The Company Secretary's Handbook: A Guide to Statutory Duties and Responsibilities

KEEPING GOOD COMPANY WITH THIS PRACTICAL HANDBOOK

An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE, Richmond Green Chambers

If you�re a company secretary or contemplating appointing one, or eventually becoming one, or even possibly discharging this role without necessarily becoming one�then this book will, in the words of author Helen Ashton�s fifth edition, it will help to prevent problems arising during the day-to-day administration of the company, and assist you in getting things right from the start, as even minor omissions can prove very costly!

The omissions referred to include, for example, the penalties for late filing of accounts at Companies House, which are now imposed automatically rather than on a discretionary basis and include repeat offender penalties. So it is really all about attention to detail to placate bureaucrats.

Published by The Sunday Times exemplary Business Development Series in association with Kogan Page, �The Company Secretary�s Handbook� is precisely that! It�s a guide to the main responsibilities that have traditionally been carried out by the company secretary together with core duties but it�s not a heavy legal tome, thankfully. The book includes handy checklists which summarise the procedures necessary to put certain changes in place and to avoid omissions.

A good example can be found with the documents like the Companies House Forms, draft notices and resolutions which are included to help lighten the administrative burden.

Updated in 2008 with the implications of the new consolidated Companies Act incorporated where applicable, this practical guide covers the essentials including

� The formation of companies

� Corporate governance

� Day-to-day administration

� Keeping the statutory records

� Annual routines

� Dissolution

Whether or not you have access to a chartered secretary or in-house lawyer, you will find this Handbook invaluable. Not only is it ideal for directors and secretaries of private limited companies, it�s also useful for, say, residents� associations using a limited company to hold the freehold of their property, or certainly, for learners studying for examinations set by their professional bodies where company law or secretarial practice is part of the course of study. I think it is also good for those thinking of Company Law as an undergraduate laws option.

However, as each company or organization is different, the 5th edition should not be used as a replacement for, or alternative to, professional advice from a chartered secretary or solicitor�just use it as though you were keeping good company with your competitors so you know what the current statutory duties and responsibilities are- thank you, Helen.