The High Court sanctioned Madagascar Oil Limited’s restructuring plan, exercising cross class cram down. The judgment deals with a few now familiar points: what is the relevant alternative? Can it be a different deal? As well as touching on a few novel ones in an unusual two class only plan: was there in fact an in the money class enabling cross class cram down? Almost a third of the judgment is devoted to international recognition and effectiveness of the plan in Madagascar and Mauritius, an unusually detailed analysis, but required here given the specific facts of the case.
On 28 March 2020, the Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, announced new insolvency measures to support companies under pressure as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In summary, the government is due to: (i) implement the landmark changes to the corporate insolvency regime that were announced in August 2018 (as discussed in Weil’s European Restructuring Watch update on 7 September 2018); and (ii) temporarily and retrospectively suspend wrongful trading provisions for three months.
Proposed Changes to the Corporate Insolvency Regime
Background
On 6 March 2020, the restructuring of Doncasters Group's 1.22 billion funded debt was completed. Following a successful non-core disposals program, the Doncasters Group (a leading worldwide supplier of high quality engineered components for the aerospace, industrial gas turbine and specialist automotive industries) operates from 12 principal manufacturing facilities based across the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Mexico and China.
Over the last two years, BEIS has issued a number of consultations either focussed on, or touching upon, corporate governance issues in insolvency or the broader insolvency framework.
On Friday, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation closed First Bank of Jacksonville, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.
On Friday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed The First National Bank of Barnesville, headquartered in Barnesville, Georgia, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.
On Friday, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation closed Progress Bank of Florida, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.
On Friday, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance closed The Gordon Bank, headquartered in Gordon, Georgia, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.
On Friday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed First Suburban National Bank, headquartered in Maywood, Illinois, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.
On Friday, the Office of Thrift Supervision closed First Arizona Savings, A FSB, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and appointed the FDIC as receiver.