Recently, we had an issue where a purchaser had to contact the “Cabinet”. A corporate purchaser had acquired a new target which had “King” in the name. The target was long-established and was trading long before King Charles III ascended the throne. The purchaser wanted to change the target’s name from “Target” King Limited to “Buyer” King Limited. The rules on sensitive names kicked in, and notwithstanding that King had been in the target’s name for decades, approval had to be sought from the Cabinet Office. Of course, on a technical basis, the purchaser wasn’t simply changing one word in the name, it was changing the entire name.
In a “win” for the Government, the application was accepted within days of being made, and the purchaser was able to proceed with the application. Who said legal work always takes an age?
When advising you on your business purchase, we’ll look at every detail, including any potential obstacles to your name change. The Corporate team at Clarke Willmott is here to help. Our goal is to make your integration as smooth as possible.
For more information on sensitive words for your business, please visit: Annex A: Sensitive words and expressions that require prior approval to use in a company or business name – GOV.UK