Govinder Chambay

Govinder is a specialist insolvency practitioner.

He is the co-author of: ‘A Practical Guide to Contested Administration Applications for Insolvency Professionals’ and is also the co-author of a forthcoming book concerning contested bankruptcy petitions which is due for publication in Summer 2026.

In the last 12 months, Govinder has:

• Obtained director disqualification orders pursuant to the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
• Acted for officeholders in a wide range of matters, including:
  • misfeasance claims against directors, including s.423 of the Insolvency Act 1986;
  • void disposition claims;
  • a retrospective administration order;
  • a successful application for administration order (Re Mannarest Ltd [2026] EWHC 326 (Ch)
  • representing the successful administrators in Haw & Anor v QM Systems Ltd [2024] EWHC 1944 (Ch) in obtaining an order confirming the validity of their appointment notwithstanding various procedural defects.
  • applications to fix the basis of an officeholders remuneration;
  • possession and sale applications;
  • applications to extend an officeholders term of office
  • an application to obtain an order under paragraph 71 Sch B1 IA
  • applications to bring an administration to an end.
• Acted for both creditors and debtors on numerous bankruptcy petitions/applications to set aside a statutory demand/ injunctions to restrain the presentation of a petition: Notable cases include:
  • successfully resisted an application to restrain advertisement of a winding up petition in Portland Stone Firms Ltd v Albert Goodman LLP [2025] EWHC 702 (Ch);
  • acting along with senior counsel on an application to set aside a statutory demand which concerned a foreign judgment debt;
  • acting for a creditor on a two day application to set aside a statutory demand which raised issues ranging from Regulated Mortgage Contracts to intimidation and alleged breaches of GDPR;
  • successfully resisted the making of a bankruptcy order on the basis that alleged petitioning creditor failed to establish standing;
  • successfully obtaining an adjournment of a bankruptcy petition where a party had applied (though the application had not been determined) for a Mental Health Crisis Moratorium under The Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.
• Acted more generally in matters including:
  • successfully resisted an application which sought to annul a bankruptcy on the footing that the debtor did not have a place of residence in the United Kingdom;
  • acted for a petitioning creditor in successfully resisting an annulment application;
  • obtaining an order admitting into evidence documents thought to be covered by legal advice privilege in support of an application for possession and sale;
  • obtaining an order bringing an interim order in respect of a proposed IVA to an end;
  • acted successfully for parties in obtaining orders under s.216 of the Insolvency Act 1986;
  • obtaining an order under s.112 of the Insolvency Act 1986

More generally Govinder has experience in:

• advising on the avoidance provisions (including s.423 of the Insolvency Act 1986) and directors duties;
• advising on various limitation issues including s.32 of the Limitation Act 1980 in an insolvency context;
• settling pleadings in claims concerning inter alia breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent trading;
• Possession and sale claims – Govinder represented the trustees in bankruptcy in Re Hussain (A Bankrupt) [2023] EWHC 493 (Ch) on a possession and sale application, which involved seeking a declaration that a transfer of equity by the bankrupt to his spouse amounted to a transaction at an undervalue under s.339 IA;
• Applications under s.279 IA .

Featured Insolvency and Restructuring cases

Re Mannarest Ltd [2026] EWHC 326 (Ch)

Govinder successfully obtained an order in which the court made an administration order under paragraph 38 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 – moving a company from liquidation into administration. It is (so far as the author is aware) the first reported case under paragraph 38.

Portland Stone Firms Ltd v Albert Goodman LLP [2025] EWHC 702 (Ch).

Govinder successfully resisted an application seeking to restrain Albert Goodman LLP from advertising a winding up petition. An undisputed debt (or debt which is incapable of being disputed on substantial grounds) is sufficient at the injunction stage for a petition to continue. Even if evidence apparently showing cash-flow solvency is produced/there are low prospects of persuading a court on the hearing of the petition that the company is insolvent.

Haw & Anor v QM Systems Ltd [2024] EWHC 1944

Govinder successfully represented the administrators in obtaining an order confirming the validity of their appointment notwithstanding filing and heading defects in relation to the notice of appointment.

Re Hussain (A Bankrupt) [2023] EWHC 493 (Ch) (ICC Judge Jones):

Govinder represented the trustee in bankruptcy on an application which, inter alia alleged that a transfer of equity by a bankrupt to his spouse was a transaction at an undervalue under s.339 of the Insolvency Act 1986.