Restructuring an international group of companies in Europe continues to be challenging. While companies can transact business freely across European borders, coordination between the stakeholders involved in a cross-border restructuring has proved to be difficult. The cross-border restructuring of a corporate group is often complicated by a multitude of individual liquidation proceedings spread throughout the various countries in which the group is active.
Introduction
After months of drama prompted by the intertwined destinies of a constitutional referendum and the recapitalization of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (“MPS”), Italy’s third largest bank, and following the resignation of the Renzi government, the first important measure approved by the new Italian cabinet was an emergency decree aimed at safeguarding the Italian banking sector.
For the benefit of our clients and friends investing in European distressed opportunities, our European Network is sharing some current developments.
Recent Developments
On 29 March 2017, Advocate General Mengozzi rendered his opinion to the EU Court of Justice in the landmark case regarding the Estro pre-packed bankruptcy.
Introduction
On 23 June 2016 the UK population voted for the UK's exit from the European Union (EU). The applicable exit procedure and certain possible legal consequences of Brexit for Insolvency & Restructuring will be discussed below in the form of a Q&A.
The qualification of a right as a 'right in rem' (zakelijk recht), within the meaning of Article 5 of Regulation No 1346/2000 of 29 May 2000 on insolvency proceedings (the "Regulation") must be determined according to the law of the place where the asset concerned is situated and the right in rem must satisfy certain criteria set out in Article 5(2) of the Regulation.
Il 5 aprile scorso l’Avvocato Generale Campos Sànchez-Bordona (AG) ha rassegnato le proprie conclusioni nell’ambito della causa C-245/16 pendente innanzi alla Corte di Giustizia (CdG) e instaurata su un rinvio pregiudiziale da parte del TAR Marche.
With its judgment of November 28, 2016, the German Supreme Tax Court (Bundesfinanzhof; “BFH”) dismissed the application of the tax administration’s so-called restructuring decree (Sanierungserlass). The restructuring decree allowed, subject to certain conditions, a suspension and abatement of taxes on so-called cancellation-of-debt income (“COD-Income”) otherwise resulting from certain recapitalization measures such as the waiver of debt and “debt-to-equity swaps”.
Het blijft nog even spannend rondom de pre-pack. De pre-pack is een methode waarbij de ondernemer die zijn faillissement ziet aankomen de rechter verzoekt een beoogd curator aan te stellen om te onderzoeken of een doorstart na het faillissement mogelijk is. Rechtbanken oordelen verschillend over de toelaatbaarheid van het toepassen van de pre-packmethode. Het wetsvoorstel Wet Continuïteit Ondernemingen I (‘WCO I’) moet aan deze onzekerheid een einde maken en de pre-pack een wettelijke basis geven.