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Singapore unveils major debt restructuring law reforms

Singapore’s Ministry of Law has unveiled significant proposed changes aimed at revising Singapore’s restructuring and insolvency laws and developing Singapore into a regional debt restructuring hub.1

IN BRIEF

Draft legislation unveiled

Singapore, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Debt restructuring
Recognition of foreign insolvencies at common law: Singapore sets COMI precedent

In Brief

For the first time, a court has adopted the ‘centre of main interest’ (COMI) as grounds at common law to recognise foreign insolvency proceedings.

The decision earlier this year by the High Court of Singapore (the Court) recognised a Japanese bankruptcy trustee appointed to companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI):

Singapore, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Private Client & Offshore Services, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Liquidation, Common law, UNCITRAL, Singapore High Court
Australia's Insolvency and Bankruptcy Law Reform: ipso facto clauses

Major insolvency reform: Getting the (ipso) factos straight

In brief

Australia, USA, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Bankruptcy
Australia's Insolvency and Bankruptcy Law Reform: Safe harbour

In brief

Australia, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Bankruptcy
Australian Government forges ahead with major insolvency law reform

On 29 April 2016, the Australian Federal Government (Government) announced three major insolvency law reform proposals in its Improving Bankruptcy and Insolvency Laws Proposal Paper1 (Proposal). The Government has invited submissions from stakeholders and given this is a rare opportunity to undertake substantial reform, we strongly encourage involvement. 

Australia, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Stakeholder (corporate)
German insolvency laws continue to facilitate out-of-court restructurings: German legislation resolves to permanently apply current restructuring friendly overindebtedness regime

The German Insolvency Code requires the management of German limited liability companies (GmbH), stock corporations (AG) and other entities without personal liability to file for the commencement of insolvency proceedings no later than three weeks after the entity has become illiquid (zahlungsunfähig) or overindebted (überschuldet).  

Germany, Insolvency & Restructuring, Latham & Watkins LLP, Market liquidity, Liquidation, Balance sheet
EU Commission proposes Crisis Management Directive

Following some delay, on June 6, 2012 the European Commission finally published its Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms (so-called Crisis Management Directive1 or CMD), which — once adopted — will apply to the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), but may also have relevance for those three contracting states of the Treaty on the European Economic Area (EEA), which are not member states of the EU.

European Union, Banking, Insolvency & Restructuring, Latham & Watkins LLP, Investment company, Direct effect of EU law, European Commission, European Economic Area, European Banking Authority
Recognition of English schemes of arrangements in Germany: latest developments in the Equitable Life case

English schemes of arrangement under the Companies Act 2006 (Schemes) have been increasingly used by non-English companies as a powerful tool to restructure their financial indebtedness. Recent prominent examples of German companies that have utilized Schemes to cramdown non-consenting or “holdout” creditors in order to restructure the company’s balance sheet include TeleColumbus, Rodenstock and Primacom.

There are several reasons for this trend:

Germany, United Kingdom, Insolvency & Restructuring, Litigation, Latham & Watkins LLP, Debt, Companies Act 2006 (UK), Insolvency Act 1986 (UK)