The government’s monthly insolvency statistics for August 2022 present a concerning trend for companies hoping to weather the storm amid the current economic crisis. Largely driven by creditors’ voluntary liquidations, company insolvencies were 43% higher than the same period last year and 42% higher than in 2019 (pre-pandemic).
With administration figures creeping back up after falling to low levels during the pandemic, the number of pre-pack sales of businesses in administration also appears to be on the increase. In such transactions, a purchaser acquires all, or substantially all, of the business and assets of the insolvent company from the administrator, with the terms of the deal being agreed pre-appointment and completion usually taking place immediately after the administrator takes office.
Key Points
In July, the Government published its report on The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) introducing two new Model Laws with the aim of improving harmonisation of international trade and insolvency procedures: the Model Law on Enterprise Group Insolvency (MLEG) and the Model Law on Recognition and Enforcement of Insolvency-Related Judgments (MLIJ).The Insolvency Service is proposing to adopt the new measures contained in the MLEG and MLIJ as set out below.
CJEU pronounces on “mobile conflict” and the effects of Brexit in relation to insolvency proceedings
Judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union on March 24, 2022
El TJUE se pronuncia sobre el “conflicto móvil” y los efectos del Brexit en materia de insolvencia
Sentencia del Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea de 24 de marzo de 2022
Insolvency Law Reform Bill published
On December 21, 2021, the Council of Ministers approved the Insolvency Law Reform Bill, which was published in the Official Gazette of the Spanish Parliament on January 14, 2022 (available here), and then initiated its passage through parliament as fast-tracked legislation.
Se publica el Proyecto de Ley de Reforma del Texto Refundido de la Ley Concursal
El 21 de diciembre de 2021, el Consejo de Ministros aprobó el Proyecto de Ley de Reforma de la Ley Concursal, que fue publicado en el Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales el 14 de enero de 2022 (disponible aquí). Se inició así su tramitación parlamentaria por el procedimiento de urgencia.
Analizamos las principales novedades en materia de insolvencia internacional contenidas en el Proyecto de Ley de reforma del Texto Refundido de la Ley Concursal. Sin perjuicio del texto final que resulte aprobado tras la correspondiente tramitación parlamentaria, el capítulo dedicado a la insolvencia internacional es uno de los que menos enmiendas han recibido y, por tanto, donde previsiblemente se producirán menos cambios.
We analyze the main novelties of the international insolvency regulation introduced in the Insolvency Law Reform Bill. Although the final wording will be approved after its passage through parliament, the chapter on international insolvency is among those that received the fewest amendments and therefore is expected to see the fewest changes. We therefore predict that all or a large part of the comments made below will also be applicable to the wording of the Insolvency Law that will be approved at the end of the process.