The Situation

A multinational information services PLC with operations spanning multiple sectors and subsidiaries had a growing problem. Despite a well-established internal credit control function with structured escalation processes, unpaid invoices and payment disputes were accumulating faster than their team could resolve them.

The complexity was significant. Auto-renewal challenges, contractual disputes, and aged debt spanning multiple jurisdictions and service lines. Every case placed externally was a minimum of twelve months old and had been fully exhausted internally. Their existing collection agency wasn't equipped to handle the complexity of the portfolio, the international reach required, or the commercial sensitivity of the relationships involved.

They needed a partner who understood complex commercial agreements, could operate across international jurisdictions, and had the commercial intelligence to recover debt that had already been written off internally.

Our Approach

We started where we always start: by understanding the business from the inside out. Before taking on a single case, we invested time learning their products, their contracts, their onboarding process, and the common reasons debts weren't being paid. This meant that from day one, we could handle debtor queries and disputes with the confidence and credibility of someone who had worked within the business, not outside it.

For each batch of accounts placed with us, typically 20-30 at a time with total values running into the hundreds of thousands, we conducted a forensic review of every case individually. We mapped stakeholders within debtor organisations, identified whether key contacts had moved on, analysed the contractual position, and built a tailored recovery strategy for each account.

Where disputes existed, and many did, we worked through them methodically. Reviewing contracts line by line, building timelines of correspondence, issuing formal notices, and managing debtor responses with precision and professionalism. We didn't treat this as a volume exercise. Every account, regardless of age or complexity, received the same level of forensic attention and commercial intelligence.

For a portfolio of this scale and complexity, we built bespoke workflows to manage the volume without losing the detail. Regular reporting, structured communication cadences, and clear escalation paths meant both our team and the client had complete visibility at all times.

The Results

In the first twelve months of our engagement, without a single case requiring litigation:

£1.2m recovered across international jurisdictions, from debt portfolios aged twelve months and over, all of which had been fully exhausted internally before placement.

£95,000 in additional costs and interest recovered on top of the principal debt, offsetting collection fees for the client.

34% recovery rate on submissions. A strong result given that every case was over twelve months old, had been fully exhausted internally, and spanned multiple international jurisdictions. These weren't easy wins. They were the cases nobody else could close.

Regional Breakdown

The Relationship Continues

The engagement is now in its eighteenth month, with regular portfolio placements continuing. Total placements to date run into several million pounds. The results shown above reflect the first twelve months only.

What This Demonstrates

This case study reflects exactly what Turner Clifford was built for. Complex, aged, international debt portfolios that require genuine commercial intelligence to recover. Not scripts. Not volume tactics. A forensic, strategic approach applied to every single case, delivered by a team that took the time to understand the client's business as if it were their own.

£1.2m recovered. Zero litigation. That's commercial intelligence in action.