The most innovative features of the new Insolvency Code include, among others: (i) the introduction of safeguard obligations aimed at detecting corporate distress and promoting the adoption of restructuring tools at an early stage; (ii) a more favourable approach to procedures allowing for business continuation on a going concern basis, as opposed to those leading to liquidation of the company; and (iii) specific provisions concerning the insolvency / restructuring of company groups.

Introduction

Il D.L. 24 agosto 2021 n. 118 (Decreto Crisi d’Impresa) è ora legge: il 23 ottobre 2021 è stata pubblicata in Gazzetta Ufficiale la L. 147/2021 di conversione del D.L.

The conversion into statute on 23 October 2021 of the so-called Business Distress Bill adds new provisions to those recently adopted by the Italian government to address corporate distress following the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide companies with new legal tools to prevent the onset of economic distress or overcome reversible financial instability.

Nearly a year ago, the Italian Parliament passed Law 155/2017 giving the Government twelve months to adopt a root and branch reform of the rules governing business distress and insolvency procedures, taking into account European legislation (EU Regulation 2015/848, Commission Recommendation 2014/135) and the principles of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.

The ordinance n°2017-748 dated 4 May 2017 to enter into force on 1 October 2017, completely reshapes the legal regime of the security agent, widely inspired by the security agent regime under OHADA law. Thus, French law continues its modernisation and attractiveness programme by creating a legal instrument able to compete with the security trustee involved in syndicated loans and bond issues in common law countries. The new provisions will clarify the legal regime of the security agent and reinforce creditors' protection, through:

There is no equivalent to the English law concept of trust under French law.  This means that where a syndicated loan is to be secured by French obligors, security interests must generally be granted independently to each member of the syndicate (there will be a list of pledgees contained in the security document).  Any change to that group of lenders would generally entail the transfer of the French law security to each new lender.

Significant innovations have been introduced in Italy by Law Decree no. 83 of 27 June 2015 (entitledUrgent Measures on Insolvency, Civil and Procedural Matters and the Organization and Functioning of Judicial Commissioners (the "Decree").The Decree was converted by the Italian Parliament into statutory law no.132 enacted 6 August 2015 (the "Conversion Law").