FIRST PROVISIONS OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2006

Every company web-site, business letter and order form sent electronically must now feature the company name, registered number, registered office address and place of registration, under the first tranche of provisions giving effect to The Companies (Registrar, Languages and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2006 (http://tinyurl.com/2hjetv). Anyone acting on behalf of a company which fails to comply is personally liable and could be fined. The company's name must also now appear on all the order forms it issues.

Other provisions brought into force on 1 January 2007 in the UK ensure companies have increased provisions for e-communications with the national registrar of companies.

A second tranche of provisions was brought into force on 20 January by The Companies Act 2006 (Commencement No 1 Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2006 (http://tinyurl.com/248yej). They included:-

• provisions facilitating electronic communication with shareholders;
• provisions concerning a company's rights to investigate who has an interest in its shares;
• the statutory basis of certain directors;
• liabilities to the company.

It also implemented, with effect from 6 April 2007, the free-standing repeal of a number of provisions of the Companies Act 1985. An Explanatory Memorandum to both regulations is available at http://tinyurl.com/2gcav9 .

Hailed by the DTI as the most comprehensive reform of company law for decades, the Companies Act 2006 is intended to bring major benefits to companies by modernising and simplifying company law. The timetable for remaining implementing provisions will be announced in due course.

Companies Act 2006: briefing on first commencement order and regulations implementing first company law commencement directive' is available at http://tinyurl.com/2343gk .