Decision

Decision on Grouper Ltd

Published 3 June 2025

Order under the Companies Act 2006

In the matter of application No. 5160

For a change of company name of registration No. 12132803

Decision

The company name GROUPER LTD has been registered since 1 August 2019 under number 12132803.

By an application filed on 1 November 2024, GROUPER TECHNOLOGY LIMITED applied for a change of name of this registration under the provisions of section 69(1) of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act).

A copy of this application was sent to the primary respondent’s registered office on 2 December 2024, in accordance with rule 3(2) of the Company Names Adjudicator Rules 2008. The copy of the application was sent by Royal Mail “Special Delivery” service and also by standard mail. On 2 December 2024, the Tribunal wrote to the respondent’s director, Vahid Aria Pour, to inform them that the applicant had requested that they be joined to the proceedings. The letter sent to Vahid Aria Pour by Royal Mail “Special Delivery” was returned “not called for”. No comments were received from Vahid Aria Pour in relation to this request. On 5 January 2025, in an email to the Tribunal, Vahid Aria Pour submitted a letter in response to the application filed by Grouper Technology Limited and requested an extension of time.

On 16 January 2025, the Tribunal notified the respondent that if it wished to file a defence it should do so by using form CNA2 “notice of defence”, and that as the specified deadline for filing a defence had now passed, the form CNA2 should be filed together with a form CNA5 to request a retrospective extension of time for filing the defence. No request for an extension of time in which to file a defence has been received.

On 7 April 2025, Vahid Aria Pour was joined as a co-respondent. On 7 April 2025, the parties were advised that no defence had been received to the application and so the adjudicator may treat the application as not being opposed. The parties were granted a period of 14 days to request a hearing in relation to this matter, if they so wished. No request for a hearing was made.

The primary respondent did not file a defence on form CNA2 within the one month period specified by the adjudicator under rule 3(3) and no extension of time request has been received. Rule 3(4) states:

The primary respondent, before the end of that period, shall file a counter-statement on the appropriate form, otherwise the adjudicator may treat it as not opposing the application and may make an order under section 73(1).

Under the provisions of this rule, the adjudicator may exercise discretion so as to treat the respondent as opposing the application. In this case I can see no reason to exercise such discretion and, therefore, decline to do so.

As the primary respondent has not responded to the allegations made, it is treated as not opposing the application. Therefore, in accordance with section 73(1) of the Act I make the following order:

(a) GROUPER LTD shall change its name within one month of the date of this order to one that is not an offending name; ^{[footnote 1]}

(b) GROUPER LTD and Vahid Aria Pour each shall:

(i) take such steps as are within their power to make, or facilitate the making, of that change;

(ii) not cause or permit any steps to be taken calculated to result in another company being registered with a name that is an offending name.

In accordance with s.73(3) of the Act, this order may be enforced in the same way as an order of the High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session.

In any event, if no such change is made within one month of the date of this order, I will determine a new company name as per section 73(4) of the Act and will give notice of that change under section 73(5) of the Act.

All respondents, including individual co-respondents, have a legal duty under Section 73(1)(b)(ii) of the Companies Act 2006 not to cause or permit any steps to be taken calculated to result in another company being registered with an offending name; this includes the current company. Non-compliance may result in an action being brought for contempt of court and may result in a custodial sentence.

GROUPER TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, having been successful, is entitled to a contribution towards its costs. I order GROUPER LTD and Vahid Aria Pour, being jointly and severally liable, to pay GROUPER TECHNOLOGY LIMITED costs on the following basis:

Fee for application: £400
Statement of case: £400

Total: £800

This sum is to be paid within seven days of the expiry of the appeal period or within seven days of the final determination of this case if any appeal against this decision is unsuccessful.

Any notice of appeal against this decision to order a change of name must be given within one month of the date of this order. Appeal is to the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and to the Court of Session in Scotland.

The company adjudicator must be advised if an appeal is lodged, so that implementation of the order is suspended.

Dated 30 May 2025

Susan Eaves
Company Names Adjudicator

1. An “offending name” means a name that, by reason of its similarity to the name associated with the applicant in which he claims goodwill, would be likely to be the subject of a direction under section 67 (power of Secretary of State to direct change of name), or to give rise to a further application under section 69. ↩