/NI and VAT arrears
• Advise on formal insolvency options

Accelerated mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
We can provide a dedicated M&A team who have extensive experience in restructuring, ranging from the disposal of group assets to advice on the acquisition of distressed businesses.

Asset based lenders
We have significant experience in performing pre-lending and viability reviews for banks and asset based lenders, particularly where the proposed lending is not fully collateralised.

Typically, these situations involve providing the lender with comfort as to the viability of the business, including the quality of management, the robustness of forecasts and underlying cashflows and the provision of an assessment of the valuation of assets, including stock, for lending purposes.


In addition we can offer the following services:

• Collateral reviews
• Collect out services
• Stock valuations
• Review of finished goods
• Exit strategies
• Advice on fraud
• IT system reviews
• Insolvency advice