Liability management transactions which may favour a subset of creditors over another are increasingly common in the US leveraged finance markets. 2024 may be seen as the year in which these US imports began to make a real impact in Europe. Which strategies could creditors employ to protect themselves from unfavourable treatment where such transactions are attempted?

Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of April 15, 2024.

Two recent cases out of the Third Circuit and the Southern District of New York highlight some of the developing formulas US courts are using when engaging with foreign debtors. In a case out of the Third Circuit, Vertivv. Wayne Burt, the court expanded on factors to be considered when deciding whether international comity requires the dismissal of US civil claims that impact foreign insolvency proceedings.

Senior secured creditors, being the anchor creditor in the capital stack, will always be focused on ensuring their priority claim is as robust as possible, with clearly delineated capacity for 'super priority' debt. However, today's documentary flexibilities, coupled with local legal restrictions, can mean senior secured creditors are not as 'senior secured' as they think. Here are some points to think about.

Super Senior Debt

Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of January 15, 2024.

Good afternoon. Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of December 18, 2023.

When a majority of a company’s board approves a tender offer in good faith, can it still be avoided as an actually fraudulent transfer? Yes, says the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, holding that the fraudulent intent of a corporation’s CEO who was a board member and exercised control over the board can be imputed to the corporation, even if he was the sole actor with fraudulent intent.

Background

Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of September 4, 2023.

In AssessNet Inc. v. Ferro Estate, the Court set aside an order dismissing the action, finding that the summary judgment motion judge had erred in determining the issue of discoverability of a claim against a trustee in bankruptcy.

Torgersrud v Lightstone is a family law decision where the Court dismissed an appeal from an order setting aside a marriage contract entered into in Quebec in 1988.

Good afternoon. Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of August 28, 2023.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last long weekend of the summer.

Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation v. Canada (Attorney General) is a 125-page decision dealing with the claim of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation to submerged lands in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. The claim was mostly unsuccessful.

Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of July 17, 2023.