Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 saw some significant developments in offshore restructuring, insolvency and corporate recovery, with the passage of new legislation and the handing down of judgments providing welcome clarification on laws relevant to practitioners in this area.
What are the principal insolvency procedures for companies in your jurisdiction?
Domestic Procedures
In this article, consultant John Greenfield, partner David Jones and associate Steven Balmer, examine innovative mechanisms by which creditors may seek to investigate secure assets held in Guernsey structures. In the second part of the article, the authors look particularly at companies and how the traditional insolvency regimes may be employed in aid of creditors but also at how the use of share security may unlock certain doors.
As many readers will know, Guernsey has recently approved a significant set of reforms to our insolvency legislation, to bring it in line with comparable jurisdictions such as England. A rules committee is also working on a set of corresponding rules to deal with the finer procedural points that affect a Guernsey insolvency. You can read Ogier's briefing on the new reforms here.
Introduction
The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (“Companies Law”) provides for companies, protected cell companies (“PCCs”), incorporated cell companies (“ICCs”) and cells of PCCs and ICCs to be placed into administration and for an administrator to be appointed to manage that entity's affairs whilst the administration order remains in force.
As Guernsey companies, like their international counterparts, fight to manage the COVID-19 crisis with differing levels of state support, much has been reported about potential changes to the insolvency framework available to bolster survival measures.
Private wealth structures are not immune from insolvency. Here we examine the Jersey and Guernsey position from the trustee's perspective and consider the issues with which a trustee needs to be familiar.
Test for insolvency
The impact of Covid-19 on businesses has already been significant, with several high-profile businesses in the UK and the Channel Islands ceasing to trade or entering administration. The sudden drop in custom as a result of restrictions imposed to protect the community from Covid-19 (the Restrictions) have resulted in businesses experiencing severe, if not crippling, cash flow issues.