Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, insolvent companies have sought court intervention relating to the payment of rent during lockdown periods. In the most recent decision on this issue, the Quebec Superior Court (Court) ruled that a debtor undergoing a restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) (CCAA) should not be relieved of its obligation to pay post-filing rent, even in circumstances where its ability to use the leased premises is constrained by governmental orders.

Buried inside the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which the President signed into law on December 27, 2020, is a critical provision that will help keep U.S. trade flowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the bankruptcy relief section temporarily amends the U.S.