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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

This article answers FAQs on restructuring and corporate recovery options available in the Cayman Islands.

Domestic procedures

Question

O Conselho Nacional de Justiça (“CNJ”) aprovou, na 307ª Sessão Ordinária, realizada de forma virtual no dia 31 de março de 2020, orientações para os juízos competentes para processamento de recuperações judiciais, diante do estado de calamidade pública e severo impacto econômico gerados pelo COVID-19.

As orientações foram aprovadas pelo CNJ por meio do Ato Normativo nº 0002561-26.2020.2.00.0000, sob relatoria do Conselheiro Relator Henrique Ávila.

A pandemia acarretada pelo Covid-19 impactou severamente a atividade econômica, diante da necessidade de adoção de medidas cada vez mais restritivas com o objetivo de diminuir a curva de propagação do coronavírus.

O impacto econômico está sendo sentido por diversos setores da economia, sendo que a mudança abrupta no cenário financeiro surpreendeu o mercado como um todo e tem tornado cada vez mais difícil o cumprimento de obrigações pelas partes contratantes.

Domestic Procedures

What are the principal insolvency procedures for companies in your jurisdiction?

Liquidation: voluntary and official.

Cayman does not have an equivalent to the English concept of the company administration or to the Chapter 11 process in the United States.

Schemes of Arrangement/“Soft Touch Liquidations” allow the company to enter into an agreement with its shareholders and/or creditors.

This week’s TGIF takes a look at the recent case of Mills Oakley (a partnership) v Asset HQ Australia Pty Ltd [2019] VSC 98, where the Supreme Court of Victoria found the statutory presumption of insolvency did not arise as there had not been effective service of a statutory demand due to a typographical error in the postal address.

What happened?

This week’s TGIF examines a decision of the Victorian Supreme Court which found that several proofs had been wrongly admitted or rejected, and had correct decisions been made, the company would not have been put into liquidation.

BACKGROUND

This week’s TGIF considers Re Broens Pty Limited (in liq) [2018] NSWSC 1747, in which a liquidator was held to be justified in making distributions to creditors in spite of several claims by employees for long service leave entitlements.

What happened?

On 19 December 2016, voluntary administrators were appointed to Broens Pty Limited (the Company). The Company supplied machinery & services to manufacturers in aerospace, rail, defence and mining industries.

This week’s TGIF considers the recent case of Vanguard v Modena [2018] FCA 1461, where the Court ordered a non-party director to pay indemnity costs due to his conduct in opposing winding-up proceedings against his company.

Background

Vanguard served a statutory demand on Modena on 27 September 2017 seeking payment of outstanding “commitment fees” totalling $138,000 which Modena was obliged, but had failed, to repay.