Case Studies
We have been privileged to have been instructed by our clients on a number of notable cases. Below are a selection of case studies to demonstrate a flavour of our work.

Murphy Limited
Purpose
Administration
Sector
Utilities Infrastructure Construction
Task
Asset Tracing and Recovery, Valuation and Realistaion
Location
Multiple Sites across the United Kingdom

The Administration of Murphy Ltd. underscores the critical role of professional asset valuation and disposal in preserving value for creditors. At Wyles Hardy & Co., our expertise ensures a structured and transparent process that maximises recovery in challenging circumstances. – Terry Madden, Managing Director, Wyles Hardy & Co.

Overview
Wyles Hardy & Co. was appointed by the Administrators to assist in asset recovery and control for Murphy Ltd., whose assets included a mix of contractors’ plant and high-capacity electrical inventory. With assets spread across multiple locations and subcontractors directly affected by the insolvency, our intervention required rapid and comprehensive action to secure the asset base.
Method
We began by coordinating asset recovery across London, Manchester, Sheffield, Preston & Penrith, deploying our team nationwide to secure and transport large and small contractors’ plant back to two main yard locations. Utilising Murphy Ltd.’s own haulage fleet and retaining skilled staff, we minimised disruption and accelerated the recovery process. After consolidating assets, we navigated third-party financial claims, ensuring full appraisal and valuation for assets with complex ownership. To address stock in trade, we assessed and identified impress and free-issue inventory, facilitating the sale of high-capacity electrical cables and materials through targeted scrap and resale strategies. Timely asset realisation was achieved via online auctions and private treaty sales, aligning methods with asset type and market demand. Our approach balanced urgency with thorough evaluation, allowing for maximum recovery in a challenging environment.
Results
- Rapid asset consolidation secured significant contractors’ plant, minimising further value loss.
- Recovery and sale of substantial cable inventory yielded notable returns from scrap and resale.
- A combination of online auction and private sales strategies enabled timely and profitable realisation.
Conclusion
Our work with Murphy Ltd. highlights Wyles Hardy’s proficiency in asset recovery under complex, risk-sensitive circumstances. Through strategic asset consolidation, we effectively managed assets spread across multiple locations, including addressing subcontractor impacts and third-party claims. By leveraging both online and private sale methods, we achieved substantial realisations across a varied asset base, showcasing our agility in managing high-value contractors’ plant and specialised inventory. This project underscores our expertise in the plant and haulage sector, particularly in handling “yellow iron” assets and complex stock inventories, reinforcing our capacity to deliver robust results in high-pressure insolvency situations.