The corporate finance house ‘City One Securities’ previously advertised itself as ‘Boutique Corporate Finance House’ specialising in investments for individuals that are highly tax efficient.
The company has since gone into liquidation and the administrators Antony Batty & Company appointed.
Individuals were given the chance to put money into investments that offered large tax breaks due to them qualifying for the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).
Risky Investments
City One Securities worked alongside St Pauls Marketing Ltd for promoting and arranging unregulated & high-risk investments into Water Bonds PLC.
The marketing around the investments made it clear that City One Securities approved the debenture investment. Additionally, the company arranged and promoted the purchase of investments and shares in unquoted securities such as Aviation & Tech Capital, Net Energy and The House of Britannia. There are strict restrictions in place for these types of securities.
Self-Certified Investors
Although the company relied heavily on the fact their clients were self-certified investors, it is still likely to be responsible for the investment losses of its clients.
In order to be defined as a self-certified investor an individual must fall into at least one of the following criteria:
- Is or has been a company director in the past two years and had a turnover of a minimum of £1m.
- Is working or has worked in the last two years within the private equity industry or providing finance for small and medium sized businesses.
- Has made more than a single investment in the past two years in a company that is unlisted.
- Has been the member of a syndicate or network of business for a minimum of six months.
If you have invested you should have your original transaction with City One Securities reviewed by an expert even if you signed a statement to say you are a self-certified investor.
Next Steps
Call us now for a phone or video consultation with one of our legal experts on 0800 041 8358 to find out if you are entitled to compensation, you may even be entitled to additional compensation if you have successfully claimed in the past.
