The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 makes the most significant changes to UK insolvency law in a generation. The Act introduces three permanent measures: a new free standing moratorium, a new restructuring plan process (largely modelled on schemes of arrangement but with the addition of a cross-class cram-down), and restrictions on termination of contracts for the supply of goods and services. The moratorium and the restructuring plan are of particular significance to secured lenders, and this note addresses some of the most frequently asked questions by the ABL community.

An insight into the key issues and challenges facing global infrastructure projects, and a look at possible solutions and mitigations.

In brief

Cross-border insolvency of multinational groups

WGV aims to agree a set of key principles and draft text for a regime to address crossborder insolvency in the context of enterprise groups (defined widely to mean any entity, regardless of its legal form, that is engaged in economic activities and may be governed by insolvency law). This has started to take a form most suited to a stand-alone supplement to the Model Law. The Group’s secretariat produced a draft legislative text, incorporating three principles agreed by WGV. The three principles are:

Political and economic uncertainty in the aftermath of the referendum result in the UK has dampened sentiment on the high street and hit consumer confidence.

According to the National Institute of Economic and Research, there is an "even" chance of Britain falling into recession by the end of next year and the Bank of England has significantly reduced its growth forecast for 2017.

The UK Government has released a long awaited consultation document proposing new controls on IT suppliers’ dealings with customers facing insolvency.

To a degree this brings the termination provisions of the UK’s insolvency rescue regimes (administration and company voluntary arrangements) in line with some other jurisdictions, such as the US, which, broadly, do not allow supplier termination for customer insolvency.

Introduction

Introduction

With grimly apposite timing, in June, the Supreme Court gave its decision in Bresco Electrical Services Ltd (in Liquidation) v Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd and turned on its head the construction industry’s understanding of an insolvent company’s right to pursue an adjudication. It will fundamentally affect construction insolvencies.

The EU Directive on restructuring and insolvency was published in the OJEU on Wednesday. Members states have until 17 July 2020 to implement it, and this includes the UK as it stands: the UK has much – but not all – of it already. The UK Government has its own plans for reforming insolvency law of course, including to re-introduce Crown Preference. It is mostly about creating a rescue framework.

Scope 

The recast EIR continues to apply to all European member states other than Denmark and has been extended in scope to new categories of proceedings, including rehabilitation proceedings, which are set out in annex A. The emphasis remains on collective proceedings and, consequently, the UK’s receivership and administrative receivership regimes remain outside the scope of the recast regulation. 

This edition of Global Insight comes to you shortly after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.