Dispute Resolution Beijing/Hong Kong/Shanghai Client Alert Court of Final Appeal Widens Shareholders’ Rights for the Winding-up of Foreign Companies in Hong Kong The Court of Final Appeal’s recent decision in the Yung Kee saga (Kam Leung Sui Kwan, Personal Representative of the Estate of Kam Kwan Sing, the deceased v Kam Kwan Lai & Ors (FACV 4/2015, 11 November 2015)) has widened the door to winding-up relief for shareholders of foreign companies.

Introduction

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Recovery and resolution planning October 2015 1 The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the Hong Kong Government (FSTB) in conjunction with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and the Insurance Authority (IA)1 on 9 October 2015 published a paper entitled An Effective Resolution Regime for Financial Institutions in Hong Kong: Consultation Response and Certain Further Issues (CP3).2 Background Following from the recent global financial crisis, the G20 tasked the Financial Stability Board (FSB) with

In the recent case Kam Leung Sui Kwan v Kam Kwan Lai & Ors FACV 4/2015 (11 November 2015), the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (“CFA”) ordered the ultimate foreign holding company of a world famous roast goose restaurant in Hong Kong, Yung Kee Holdings Limited (“Yung Kee”) to be wound up on the grounds that it is just and equitable to do so pursuant to section 327(3)(c) of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) (“Section 327(3)(c)”).

In a judgment given on 5 November 2015, the Final Appeal Court in Hong Kong held that s30A(10)(a) of the Bankruptcy Ordinance, which prevents the period of bankruptcy running from the date the Bankruptcy Order if the bankrupt is outside of Hong Kong, is unconstitutional. The Court found that the provision, which provides that upon returning to Hong Kong the Bankrupt must inform his Trustee and the period of bankruptcy runs from that date, is a disproportionate infringement on an individual's right to travel.

Summary

In Wong Tak Man, Stephen & Another v Cheung Siu Fai & Ors [2015] HMP 1431/2012, the Court held that transfers of funds made by a bankrupt were not transactions at undervalue or unfair preferences pursuant to s49 and s50 of the Bankruptcy Ordinance (the "BO"). This case serves as a useful reminder on how the Court will interpret s49 and s50 BO, as deemed to be applied in a corporate context by s.266B(1)(a) of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap 32).

Facts 

In the recent case of Official Receiver v Zhi Charles (FACV 8/2015) (5 November 2015), the Court of Final Appeal (the "CFA") found s 30A(10)(a) of the Bankruptcy Ordinance (Cap 6) (the "BO") unconstitutional.

Official Receiver v Zhi Charles, formerly known as Chang Hyun Chi, and Joint and Several Trustees of the Estate of Chan Hyun Chi, the Bankrupt (FACV 8/2015)

The Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund (the "Fund") was established in 1985 to provide timely relief in the form of an ex gratia payment to eligible employees affected by the insolvency of their employers, for example where employees' severance payments are withheld pending winding-up proceedings. Section 16(2) of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance (the "Ordinance") provides that the Commissioner for Labour shall not make payment out of the Fund of amounts exceeding certain caps.