Les opérations de gestion du passif gagnent en popularité dans le monde du financement par emprunt. Lorsque les emprunteurs et les émetteurs de titres de créance éprouvent des difficultés à honorer les obligations liées à leurs facilités de crédit, à leurs obligations d’épargne ou à d’autres titres de créance, ils ont recours à des opérations de gestion du passif pour restructurer leurs engagements afin d’obtenir des liquidités supplémentaires sans avoir à obtenir le consentement unanime de leurs créanciers actuels.

Deciding the parameters of directors' personal liability for actions, or omissions, when a company continues to trade while it is or near insolvent requires a balance to be struck between allowing directors latitude to try to rescue the company and protecting the company's creditors.

The Supreme Court has recently released a decision on directors' duties, which should serve as a timely reminder to all directors of their duties under the Companies Act in circumstances of insolvency. Continuing to trade while insolvent will be a breach of your duties, even if you believe that overall creditors may be better off or the extent of losses will be reduced. It is however welcome confirmation for liquidators that the Courts will enforce the provisions of the Companies Act based on the clear wording of these sections.

What role does business common sense play in the interpretation of commercial contracts? This issue was recently addressed by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in Rainy Sky S.A. v. Kookmin Bank. The answer: “where a term of a contract is open to more than one interpretation, it is generally appropriate to adopt the interpretation which is most consistent with business common sense”. Since there is currently some uncertainty in Canada on the point, Rainy Sky is an important case to consider.

Decision