A genuine lawful business
At least two persons must associate to carry on a lawful business with a view to profit. A label, incorporation certificate or tax aspiration does not establish that test.


Phase 2 · Information and professional referral · Information and referral only
No formation package is available through this page. The proposed activities must first be defined, independently reviewed by an appropriately competent regulatory professional and covered by acceptable written clearance. Coddan must then accept the formation separately.
“Investment LLP”, “fund”, “family office” and “asset manager” do not decide the legal or regulatory position. The analysis starts with what each person will actually do, for whom, with which assets, under what authority and in which jurisdictions.
At least two persons must associate to carry on a lawful business with a view to profit. A label, incorporation certificate or tax aspiration does not establish that test.
Every instruction remains on regulatory pause pending evidence until compliant written clearance, satisfied conditions, unchanged material facts and Coddan’s independent acceptance.
No package, assessment product, price, order route, application route, credit or checkout is offered. Clearance never compels Coddan or any third party to accept a case.
An LLP is only one candidate. Company, LP, PFLP, contractual and authorised-fund routes can have materially different ownership, governance and regulatory consequences. LLP as a holding and ownership entity covers general holding suitability, LLP as a joint-venture entity covers general joint ventures and Private fund limited partnerships covers the PFLP route.
| Candidate | The people or organisations involved | Possible use | Critical question | Appropriate route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLP | Members | Defined lawful business | Perimeter, pooling and permissions | LLP for investment, asset-management or fund-related activity after clearance |
| Limited company | Shareholders/directors | Corporate ownership/operation | Regulatory and capital design | Compare an LLP with a private limited company / professionals |
| Ordinary LP | General and limited partners | Partnership arrangement | Management and regulatory role | Professional route |
| PFLP | Qualifying private-fund LP | Private-fund route | Eligibility and regulatory treatment | Private fund limited partnerships separate route |
| Contractual co-investment | Contracting parties | No new entity | Pooling, control and documentation | Legal/regulatory review |
| Authorised or recognised fund | Regime-specific | Regulated collective investment | Authorisation and fund rules | Fund/regulatory professionals |
Compare an LLP with a private limited company — complete LLP-versus-company comparison. LLP as a holding and ownership entity
Identify sponsors, members, controllers, managers, advisers, operators, promoters, arrangers, custodians, administrators, investors and clients. Titles are not determinative. Member, designated-member, UBO, PSC, controller and regulatory roles must not be conflated.
| Person/entity | Possible LLP status | Actual function to record | Evidence | Professional question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Member or external person | Origination and design | Mandate, remuneration, authority | Promotion/arranging |
| Member/controller | Member/designated member | Ownership, voting, influence | Structure and control records | PSC/regulatory control |
| Manager/operator | Internal or appointed | Decisions and operation | Delegation and permissions | Management/operation |
| Adviser/arranger | Member, employee or provider | Advice, introduction, arrangement | Scope and status | RAO activity |
| Promoter/approver | Any relevant person | Communication and approval | Materials, audience, approval | FSMA section 21 |
| Custodian/administrator | Usually external | Assets, money, records, valuation | Agreement and permissions | Custody/client money |
Identity verification proves identity only. It does not establish authority, beneficial ownership, source of funds, investor category, permission or PSC status. LLP members, designated members, corporate members and PSCs — complete member and PSC explanation; separate specialist assistance.
The professional must map the actual functions and assets against current law and guidance. Coddan organises facts and identifies questions; it does not conclude whether activities are regulated, excluded, exempt or outside scope.
| Function | Facts to establish | Possible topic | Evidence | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discretion/management | Who selects or changes investments | Managing investments/AIFM | Mandates and decision map | Regulatory professional |
| Advice | Information or recommendation; recipient | Advising | Communications and service scope | Regulatory professional |
| Arranging/dealing | Introductions, steps and execution | Arranging or dealing | Process and contracts | Regulatory professional |
| Pooling/operation | Pooling, whole-property management, control | CIS/AIF/operation | Economic and governance model | Regulatory/fund lawyer |
| Promotion/marketing | Message, sender, audience and territory | Financial promotion | All communications and approvals | Regulatory professional |
| Custody/client money | Possession, control and receipt | Custody/safeguarding/CASS | Money and asset flows | Authorised/custody professional |
The general prohibition can restrict regulated activity in the UK unless the person is authorised or exempt. Only a competent professional may apply it to the facts.
The Regulated Activities Order identifies specified activities, investments, exclusions and conditions. A generic list is not a perimeter conclusion.
Authorisation, registration or a register entry alone does not prove that the specific proposed function is within scope or that an adviser is competent for the requested opinion.
