Navigating the 2024 Company Law Reforms in Ireland: Key Updates

Introduction

This seminar will offer a comprehensive analysis of the key provisions in the Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Act 2024 and the Companies (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2024. The focus will be on the major reforms affecting corporate governance, enforcement, company law administration, and corporate insolvency.

What You Will Learn

The session will cover the following key updates:

• Changes to hybrid and virtual Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) for company members
• New rules on executing documents under the company seal in counterpart
• Reforms affecting Designated Activity Companies (DACs) engaging in domestic mergers
• New provisions for multi-company mergers by absorption in a single transaction
• Expanded investigatory powers for the Corporate Enforcement Authority
• Additional grounds for the involuntary strike-off of companies
• Removal of the small company audit exemption due to failure to file the annual return
• New requirements for verifying a company’s registered address
• Voluntary disclosure of gender balance statistics for companies’ boards of directors
• Introduction of uncertificated shares provisions
• Updates on corporate insolvency regulations
• Civil liability for reckless trading (section 610(1)) and new defence provisions (section 610(8))
• Changes regarding transactions with creditors considered unfair preferences (section 604)
• Court orders for the return of improperly transferred assets (section 608)
• Revisions to contribution orders (section 599) under the Companies Act 2014