Companies Act 1985

Expert’s report E+W+S

[F1 5 (1) Except where a joint expert is appointed under sub-paragraph (2) below, an expert’s report shall consist of a separate written report on the draft terms to the members of one transferor company or pre-existing transferee company concerned in the scheme drawn up by a separate expert appointed on behalf of that company.

(2) The court may, on the joint application of all the transferor companies and pre-existing transferee companies concerned in the scheme, approve the appointment of a joint expert to draw up a single report on behalf of all those companies.

(3) An expert shall be independent of any of the companies concerned in the scheme, that is to say a person qualified at the time of the report to be appointed, or to continue to be, an auditor of those companies.

(4) However, where it appears to an expert that a valuation is reasonably necessary to enable him to draw up the report, and it appears to him to be reasonable for that valuation, or part of it, to be made (or for him to accept such a valuation) by another person who—

(a) appears to him to have the requisite knowledge and experience to make the valuation or that part of it; and

(b) is not an officer or servant of any of the companies concerned in the scheme or any other body corporate which is one of those companies’ subsidiary or holding company or a subsidiary of one of those companies’ holding company or a partner or employee of such an officer or servant,

he may arrange for or accept such a valuation, together with a report which will enable him to make his own report under this paragraph.

(5) The reference in sub-paragraph (4) above to an officer or servant does not include an auditor.

(6) Where any valuation is made by a person other than the expert himself, the latter’s report shall state that fact and shall also—

(a) state the former’s name and what knowledge and experience he has to carry out the valuation, and

(b) describe so much of the undertaking, property and liabilities as were valued by the other person, and the method used to value them, and specify the date of the valuation.

(7) An expert’s report shall—

(a) indicate the method or methods used to arrive at the share exchange ratio proposed;

(b) give an opinion as to whether the method or methods used are reasonable in all the circumstances of the case, indicate the values arrived at using each such method and (if there is more than one method) give an opinion on the relative importance attributed to such methods in arriving at the value decided on;

(c) describe any special valuation difficulties which have arisen;

(d) state whether in the expert’s opinion the share exchange ratio is reasonable; and

(e) in the case of a valuation made by a person other than himself, state that it appeared to himself reasonable to arrange for it to be so made or to accept a valuation so made.

(8) Each expert has the right of access to all such documents of all the transferor companies and pre-existing transferee companies concerned in the scheme, and the right to require from the companies’ officers all such information, as he thinks necessary for the purpose of making his report.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 15A (old) inserted by S.I. 1987/1991, reg. 2(c), Sch. Pt. II