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

Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 8
Acknowledgement......Page 9
1 Duties of a company secretary......Page 10
Assistant and deputy secretaries......Page 15
Signing on behalf of the company......Page 16
2 Types of company......Page 17
Public limited companies......Page 18
Private limited companies......Page 20
Societas Europaea (SE)......Page 21
Other types of company......Page 22
The limits of liability......Page 23
Checking company names......Page 26
How to check a name......Page 27
Incorporation......Page 29
Buying a company off the shelf......Page 31
Memorandum and Articles of Association......Page 32
Trade mark registration of a name......Page 35
The registered office......Page 36
Disclosure – company notepaper......Page 37
Directors and secretaries......Page 41
Selecting an accounting reference date......Page 64
Choosing an auditor......Page 66
Board meetings......Page 67
Keeping the minutes......Page 73
Statutory books and notices to Companies House......Page 74
Corporate governance......Page 81
6 Keeping the statutory records......Page 84
The registers – electronic or manual......Page 87
Security......Page 88
7 Annual routines......Page 90
Accounts/financial statements......Page 91
Annual general meeting......Page 95
Annual return forms......Page 97
Resolutions......Page 100
Board changes......Page 104
Share transactions......Page 105
Dividends......Page 107
Registration of mortgages and charges......Page 109
Changing Memorandum and Articles of Association......Page 110
Changing auditors......Page 113
Dissolution of a dormant company......Page 116
Appendix 1: Copies of Companies House forms referred to in the text......Page 119
Appendix 2: Useful addresses......Page 159
Appendix 3: Deregulation of private companies......Page 161
Company legislation......Page 163
Index......Page 166