Process Agent

A process agent (also known as agent for service of process, registered agent, registered agent for service of process or resident agent) is an independent party upon whom documents, notices, court and arbitration proceedings may be served on behalf of its client.

A process agent can serve as a point of contact and a legal address for contract purposes in a country where the entity does not have an office and where, usually because of contractual obligations, it is not possible for them to be served abroad.

The role of a process agent is a vitally important service for many overseas businesses dealing with suppliers or tenders in the UK, or raising a loan from a City institution. A lending bank will often require the appointment of a UK-based process agent to receive formal notices with regard to its loan.

Under English court procedure rules, it is necessary to serve papers to start proceedings correctly. If a party does not have an address within England, the process for serving these papers abroad is lengthy and complicated. It is therefore customary – and indeed often required by the UK entity supplying the service or loan – for the overseas entity to appoint a UK process agent and agree that service at the address of the process agent will constitute proper service for the purposes of the court procedural requirements.

Notable Services LLP offers an efficient and reliable service as a process or service agent, which gives clients the confidence of knowing that they have a dependable agent in England who will ensure that any proceedings that it receives on the client’s behalf, are promptly notified to the client and/or to its advisors.