Two recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions demonstrate that the corporate attribution doctrine is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Court approval of a sale process in receivership or Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”) proposal proceedings is generally a procedural order and objectors do not have an appeal as of right; they must seek leave and meet a high test in order obtain it. However, in Peakhill Capital Inc. v.
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In the recent case of Re Unity Group Holdings International Limited [2022] HKCFI 3419, the Hong Kong Court of First Instance sanctioned a scheme of arrangement between Unity Group Holdings International Limited and its creditors. This case confirms that the guarantor’s scheme can discharge debts owed by principal obligors who are members of the same group.
On October 17, 2022, Justice Andrea Masley of the NY Supreme Court issued a decision and order denying all but one of the motion to dismiss claims filed by Boardriders, Oaktree Capital (an equity holder, term lender, and “Sponsor” under the credit agreement), and an ad hoc group of lenders (the “Participating Lenders”) that participated in an “uptiering” transaction that included new money investments and roll-ups of existing term loan debt into new priming debt that would sit at the top of the company’s capital structure.
On October 14, 2022, the Fifth Circuit issued its decision in Ultra Petroleum, granting favorable outcomes to “unimpaired” creditors that challenged the company’s plan of reorganization and argued for payment (i) of a ~$200 million make-whole and (ii) post-petition interest at the contractual rate, not the Federal Judgment Rate. At issue on appeal was the Chapter 11 plan proposed by the “massively solvent” debtors—Ultra Petroleum Corp. (HoldCo) and its affiliates, including subsidiary Ultra Resources, Inc.
On July 6, Delaware Bankruptcy Court Judge Craig T. Goldblatt issued a memorandum opinion in the bankruptcy cases of TPC Group, Inc., growing the corpus of recent court decisions tackling “uptiering” and other similar transactions that have been dubbed by some practitioners and investors as “creditor-on-creditor violence.” This topic has been a hot button issue for a few years, playing out in a number of high profile scenarios, from J.Crew and Travelport to Serta Simmons and TriMark, among others.
On 14 June 2022, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (the “CFA”) handed down a long-awaited and landmark judgement in Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Limited v Arjowiggins HKK 2 Limited[2022] HKCFA 11, which would have significant implications to companies incorporated in offshore jurisdictions but listed in Hong Kong.
In the recent case of Re Joint and Several Liquidators of Ozner Water International Holding Ltd 浩澤淨水國際控股有限公司 (In Liquidation) [2022] HKCU 940, the Hong Kong Court of First Instance (Hong Kong Court) granted an application by the liquidators (Liquidators) of Ozner Water International Holding Ltd. (Company) for a letter of request for recognition and assistance (Letter of Request) to be issued to the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court (Shenzhen Court).
In the landmark decision in case (2021)粤03认港破1号(2021) Yue 03 Ren Gang Po No. 1 (Shenzhen Court Decision), the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court (Shenzhen Court) ordered formal recognition in Mainland China of liquidators appointed by the Hong Kong Court of First Instance (Hong Kong Court) over Samson Paper Company Limited (Company) to permit the liquidators to exercise powers over the Company’s assets located in Mainland China.
On August 26, 2020, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that the Bankruptcy Code does not require subordination agreements to be strictly enforced in order for a court to confirm a cramdown plan, so long as the plan does not discriminate unfairly.