In a recent landmark case, the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong (CFA) clarified its approach to bankruptcy proceedings where the disputed petition debt arises from a contract with an exclusive jurisdiction clause (EJC) favouring a foreign court.
Background
The bankruptcy proceedings related to a disputed debt due under a credit agreement with an EJC favouring New York. The Hong Kong Court of Appeal (CA) upheld the EJC, setting aside the bankruptcy order to allow the dispute to be determined under the agreed jurisdiction. The applicant appealed to the CFA.
Re Gatecoin Limited (Gatecoin) is a landmark decision concerning the winding-up of a cryptocurrency exchange.
Background
Liquidators secured over 50 types of cryptocurrencies with an aggregate value of over HK$140m. To aid the liquidator’s allocation of the seized cryptocurrencies, the Court of First Instance decided two key issues.
Decision
The court held that:
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services (the Committee) has delivered its report following an inquiry into the “effectiveness of Australia’s corporate insolvency laws in protecting and maximising value for the benefit of all interested parties and the economy”.
In the much-anticipated decision of Bryant v Badenoch Integrated Logging Pty Ltd [2023] HCA 2 (Badenoch (HCA)), the High Court of Australia (the HCA) has now confirmed that the peak indebtedness rule may not be used when assessing the quantum of an unfair preference claim arising from a continuing business relationship.
The Federal Court of Australia (Court) has handed down the first reported decision on the ipso facto stay provisions contained in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Act).
On 9 December 2022, in the first restructuring to be implemented by way of a parallel and overlapping Hong Kong scheme and English restructuring plan, the English High Court approved a restructuring plan proposed by Hong Kong Airlines Limited (Hong Kong Airlines). The High Court of Hong Kong followed suit on 14 December 2022 and approved a scheme of arrangement on broadly the same terms.
The approved restructuring has saved Hong Kong Airlines from imminent liquidation and aims to secure its continued existence as a going concern.
Background
Chief Justice Hammerschlag, sitting in the New South Wales Supreme Court (the Court), has delivered a judgement of importance to secured creditor and insolvency practitioners alike in Volkswagen Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd v Atlas CTL Pty Ltd (Recs and Mngrs Apptd) (In liq) [2022] NSWSC 573 (Atlas).
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services (the Committee) has commenced an inquiry into the “effectiveness of Australia’s corporate insolvency laws in protecting and maximising value for the benefit of all interested parties and the economy”.[1]
A recent Hong Kong Court of Appeal decision examined a creditor’s right to commence bankruptcy/insolvency proceedings where the petition debt arises from an agreement containing an exclusive jurisdiction clause in favour of a foreign court: Guy Kwok-Hung Lam v Tor Asia Credit Master Fund LP [2022] HKCA 1297.
In The Australian Sawmilling Company Pty Ltd (in liq) v Environment Protection Authority [2021] VSCA 294 (Australian Sawmilling), the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal (VSCA) dismissed an appeal by the liquidators of The Australian Sawmilling Company Pty Ltd (TASCO) against a decision of Garde J of the Victorian Supreme Court (VSC) setting aside the liquidators’ disclaimer of land subject to significant environmental ‘clean up’ costs (Primary Judgment).