Law firm in liquidation

A LEEDS solicitor’s former firm has been wound up.

Liquidators have been called in to Wilsons Solicitors (2007) LLP, which was run by well-known solicitor John Wilson. It is a separate organisation from Law Offices (UK) Ltd, which practises as Wilsons Solicitors in West Yorkshire and has seven offices across the region.

Kate Breese, licensed insolvency practitioner at Walsh Taylor Business Support Group based in Guiseley, has been appointed liquidator this week.

Simon Pass, director of Wilsons Solicitors, said: “The organisation currently practising as Wilsons Solicitors in West Yorkshire is Law Offices (UK) Ltd, which is a completely separate organisation from Wilsons Solicitors (2007) LLP, which ceased trading in April 2012 and of which John Wilson is not a director. 

“Law offices (UK) Ltd is not affected by the liquidation and continues to practice as Wilsons Solicitors, which has seven offices in Leeds and Bradford.”

Wilsons Solicitors (2007) LLP ceased trading in April 2012.

In October last year, John Wilson was disqualified from acting as a company director after failing to pay £600,000 in tax.

The disqualification prevented him from being a director of a company, or being involved in the management of a company, without the permission of the court until 2020. The case followed an investigation by the Insolvency Service and related to legal services firm, Lawyours, the office services arm of Wilsons Solicitors (2007) LLP.

Breese said: “My primary objectives here are to understand the reasons behind the LLP’s failure and to assess what assets can realised to hopefully enable some return to the LLP’s creditors.”

Wilsons Solicitors (2007) LLP was wound up by way of compulsory liquidation in October following a petition by HM Revenue and Customs.