FSMA section 235 supplies the collective-investment-scheme definition. The result can depend on pooling, management as a whole and participants’ day-to-day control. AIF and AIFM treatment can depend on capital raising, investment policy and management facts. LLP incorporation decides none of these outcomes.
| Feature | Facts to establish | Possible relevance | Evidence | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions | Separate or pooled | CIS/AIF analysis | Capital and asset flows | Regulatory professional |
| Returns | Individual or pooled return | Pooling/economic arrangement | Allocation model | Regulatory/tax professionals |
| Management as a whole | How property is managed | Section 235 | Mandates and governance | Regulatory solicitor/adviser |
| you control | Actual day-to-day control | CIS definition | Rights and actual operation | Regulatory solicitor/adviser |
| Capital raising/policy | Number/source of investors; defined policy | AIF/AIFM | Strategy and fundraising records | Fund/regulatory professionals |
| Exclusion/condition | Exact legal basis and continuing facts | Potential route outside rule | Reasoned written clearance | Competent professional |
The AIF regime and guidance can change. Clearance must be current for the intended launch and activities, and any material change requires renewed review.
FSMA section 21 can restrict communications that invite or induce investment activity. A private approach, professional investor, sophisticated investor or high-net-worth label is not automatically compliant. The sender, content, recipient, approval route, exemption conditions and territory all matter.
| Communication/recipient | Facts needed | Section 21 question | Evidence/approval | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website/public material | Access, content, audience | Invitation/inducement and approval | Approved final material | Regulatory professional |
| Direct approach | Sender, recipient, context | Restriction/exemption | Recipient and communication record | Regulatory professional |
| Member invitation | Rights, purpose, content | Investment promotion status | Governance and communication | Regulatory/legal professional |
| Professional investor | Actual category and rule | Conditions and scope | Categorisation evidence | Regulatory professional |
| High-net-worth/sophisticated | Current criteria and process | Whether route applies | Required statements and records | Regulatory professional |
| Overseas audience | Each territory and targeting | UK and foreign restrictions | Multi-jurisdiction clearance | UK/foreign professionals |
| Issue | Required written conclusion | Supporting evidence | Pre-activity condition | Coddan treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorisation/permission | Whether and which permission is required | Status and permission record | Effective before relevant activity | Check coverage; no advice |
| Exemption | Exact legal basis and person | Facts satisfying every condition | Conditions maintained | pause pending evidence if unexplained |
| Exclusion | Exact RAO/other route | Activity and asset analysis | Facts remain within route | Renew if facts change |
| CIS/AIF/AIFM | Status and consequences | Pooling, control, policy and management facts | Relevant requirements met | No independent conclusion |
| Promotion | Permitted route and restrictions | Material, audience and approval | Before communication | No approval included |
| Professional status | Relevant competence and capacity | Qualification/register/permissions | Current when relied on | Authorisation alone insufficient |
A change in activities, participants, assets, investors, jurisdictions, marketing, control, permissions or assumptions suspends reliance on the previous clearance.
Custody, client money, capital, compliance, conflicts, valuation, AML, sanctions, banking and investor-protection systems remain separate. So do offering, subscription, management, advisory, promotion and investor documents.
| Dependency | Question | Formation provides? | Evidence/implementation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custody | Who holds or controls assets? | No | Permission, agreement and controls | Custodian/client-asset professional |
| Client money | Who receives, controls or transmits money? | No | Segregation, bank, reconciliation, rules | Regulatory/compliance professional |
| Capital/own funds | What prudential condition applies? | No | Calculation, evidence and monitoring | Regulatory/accounting professional |
| Valuation | Who values, how and how often? | No | Method, independence and records | Valuer/fund professional |
| Banking | Will a provider accept the model? | No guarantee | Independent onboarding | Bank/payment provider |
| Compliance/reporting | Which systems and returns apply? | No | Framework, monitoring and filings | Compliance professional |
Identity, KYC, AML, sanctions and source-of-funds checks remain separate ecosystems. Identity verification is not authority, ownership, funds, sanctions or investor-eligibility clearance. Opaque or inconsistent facts can require pause pending evidence or refusal.
No standard agreement is considered before clearance and acceptance. Even afterwards, it can record settled internal LLP governance only if all fifteen conditions pass. It cannot serve as an offering memorandum, subscription, investment-management, advisory, promotion, custody, client-money or fund agreement.
| Matter | Standard scope possible only if | Outside standard scope | Owner | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal governance | Clearance passed and all instructions settled | Negotiated/bespoke control | UK LLP formation later / LLP agreements and governance | Conditional only |
| Regulated functions | Never implemented by LLP agreement | Permissions and regulated appointments | Regulatory professionals | Separate |
| Investor/fund documents | Not included | Offering, subscription and management | Fund lawyers | Separate |
| Custody/client money | Not included | Systems, accounts, agreements | Custody/compliance professionals | Separate |
| Permissions/promotions | Not included | Applications, opinions, approvals | Regulatory professional | Separate |
| Disputes/bespoke rights | No dispute or bespoke need | Negotiated rights and enforcement | LLP agreements and governance/solicitor | Refer |
If any condition fails, no standard agreement or routine formation package may be offered.
