Ferrier Hodgson

Ferrier Hodgson ("FH") is a group of Accounting firms specialising in Insolvency in the Australian and Asia Pacific region, with offices in all major capital cities in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan. Whilst FH's core business is corporate recovery, the firm has also endeavoured to build corporate advisory and forensic accounting services as core specialities in recent years due to the stagnant nature of the insolvency industry. FH was ranked at number 18 in the BRW top 100 Accounting Firms in 2007 with an estimated $52.6 million in fee revenue during the 06/07 Financial Year. [cite web|url=http://www.forsythes.com.au/res/pdfs/hom/2007BRWAccountingFirms.pdf|title=www.forsythes.com.au/res/pdfs/hom/2007BRWAccountingFirms.pdf |format=PDF]

Whilst FH operates as a group structure, the Sydney and Melbourne offices are the only common partnerships within the group, having recently merged, with the remaining offices operated as separate partnerships.

FH was first established in 1976 and is one of the most widely recognised and highly respected providers of corporate recovery, advisory and forensic services in the Asia Pacific region.Fact|date=December 2007 There are approximately 40 partners and 300 staff working in all of the FH offices. In addition, FH is a member of the Kroll network of affiliated firms, with locations throughout America, Europe and Africa.

Ian Ferrier

Ian Ferrier one of the Founders of FH. He has over 40 years experience in corporate recovery and insolvency. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has significant experience in property and development, tourism, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and hotels, infrastructure and aviation and service industries. Apart from his role as Official Liquidator and Trustee in Bankruptcy, Ian has also been involved in many business activited including, the Chairman of InvoCare Limited, Chairman of Port Douglas Reef Resorts Limited and a Director of McGuigan Simeon Wines Limited, Macquarie Goodman Group Limited and Australian Oil Company Limited.

Through out his youth Ian played Rugby Union and the passion that developed from these younger days lead to Ian becoming the chairmen of NSW Rugby Union and a director of Australian Rugby Union. However, his involvement in the administration of the support ended over a decade ago.

Among Ian's business strengths is his ability to negotitate. This is noted in his involvement with the SA based Protech Company in which Ian was a director and shareholder, together with then fellow partner Brian Silva. Protech faced a liquidity squeeze during the IT Bust and when hewlett packard called in the debt owed to it, which was rummored to be between 10 and 14 million dollars, Protech faced entering external administration itself. [cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/The-debt-collector/2005/04/08/1112815727749.html|title=The debt collector - Business - www.smh.com.au ] HP and Protech settled the debt for approximately 6 million dollars.

Ian retired from the FH partnership around September 2004, however, he has remained involved with FH through his role as a consultant. [cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/10/1094789681078.html|title=Founder latest to exit troubled Ferrier Hodgson - News - www.smh.com.au ]

One.Tel Limited

One of the most notable appointments of FH is the colletive group of companies known as One.Tel. On 24 July 2001, Steve Sherman and Peter Walker were appointed joint liquidators of One.Tel. The appointment has required extensive investigations into the affairs of the company and the actions of the directors Jodie Rich and Brad Kealing. An interesting side note to the collapse of One.Tel is the involvement of Rodney Adler, who was associated with the collapse of one of Australia's biggest insure HIH Limited. A recent development is rumored to be the confidential settlement of all claims that the liquidators may have against Mr Adler for his involvement in One.Tel for around one million dollars.Fact|date=February 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.fh.com.au Ferrier Hodgson Website]