Ross Thomson: Bankruptcy Trustee Insolvency and Liquidation Specialist

Ross Thomson has over 30 years of experience; he commenced his journey in the fields of bankruptcy and insolvency with his first foray in 1987 in the office of the Registrar in Bankruptcy within the Attorney General’s Department. He worked on the details of applications from parties who wished to file for bankruptcy and auditing returns submitted by Registered Trustees to ensure that the correct taxes were being paid.

In 1989 he moved to the Official Receivers Office (now known as AFSA), assigned to the Bankruptcy Regulation Section (BRU). He conducted compliance audits on all Western Australian Trustees, both Registered and the Official Trustee (the Government office administering bankruptcies).

With over ten years of experience with AFSA and BRU under his belt, he moved into private practice in 1999, gaining further experience in these fields by working with several firms over a further 10-year period. Ross earned his Liquidator’s ticket in February 2009 and Bankruptcy Trustee ticket in July 2010. He then worked as a sole practitioner and a contractor with another private firm until joining the Bankruptcy Advisory Centre.

“I have always strived to provide a valued service, never looking at clients as just a number. Many of my former clients continue to ring me when they wish to discuss issues they are facing. These issues don’t always relate to the consequences of insolvency; they consult me on new issues where they want a reliable sounding board. I am thankful for such confidence in my abilities. I bring this reassurance and competence to the clients of the Bankruptcy Advisory Centre who consult me on their life’s biggest issues.”

Assistance From a Registered Bankruptcy Trustee

If you feel that you are at the end of all options with your financial situation, don’t despair. We encourage you to reach out to Ross as he brings to his clients the friendly, confident, competent, personalised service based on results that he has always been known for achieving for his clients.

With the resources available to him as a registered bankruptcy trustee via the Bankruptcy Advisory Centre, Ross will do his utmost best to consider and provide a solution that makes the best sense for your circumstances.

Ross Thomson – Experience as an Insolvency Specialist

Ross commenced his insolvency career in 1988 when he joined the office of the Registrar in Bankruptcy (RIB). The RIB was a Federal Court of Australia division and part of the Attorney General’s Department.

Ross was responsible for supervising RIB staff dealing with persons wishing to file for bankruptcy, assisting in completing forms and general guidance on questions raised by those persons. He was also responsible for registering new Bankruptcy Trustees and auditing their annual returns.

In 1989, Ross gained promotion to the Official Receiver’s Office (now AFSA) as a member of the Complex Administrations Section, dealing with high-profile and complex bankruptcies under the control of the Official Trustee. He subsequently moved to the Bankruptcy Regulation Unit, where he reviewed the activities of all Western Australian Bankruptcy Trustees (including AFSA). Ross built a high profile within the State and was regularly sought by Registered Trustees to assist with the resolution of particularly difficult or unusual issues.

Ross also set up the Western Australian Prosecutions Section of AFSA and received a commendation from The Commonwealth DPP for excellent preparation of Briefs of Evidence. The CDPP offered Ross a secondment with them to be part of their Brief preparation team.

Ross then entered the private sector and enjoyed his role at various firms during the next ten years.

In 2009, Ross obtained his Registration as a Registered Liquidator, and in 2010, his Registration as a Bankruptcy Trustee. In 2010, Ross formed his own business and enjoyed administering his clients and employing staff over the next seven years.  Due to medical issues, Ross closed the business and regained employment with another firm part-time.

Ross joined Bankruptcy Advisory Centre in 2020 and has overseen, in conjunction with Andrew, the growth of Bankruptcy Advisory to be a prominent player in the personal insolvency sphere and is looking to grow the corporate insolvency sphere in the same direction.

Experience as a Liquidation Specialist

Ross Thomson started his corporate insolvency experience in 2000 when he entered private practice. His early interaction involved companies involved in the finance brokers scandal and provided valuable insight into corporate insolvency.

Following that, Ross supervised the liquidation of a company owing $30m as a consequence of the “bottom of the harbour activity” to the tax office. This was particularly complex to unwind the transactions to determine where the money had gone.

Since then, Ross has administered over 150 liquidations as a member of another firm or under his control. Ross has been involved in and is particularly proud of several Voluntary Administrations/Deeds of Company Arrangements, which returned 100 cents/$ to creditors.

He has also recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars from directors and other parties under the Corporations Act’s voidable transaction regime. Ross approaches recoveries of voidable transactions from a very pragmatic basis. Identifying the issue and amount involves assessing the claim’s strength and seeking legal advice where appropriate. Once adequately assessing the situation, he approaches the party involved and can generally recover funds without litigation – but is ready and prepared for such, if required. Ross has built a strong network of referrers who appreciate his work ethic and ability to explain matters at a level the listener can comprehend and outline all options. These referrers continue to refer insolvency work to Ross because of this and the results he achieves. Ross has had significant experience in the construction, retail, liquor and hospitality sectors but has extensive dealings with transport, medical and finance-based liquidations. Ross welcomes the opportunity to deal with other industries and further develop his knowledge.

Get in touch for a free consultation to learn about your options or to discuss any questions you may have about Bankruptcy, Insolvency or Liquidation.