The concept that a court- or insolvency-appointed director (such as a liquidator or administrator) may “adopt” employment contracts — well known under UK insolvency practice — has no direct equivalent under Hungarian law. Nevertheless, it is important in practice to understand when a managing director becomes the actual addressee of employer obligations.

Hungarian Context

The key actors in Hungarian insolvency and restructuring proceedings are:

If a company faces a situation threatening insolvency, the satisfaction of creditors' claims is at risk. In such cases, the company's managers must prioritize the interests of the creditors, and for failure to do so, they are subject to civil and/or criminal liability, which we describe in this article.

Overview

The European insolvency landscape is undergoing a period of intense transformation, driven by EU-level legislative initiatives and national responses to disruptions – most notably the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Insolvency and liquidation proceedings inevitably raise the question of how competing creditor claims are ranked. One area of particular importance is the treatment of employee claims, as legislators typically grant them special protection to safeguard livelihoods. Hungarian insolvency law reflects this policy by granting priority status to certain employee entitlements.

When Do Employee Claims Rank Ahead of Other Creditors?

In insolvency and liquidation proceedings, the question regularly arises of how competing creditor claims should be satisfied. Of particular importance is the treatment of employee claims, as legislators typically seek to ensure their special protection. Hungarian insolvency law addresses this concern by granting certain employee claims a privileged ranking.

When do employee claims take precedence over other creditors?

The Hungarian Supreme Court has ruled that in a lawsuit initiated by an insolvent debtor, a creditor’s claim arising after the commencement date of the liquidation cannot be enforced as a set-off claim against the debtor.

Background

Hungarian insolvency law already knows the concept of avoidance actions. Allowing creditors and liquidators to challenge certain transactions aims to protect the value of the insolvency estate. Although the principles of Hungarian insolvency law are the same as those outlined in the European Commission's proposal for a Directive (i.e. Proposed Directive), there are some aspects which would need to be carefully thought through before they are harmonised.

In Hungary, many creditors choose liquidation procedure instead of classic court procedures (i.e. order for payment and civil litigation) in order to recover their claims. A recent decision has once again demonstrated that liquidation proceedings can in many cases be a simpler solution for creditors to recover their claims. In this article following an introduction to the relevant rules of the liquidation procedure we will examine this decision.

1. Liquidation procedure in nutshell

The success of the recently introduced pre-pack-like rules in Hungary will help determined how the EU Directive on pre-pack sales will be implemented in this country.

Existing pre-pack-like rules

The events in the last few years have had significant and lasting impacts on business in general and restructuring in particular, with the latter referring to the various options available for firms experiencing difficulties. European economies, hit by both the upheavals caused by the health crisis and geopolitical tensions, have also been a