Phoenix company liquidation UK cases are increasingly under scrutiny. Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Limited has been placed into voluntary liquidation with a reported deficiency to creditors of £1.2 million. At the same time, Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Services Limited is now trading at the same address and telephone number, and Mark Anthony Darby is or was a named director of both companies.
Investigations at Companies House show the following facts in this phoenix company liquidation UK case.
Phoenix Company Liquidation UK — Timeline of Events
Re: Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Limited
26.01.2026 – Satisfaction of charges was registered at Companies House in favour of HSBC and Mark Darby.
10.02.2026 – A Statement of Affairs, signed by Mark Darby, estimated a total deficiency to creditors of £1.2 million. This included a Director’s Loan of £270,000 owed to Mark Darby.
13.02.2026 – At a duly convened general meeting held at 1 Radian Court, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PJ (the Liquidator’s address), the following Special Resolution was passed:
“That the company be wound up voluntarily.”
The resolution was passed and carried by the sole Director, Mark Andrew Darby.
This company traded from Pottergate House, 83–87 Pottergate, Norwich, NR2 1DZ, using the telephone number 01603 766760.
Re: Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Services Limited
17.03.2023 – The company was incorporated as Aspire Cambridge Talent Limited. Mark Anthony Darby was appointed as Director at incorporation.
20.05.2024 – The company’s registered office was changed to Pottergate House, 83–87 Pottergate, Norwich, NR2 1DZ.
06.12.2024 – Accounts dated 31.03.2024 were filed, showing the company as dormant.
04.06.2025 – The company changed its name by resolution to Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Services Limited.
22.12.2025 – Accounts dated 31.03.2025 were filed, again showing the company as dormant.
11.02.2026 – Mark Anthony Darby resigned as Director.
20.02.2026 – Mark Anthony Darby was reappointed as Director.
Additional Observations — Phoenix Company Liquidation UK
Searches of social media, including Facebook and LinkedIn, present a business described as having traded since 1990 — or for over 30–35 years. The messaging consistently refers to a company whose stated mission is to act with honesty, integrity, and transparency in everything it does.
Those same sources direct users to the website www.cooperlomaz.co.uk, where similar references are made to 35 years of trading history. A review of the website’s terms and conditions identifies Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Services Limited as the contracting legal entity.
It should be noted that it is entirely possible that certain assets and/or intellectual property of Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Limited may have been acquired by Cooper Lomaz Recruitment Services Limited from the appointed liquidator, in accordance with the applicable insolvency framework.
Phoenix Company Liquidation UK — Legal Framework
The intention behind the Insolvency Act 1986 was to prevent a company from ceasing to trade and immediately reappearing under a similar name, leaving creditors behind.
However, this phoenix company liquidation UK scenario highlights a different structure. The “successor” company was not newly formed — it already existed and had remained dormant until shortly before the liquidation of the other entity.
In strict legal terms, such a phoenix company liquidation UK arrangement may fall within the framework of the law, provided the rules on prohibited names, asset transfers, and director conduct are properly observed.
But this is where the distinction between legal compliance and commercial fairness becomes more pronounced. To creditors, the outcome may appear indistinguishable from the very type of phoenix company behaviour the legislation was designed to prevent.
About NPD & Company (UK) Ltd
NPD & Company (UK) Ltd specialises in commercial debt recovery and credit risk management, supporting businesses across the UK with the recovery of unpaid debts and the identification of high-risk trading patterns. Drawing on decades of experience and access to real-time trading intelligence through the NPD Credit Information Database, we help clients move beyond historic credit reports to make informed decisions, reduce exposure, and take prompt, effective action where concerns arise.
