Paul Bowden

Paul is a partner within the recoveries department in Grimsby.

Paul graduated from the University of Hull with a 2:1 degree in Law with Criminology. He passed his Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in York with Commendation and completed his training contract at a Hull based firm before joining Wilkin Chapman as a solicitor in 2009. He became a senior solicitor in 2013, and became a partner in June 2018.

Since 2009 Paul has formed part of the firm’s recoveries department and has acted for a range of creditor clients in relation to both volume recoveries and more complex insolvency proceedings. He acts for a wide range of corporate clients, including local authorities, utility companies, debt purchasers and other commercial creditors.

From July 2013, Paul has had management responsibility for the development and delivery of "resolution", Wilkin Chapman's unique legal and insolvency service offering primarily developed for local authorities. This service provides research, enforcement support and case administration to local authorities (and other creditors) engaged in the use of insolvency, charging order and order for sale as recovery methods.

Paul specialises in finding ways to assist local authorities in dealing with collections. He can advise on collections strategy, improving processes and finding solutions for a wide range of issues facing revenues teams which include maximising revenue, tackling static debt and collecting arrears.

Paul and his team are well experienced in supporting revenues teams with all manner of legal and insolvency related issues and there is particularly high demand for services relating to NDR liability (such as contested liability, tackling rates avoidance schemes and collecting NDR debts), freeing static debt to trigger collections and strategies to address sundry debts, including adult social care.

Paul also has a wealth of experience in acting for petitioning creditors on personal insolvency matters, in particular those where petitions become defended. He has also advised clients on complex annulment applications and applications to set aside statutory demands. Paul has experience in acting for trustees in bankruptcy in relation to post bankruptcy issues such as applications for possession and sale and applications for examination.