| Question/work | Coddan role | Decision owner | In formation? | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facts and formation readiness | Collect, organise, risk-assess | Coddan within scope | Readiness only | Defined workflow |
| Perimeter/permissions | Identify questions; check coverage | Competent regulatory adviser/solicitor | No | Separate route |
| Fund/investor documents | Exclude from formation | Fund lawyers | No | Separate route |
| Tax/accounting/valuation | Identify dependency | Tax, accounting, valuation professionals | No | Separate route |
| Compliance/custody | Exclude from formation | Compliance/custody professionals | No | Separate route |
| Bank/investor/regulator acceptance | No guarantee | Each independent party | No | Independent decision |
| Formation/statutory filings | Only after acceptance | UK LLP formation/International and non-UK LLP formation and LLP annual accounts/LLP confirmation statements and continuing compliance | Yes, within later scope | Confirmed/appropriate routes |
UK LLP formation covers routine UK formation and International and non-UK LLP formation covers international or complex formation. Neither is directly available here. No LLP for investment, asset-management or fund-related activity product or assessment product exists.
| Case status | Package availability | Possible later owner | Required condition | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No clearance | None | None yet | Obtain competent written clearance | pause pending evidence |
| Incomplete/stale clearance | None | None yet | Correct or renew review | pause pending evidence |
| Cleared domestic facts | Not automatic | UK LLP formation may be considered | All conditions plus Coddan acceptance | Later decision |
| International/corporate complexity | Not automatic | International and non-UK LLP formation may be considered | Clearance, evidence and acceptance | Later decision |
| Materially changed facts | Suspended | None pending review | Renewed professional review | pause pending evidence |
| Unlawful/declined case | None | No formation route | Not curable or unacceptable | Refuse |
UK LLP formation remains the sole owner of its formation packages, but this page does not display, recommend or sell them.
UK LLP formation — UK LLP formation serviceInternational and non-UK LLP formation covers overseas participants, foreign evidence and complex international formation after clearance and acceptance.
International and non-UK LLP formation — international LLP formation gatewayInformation-only commercial placement: regulatory, legal, fund, tax, accounting, compliance, custody, banking, foreign-law and documentary work is separately owned and priced. No assessment name, fee, credit, application or checkout has been created.
A certificate does not permit the LLP to market, accept investors, advise, arrange, deal, manage, operate, hold money or safeguard assets. Each relevant pre-activity condition must be completed and maintained.
| Workstream | Required owner | Before activity? | Evidence/record | Continuing review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permissions and conditions | Regulatory professional/firm | Yes, where required | Permission and condition record | Activities and permissions |
| Governance/compliance | Compliance/legal professionals | Yes | Framework, roles, monitoring | Periodic and event-driven |
| Promotions/investors | Regulatory/fund professionals | Before communication/onboarding | Approved material and categorisation | Each material/audience |
| Custody/client money | Custodian/compliance/bank | Before handling | Accounts, agreements, controls | Reconciliation and monitoring |
| Capital/valuation | Regulatory/accounting/valuation | As required | Calculations and valuation record | Required frequency |
| AML/sanctions | Applicable regulated/obliged persons | Before onboarding/transactions | Risk and due-diligence record | Ongoing and event-driven |
| Tax/accounting/reporting | Accountants/tax/compliance | Plan before operation | Books, returns and reports | Statutory/regulatory calendar |
For statutory LLP continuity, LLP annual accounts covers annual accounts and LLP confirmation statements and continuing compliance covers confirmation statements and the continuing filing calendar. Regulatory and professional obligations remain separate.
Members, managers, roles, identity, authority, complete ownership/UBO/PSC chain, remuneration and source-of-funds evidence.
Service map, discretion, advice, arranging, dealing, pooling, operation, promotions, assets, strategy, valuation and jurisdictions.
Dated professional opinion, status/permission evidence, assumptions, restrictions, conditions, implementation steps and material-change confirmation.
Custody/client-money plan, capital, banking, compliance, promotions, investor/fund documents, tax/accounting and reporting dependencies.
Without an effective contrary agreement, statutory defaults can govern equal capital and profit sharing, participation in management, remuneration, admission, ordinary decisions, changes to the nature of the business and expulsion. They are not a regulated-investment governance system and may be unsuitable for the proposed model.
Formation determines no partnership, manager, investor, VAT, withholding, reporting, profit-allocation, capital-account or foreign-tax result. Accountants and tax professionals own those conclusions, calculations and filings.
Member, investor, client, asset, activity, communication, management, bank and provider jurisdictions must be mapped. Foreign professionals own capacity, permissions, promotion, recognition and foreign-law conclusions.
The route continues from recognised facts to independent clearance and, only if accepted, to the proper formation service. Unapproved next destinations remain services arranged separately after review.
Incorporation completes the statutory formation event only. It does not complete authorisation, fund establishment, promotions, contracts, custody, banking, tax, compliance or operations.
Professional review precedes formation and continues whenever activities, law, permissions, investors, assets, jurisdictions, marketing or control change.
Convenience is a clearly defined checklist, intelligible role and activity maps, precise evidence standards and clear separation of responsibilities—not reduced scrutiny or instant formation.
Trust comes from information and referral only, no package selling, primary-source validation, exact prohibited claims, written clearance, independent acceptance, renewed review and refusal controls.
No guarantee: clearance, acceptance or incorporation does not guarantee banking, custody, investor, regulator, service-provider or commercial acceptance.
Project-vehicle questions are directed to the joint-venture, property, small-business, investment or R&D guidance according to the actual business purpose.