在最新的 Re USUM Investment Group Ltd[2026] HKCFI 1320 一案中,香港公司法庭就普通法下对内地重整程序的承认(recognition)与协助(assistance),处理了若干“新颖而重要的问题(Novel and Important Questions)”,包括:香港法庭是否有权承认经境外法院(本案为内地法院)批准的企业破产重整;如有,具体的协助范围包括哪些?
本案中,香港公司法庭最终批准了由重庆市第五中级人民法院委任的管理人(Administrators)在香港提出的申请。该判决为日后内地与香港跨境重整的处理方式提供了更清晰的、权威性的分析路径,并进一步强化香港作为普通法跨境破产/重整枢纽司法管辖区的定位。
事实背景
In Re USUM Investment Group Ltd[2026] HKCFI 1320, the Hong Kong Companies Court delivered a landmark judgment concerned with “novel and important questions as to whether the court has power to recognize a restructuring approved by a foreign court and, if so, the extent of such assistance”.
In a recent decision, Deputy High Court Judge Gary CC Lam dismissed an application to strike out an unfair preference claim brought by the liquidators of RZ3262019 Limited. The judgment provides a significant analysis of issue estoppel, particularly on the novel question of how an issue is characterised when a foreign court has applied a different, higher standard of proof.
Background
On 15 May 2023 (with Reasons for Decision delivered on 18 May 2023), the Companies Court made a winding-up order against Dangdai International Investments Ltd (當代國際投資有限公司) (“the Company”) which is in turn wholly owned by Wuhan Dangdai Science & Technology Industries (Group) Company Ltd (武漢當代科技產業集團股份有限公司) (“Wuhan Dangdai”).
With two decisions (No. 1895/2018 and No. 1896/2018), both filed on 25 January 2018, the Court of Cassation reached opposite conclusions in the two different situations
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The Constitutional Court (6 December 2017) confirmed that Art. 147, para. 5, of the Italian Bankruptcy Law does not violate the Constitution as long as it is interpreted in a broad sense
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With the decision No. 1195 of 18 January 2018, the Court of Cassation ruled on the powers of the extraordinary commissioner to require performance of pending contracts and on the treatment of the relevant claims of the suppliers
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The Court of Cassation with a decision of 25 September 2017, No. 22274 confirms that Art. 74 of the Italian Bankruptcy Law provides a special rule, which does not apply to cases to which it is not explicitly extended
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With the decision No. 1649 of 19 September 2017 the Court of Appeals of Catania followed the interpretation according to which a spin-off is not subject to the avoiding powers of a bankruptcy receiver
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