Investment Trust Company Secretarial Services
LawDeb’s Investment Trust Company Secretarial Services have proven invaluable to us since their appointment in February 2022. We now benefit from up to date, detailed and high quality ‘business as usual’ work. This, coupled with the quality of their specialist advice and sharing their insights as to investment trust industry best practice, is a very powerful combination. We are confident that our corporate governance is enhanced through the practical advice and guidance we receive from the governance experts and company secretaries at Law Debenture giving us time and space to think ahead to future changes and how they may affect our business going forward.
Fiona Wollocombe, Chairman, Amati AIM VCT plc
To support your board and committees, we:
- Attend board and committee meetings in a minute-taking and advisory capacity
- Co-ordinate, produce and dispatch meeting agendas and board packs, including matters arising
- Set up and maintain the corporate calendar, including reporting deadlines and meetings schedule
- Advise on UK corporate governance and industry best practice
- Review terms of reference to ensure they reflect current best practice
- Draft and advise on the annual board evaluation process
- Manage PDMRs’ and Directors' dealing process and insider lists
- Act as a central point of contact for the Board, other service providers and shareholders
- Assist the company in complying with the UK Listing Rules and Disclosure, Guidance & Transparency Rules (DTRs) and Market Abuse Regulation
- Act as your named company secretary
- Provide a registered office at our London office address
Annual report and accounts and half year report
We provide full project management of the financial reporting and period end processes. We will work closely with your key stakeholders to:
- Produce an annual or half yearly report timetable setting out key dates leading up to the release of the financial report to the market, the dividend timetable and the posting of the annual report to shareholders
- Draft and review the non-financial elements of annual and half yearly reports. These include the corporate governance and Directors’ reports in accordance with best practice and in compliance with the Companies Act 2006; Listing Rules; DTRs; and AIC corporate governance code
For Annual General Meetings (‘AGM’), we:
- Assist with AGM arrangements, working together with all relevant advisers
- Prepare the notice of AGM
- Draft and review proxy forms
- Prepare the Chairman’s script and procedural questions and answers
- Provide secretarial attendance at meetings, including minute-taking
- Prepare draft minutes of meetings
- Draft and file the relevant resolutions with Companies House
- Draft and release the results of the AGM announcement
Statutory compliance
- Maintenance of company records on Diligent Entities database providing electronic reports/registers upon request
- Production of the annual confirmation statement and filing with Companies House
- File the Company’s annual report with Companies House
- Ensure compliance with the Companies Act 2006, the continuing obligations of the FCA’s Listing Rules and DTRs
Regulatory Announcements
We take care of the drafting, co-ordination and release of regulatory announcements, in conjunction with other advisors as required. These include, but are not limited to, announcements relating to:
- Half year results
- Annual financial results
- AGM related matters and results of general meeting
- Director/PDMR dealings
- Board changes
- TR1 - Holdings in Company
- Purchases by the company of its own shares
- Monthly total voting rights announcements
- Blocklisting announcements
