On 1 June 2021, the Hong Kong Court of First Instance handed down another lengthy Judgment in the long-running dispute among certain members of the prominent Lo family.

The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (the “CFA“) has clarified in a recent judgment the application of section 182 of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (“CWUMPO“) and when the court will grant a validation order.

Initial arrangements have been put in place for mutual recognition and assistance to be provided by courts in Mainland China and Hong Kong in respect of corporate insolvency proceedings. This is a significant and long awaited development which could substantially enhance the ability for cross border insolvencies and restructurings to be administered and implemented across the two jurisdictions.

On 14 May 2021, the Vice-President of the Supreme People’s Court of the PRC and the Hong Kong Secretary for Justice signed a brief Record of Meeting, setting out a consensus on the mutual recognition of and assistance to insolvency proceedings between the Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Introduction

In the recent case of Re Victor River Ltd [2021] HKCFI 886, which concerns the winding-up of a foreign company, the Court of First Instance applied the long-developed three core requirements which must be satisfied before exercising discretionary jurisdiction of the Court. In particular, the Court discussed how the holding of shares in a delisted company may impact on the Court’s consideration of the three core requirements. 

Background

简介

债务偿还安排计划是一个重组公司债务的方法，让公司与其债权人或任何类别债权人订立安排 或达成妥协。在香港，香港法例第 622 章《公司条例》第 13 部规管有关安排及妥协。法院可 下令债权人就拟议订立的安排或妥协举行会议，并可在其后认许某安排或妥协，前提是在出席 该会议且有投票的债权人中，占当中价值最少 75%的过半数债权人或类别债权人同意该安排 或妥协。

在英国，《2006 年公司法》第 26 部列出有关债务偿还安排计划的相关规定。最近在英国 Port Finance Investment Limited [2021] EWHC 378 (Ch) 一案中，英国高等法院重申有关更改针对 第三方之权利及类别组合的原则。

背景

Introduction

A recent pair of decisions of the Hong Kong Companies Court (the “Court”) has immense potential significance for debtor companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (“HKEx”) and their Hong Kong creditors.

Facts

Re Lamtex Holdings Ltd [2021] HKCFI 622 and Re Ping An Securities Group (Holdings) Ltd [2021] HKCFI 651 both involved a familiar factual scenario:

Companies planning to resist a winding up petition and seek an adjournment on the ground of progressing a restructuring plan are reminded to produce timely and sufficient evidence in support of their application for an adjournment, in particular evidence of creditors’ support, provides the Hong Kong Companies Court (Court) in Re Founder Information (Hong Kong) Limited [2021] HKCFI 311.

简介

在最近 Re Lerthai Group Ltd [2021] HKCFI 207 一案中，原讼法庭澄清了法院在行使酌情权押 后清盘呈请以便公司能够进行债务重组时会考虑的因素。法院裁定，公司不但须证明在重组后 能够向要求立即还款的债权人偿还债务，而且须证明它将会继续经营盈利的业务，或至少在中 期内能够支付其到期债务。

背景

2017 年 9 月 29 日，中国工商银行（亚洲）有限公司（「工银亚洲」）与勒泰商业有限公司 （「勒泰」）订立了一份融资协议，融资金额为 1.5 亿港元。根据协议规定，香港联合交易所 有限公司主板上市的勒泰集团有限公司（「该公司」）须就此承担共同及各别责任。由于勒泰 及该公司拖欠还款，工银亚洲入禀追讨泰勒超过 1.7 亿港元的债务（「该债务」），并于 2020 年 5 月 19 日获判胜诉。

2020 年 7 月 2 日，工银亚洲就该债务对该公司发出法定要求偿债书。其后，该公司被提出清 盘呈请（「该呈请」）。该公司申请押后该呈请以便进行债务重组，而由于该公司的债务总额 接近 40 亿港元，工银亚洲请求法院立即颁下清盘令，因为其认为押后该呈请是徒劳无功的。 其他获发通知就该呈请出庭的债权人并没有出席聆讯。