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Cayman Islands Funds and Regulatory Update: Q3 2022

The following briefing provides a round-up of the Cayman legal and regulatory developments during the third quarter of 2022 that may be of interest to funds clients. We are pleased to note that there is nothing critical or requiring immediate action at this time.

Summary of recent legal and regulatory developments

Cayman Islands, Capital Markets, Insolvency & Restructuring, Private Client & Offshore Services, Ogier, Corporate governance, Liquidation, Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 (UK)
Timely amendments to UAE Bankruptcy Law introduced to cover emergency situations

Background

On 24 October 2020, the UAE Cabinet announced its decision to amend Federal Law No. 9 of 2016 (the "Bankruptcy Law") by adding certain provisions to allow for business continuity during emergency situations, including pandemics and natural disasters. This is a timely amendment to the Bankruptcy Law and has been introduced in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

United Arab Emirates, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Coronavirus
Transfers of shares of Cayman companies in liquidation

Over the past two or three years, we have seen an increasing number of cases where a client holds and wishes to sell or transfer shares in a Cayman Islands company which is in liquidation, or is seeking to purchase shares in such a company from another party.  In those circumstances, the transfer of the shares would be void absent the validation of the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, as a result of section 99 of the Companies Law (2013 Revision) ("Section 99").  Section 99 is in the following terms:

Cayman Islands, Insolvency & Restructuring, Private Client & Offshore Services, Ogier, Share (finance), Liquidation
Amendments to the insolvency regime in the Qatar Financial Centre

Important revisions to the insolvency legislation in the Qatar Financial Centre ("QFC") came into effect on 22 December 2013.

Qatar, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Dubai government releases details of a tailor-made restructuring process

At the same time as announcing that the Nakheel sukuk due for repayment on 14 December would be repaid in full, the Dubai government stated that it would pass a reorganisation law for the Dubai World group in case that group is unable to achieve an acceptable restructuring of its remaining obligations. The details of that new law have now been released in the form of Dubai Decree No. 57 for 2009 (the Decree).

The Decree is significant in two respects:

United Arab Emirates, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Injunction, Debt, Common law, Best practice, Dubai International Financial Centre, Civil Procedure Rules (UK), High Court judge (England and Wales)
Dubai World - government releases details of a tailor-made restructuring process

At the same time as announcing that the Nakheel sukuk due for repayment on 14 December would be repaid in full, the Dubai government stated that it would pass a reorganisation law for the Dubai World group in case that group is unable to achieve an acceptable restructuring of its remaining obligations. The details of that new law have now been released in the form of Dubai Decree No. 57 for 2009 (the Decree).

The Decree is significant in two respects:

United Arab Emirates, Insolvency & Restructuring, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, Debt, Common law, Best practice, Promulgation, Dubai International Financial Centre, High Court judge (England and Wales)