DOING BUSINESS

IN AUSTRALIA Restructuring and insolvency

OCT 2017

WWW.CORRS.COM.AU

DOING BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA

RESTRUCTURING AND INSOLVENCY

AUSTRALIAN INSOLVENCY PROCESSES

The key insolvency-related processes relevant to Australian companies under Australian law are:

Voluntary Administration;

Liquidation; and

Receivership.

Location:

This week’s TGIF considers the case of Lane (Trustee), in the matter of Lee (Bankrupt) v Commissioner of Taxation [2017] FCA 953, where the Federal Court considered whether the claims of ‘non trust’ creditors in a bankruptcy are to be treated differently than like creditors in a corporate insolvency.

BACKGROUND

Location:

This week’s TGIF examines the determination of an application by a liquidator for directions as to the conduct of further investigations and for those costs and expenses to be paid from the assets of a trust.

What happened?

On 16 March 2016, Australian Managed Print Services (Vic) Pty Ltd (AMPS) was wound up in insolvency and a liquidator was appointed by order of the court.

Location:

This week’s TGIF considers the case of Official Assignee in Bankruptcy of the Property of Cooksley, in the matter of Cooksley v Cooksley, in which the Federal Court granted assistance to the High Court of NZ in administering a bankruptcy.

BACKGROUND

This week’s TGIF considers Singh v De Castro [2017] NSWCA 241, where the New South Wales Court of Appeal held that five directors of an insolvent corporate borrower had executed and were bound by personal guarantees.

BACKGROUND

The decision was an appeal from a decision of the District Court of New South Wales finding that five directors of an insolvent corporate borrower had executed and were bound by personal guarantees.

Location:

This TGIF examines the determination of an application by liquidators of the Diploma Group of companies to be appointed as administrators of Diploma company and put a DOCA proposal to creditors.

Background

On 6 September 2017, Federal Court of Australia appointed liquidators to Diploma Group Limited (Diploma) and other companies within the Diploma Group (Group Companies). Prior to that appointment, the liquidators had been appointed as Diploma’s administrators and then provisional liquidators.

Location:

In June 2017, the New South Wales Parliament introduced the Civil Liability (Third Party Claims Against Insurers) Act 2017 (NSW Act), designed to clarify the rights of claimants to proceed directly against insurance companies. But in the context of insolvent corporations, has it created more problems than it has solved?

Location:

This week’s TGIF considers whether, in a voluntary administration, a report to creditors constituted sufficient disclosure and whether the proponent of a DOCA should be allowed to vote as a creditor in favour of that DOCA.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Location:

This week’s TGIF considers whether a flexible payment arrangement between a subsidiary and its holding company creditor meant the parent suffered no loss on the insolvency of the subsidiary.

What happened?

On 17 August 2017, the West Australian Court of Appeal published its reasons in Perrine v Carrello [2017] WASCA 151 drawing a close to the long-running dispute between the Perrines and the liquidator (Liquidator) of their failed pod-home building company (PodCo).

Location:

This week’s TGIF considers the decision of EH 2015 Pty Ltd (in liq) v Caratti (No 3) [2017] WASC 210 which concerned the rights of a liquidator to funds paid into court as security by a company which subsequently became insolvent.

What happened?

On 20 January 2016, a liquidator was appointed to a trustee company pursuant to an order of the Federal Court.

Location: