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Two recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions demonstrate that the corporate attribution doctrine is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

The Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2023 (Collective Redundancies AmendmentAct) came into operation on 1 July 2024.

The Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2023 (Act) came into effect on 1 July 2024.

The Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2024 (Act) has been signed into law but awaits a commencement order to bring it into operation.

In summary, the Act amends the Companies Act 2014 (Companies Act) by modifying the attribution test for related companies to contribute to the debts of the company being wound up, broadening the operative time for unfair preferences, and varying the test for reckless trading.

1. Related company contribution

一、问题的提出

债务人向债权人借款,由保证人提供保证担保。借款到期后,债务人与保证人均未偿还该笔借款。后法院裁定受理保证人的破产申请,债权人因此向保证人的管理人申报债权,要求保证人就债务人所欠借款及利息承担保证责任。管理人审查并确认了该笔债权。(简见以下表1案型法律关系表)根据《最高人民法院关于适用〈中华人民共和国民法典〉有关担保制度的解释》(下称“《民法典担保制度解释》”)第22条之规定,[1]保证债权应当自保证人的破产申请受理时起停止计息。与债务人破产时保证债权随同主债权停止计息不同的是,保证人破产导致保证债权停止计息,却不能反向及于主债权也停止计息。其后债务人向债权人清偿了部分债务。此时,管理人将面临如下难题:在主债权未停止计息的情况下,债权人获得债务人部分清偿后,在保证人的破产程序中,管理人先前认定的债权数额是否须要调整?如果须要调整,应该如何进行调整?鉴于该问题在实务中相对较为前沿,笔者曾多次尝试检索与之相关的法规、判例、理论文献、实务文章等,对于解决该问题的资料寥寥无几。虽无前人的解决方案可供参照,但该问题仍然亟待解决。在缺乏相应法律规范的情况下,下文将通过民法基础理论的推演,尝试为解决这一问题提供思路。

Following on from the UK Supreme Court decision in Sequana (discussed here), the recent UK High Court (UKHC) decision in Hunt v Singh [2023] EWHC 1784 (Ch), further considered the duty of directors to take into account the interests of creditors in certain circumstances.

Court approval of a sale process in receivership or Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”) proposal proceedings is generally a procedural order and objectors do not have an appeal as of right; they must seek leave and meet a high test in order obtain it. However, in Peakhill Capital Inc. v.

The High Court (Court) recently dismissed a petition seeking the winding up of a biofuel company (Company).

The ex tempore judgment is of note because it considers the standing of the Petitioner to bring the application and the consequences of a relevant witness not being cross-examined by the Petitioner on his affidavit evidence regarding the solvency of the Company.

Background

A previously unsettled aspect regarding the High Court’s (Court) jurisdiction to appoint an examiner to a company which is not formed or registered under the Companies Act 2014 (2014 Act), has been considered in the recent case of In the matter of MAC Interiors Ltd [2023] IEHC 395.

Earlier this year, a group of bondholders advised by William Fry and owed over US$175m by GTLK Europe DAC (GTLK Europe) and GTLK Europe Capital DAC (GTLK Capital) (collectively the Companies) petitioned for the winding up of the Companies on a number of grounds, including that they had failed to discharge scheduled interest payments and the accelerated debt constituted by the bonds following the interest payment defaults.