Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1987-1996 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
0.4 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Robert Maxwell built an extensive publishing empire within Britain and abroad. He acquired the British Printing Corporation (BPC) in 1981, changed its name to the British Printing and Communication Corporation (BPCC) in March 1981 and then to the Maxwell Communications Corporation plc (MCC) in October 1987. Headington Holdings Limited, originally called Pergamon Holdings Limited, was established in 1986 as one of Robert Maxwell's private companies and came under the Robert Maxwell Group. Other linked Maxwell group companies included; Bishopsgate Investment Management Limited.
After Maxwell's death in 1991, huge discrepancies in his companies' finances were revealed, including that he had misused £450 million of his Mirror Group's pension fund. It was discovered that shares in a French investment trust, Euris, based in Paris, France had been been removed from the pension funds and pledged as collateral against a £22.5 million loan to Headington Holdings. MCC was placed under the joint administration of United States and English bankruptcy courts acting with the help of Price Waterhouse and its properties were sold to various media companies. The pension funds were replenished in part by investment banks Shearson Lehman and Goldman Sachs, as well as the British government.
Registered office address: 1 More London Place, London, SE1 2AF.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 LMA/4691 1987-1996 Collection 0.4 linear metres Headington Holdings Limited xx Pergamon Holdings Limited , private holding company
Robert Maxwell built an extensive publishing empire within Britain and abroad. He acquired the British Printing Corporation (BPC) in 1981, changed its name to the British Printing and Communication Corporation (BPCC) in March 1981 and then to the Maxwell Communications Corporation plc (MCC) in October 1987. Headington Holdings Limited, originally called Pergamon Holdings Limited, was established in 1986 as one of Robert Maxwell's private companies and came under the Robert Maxwell Group. Other linked Maxwell group companies included; Bishopsgate Investment Management Limited.
After Maxwell's death in 1991, huge discrepancies in his companies' finances were revealed, including that he had misused £450 million of his Mirror Group's pension fund. It was discovered that shares in a French investment trust, Euris, based in Paris, France had been been removed from the pension funds and pledged as collateral against a £22.5 million loan to Headington Holdings. MCC was placed under the joint administration of United States and English bankruptcy courts acting with the help of Price Waterhouse and its properties were sold to various media companies. The pension funds were replenished in part by investment banks Shearson Lehman and Goldman Sachs, as well as the British government.
Registered office address: 1 More London Place, London, SE1 2AF.
Deposited by the Pensions Archive Trust in 2015.
Records of Headington Holdings Ltd relating to the Robert Maxwell case including legal papers, claim correspondence concerning Maxwell Communications Corporation plc and pension scheme booklets. Summary photocopy legal papers prepared by Cooper and Lybrand Deloitte arranged by document number concerning companies in the Maxwell Group including; minutes, memoranda, reports and statements. Newspaper cuttings on Maxwell Pensions and video 'What's the Catch?' (1991) by Firebrand.
Arranged as follows:
LMA/4691/01: MAXWELL LEGAL PAPERS
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Copyright rests with a third party.
English
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Added February 2016. Law Legislation Employment legislation Pensions legislation Pensions Social security Social services Headington Holdings Ltd Maxwell Communications Corporation plc
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited by the Pensions Archive Trust in 2015.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of Headington Holdings Ltd relating to the Robert Maxwell case including legal papers, claim correspondence concerning Maxwell Communications Corporation plc and pension scheme booklets. Summary photocopy legal papers prepared by Cooper and Lybrand Deloitte arranged by document number concerning companies in the Maxwell Group including; minutes, memoranda, reports and statements. Newspaper cuttings on Maxwell Pensions and video 'What's the Catch?' (1991) by Firebrand.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged as follows:
LMA/4691/01: MAXWELL LEGAL PAPERS
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright rests with a third party.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English