Founder of Signature empire given director ban
Lawrence Kenwright once lodged an unsuccessful bid to become mayor of Liverpool.
The founder of the Signature empire, Lawrence Kenwright, has been prohibited from establishing or managing any company for a period of five years.
The contentious Liverpool businessman, who was behind the now-defunct Signature Group of property firms, has been barred from acting as a company director for five years. Kenwright, who previously made an unsuccessful attempt to become mayor of Liverpool, founded nearly 100 companies that owned several hotels, including the football-themed Shankly and Dixie Dean.
According to the Insolvency Service, Kenwright permitted one of his companies, Signature Works Gold Ltd, to deceive investors, resulting in losses exceeding £4.8 million. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had been investigating the Signature Group following a series of raids and arrests in 2024, but announced in July that it would not be pressing charges.
The broader group owed over £100 million to creditors when Kenwright and his wife, Katie Kenwright, of Sankey Road in Maghull, declared bankruptcy in January 2024.
Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, stated that Kenwright's "failures as a company director" had "serious consequences" for investors in Signature Works Gold Ltd. He added, "While Kenwright is not accused of direct fraud, his conduct nevertheless falls well below the standards we expect of company directors."
Kenwright's companies owned a collection of hotels housed in historic buildings. Signature Works Gold, established in 2017, had already been wound up "in the public interest" in December 2022, following an application by the Insolvency Service. The firm operated by selling desk space to investors for The Bling Bling Building, Arthouse Hotel, and 60 Old Hall Street, all located in Liverpool City Centre.
The Insolvency Service explained that the company would rent out the workspace to the public, with the rental income intended to fund returns for investors. However, it ceased paying returns in September 2019. The service reported finding that the company had distributed "false" and "misleading" marketing material which "stated or implied" that investors would acquire a legal interest in the buildings they invested in, formally registered at the Land Registry.
However, investigators discovered that Signature Works Gold did not possess any freehold or leasehold interest in any of the three properties. Instead, the buildings were owned by separate companies that were not part of the same legal structure as most of the wider Signature group, but had Kenwright listed as the sole or main shareholder. When Signature Works Gold was wound up, it had assets of less than £100,000 while owing £4.84 million.
The Insolvency Service stated that Kenwright had agreed to sign a disqualification undertaking, meaning he cannot be involved in the promotion, formation, or management of a company without court permission.
Before its collapse, the Signature Group owned several historic buildings, including the Coal Exchange in Cardiff and the Scottish Mutual Building in Belfast. In 2019, it claimed to have a turnover exceeding £80 million.
The BBC has sought comment from Kenwright.