As always, there has been a lot going on in insolvency.  We have highlighted below a few of the more important developments that we have seen in a very busy 2020 for insolvency lawyers. 

Re Tokenhouse VB Ltd (Formerly VAT Bridge 7 Ltd) [2020] EWHC 3171 (Ch)

The challenges facing the businesses of the United Kingdom at the start of 2021 are perhaps greater than any of us have seen in our lifetimes. In addition to the economic consequences of the restrictions on daily life imposed to counter Covid-19, we are now seeing the effects of the exit of the UK from the EU with businesses having had little time to get up to speed on the new regime.

I have obviously been a good boy this year because my gift from the Insolvency Service has arrived - the November 2020 Insolvency statistics. And like any properly brought up child, I decided to sneak a peek at my present before Christmas Day.

What the numbers show us is a continuation of the trend that the previous figures disclosed - corporate insolvencies remain markedly lower than the equivalent period last year. In Scotland in particular this is driven by a massive reduction in the number of compulsory liquidations this year (Nov 2019 - 56; Nov 2020 - 13).

Earlier this year the UK Government introduced a number of temporary measures intended to avoid large scale insolvencies across the country. One of these measures was the suspension of wrongful trading liability.

This suspension was in place until September 30, 2020. Most of the other temporary measures were extended (e.g. the effective suspension of winding up petitions by creditors has been extended until December 31, 2020) but the suspension of wrongful trading liability was not extended.

The Insolvency Service has released the latest insolvency statistics (to September 2020). 

These figures are particularly interesting as they shed light on the effects of the various changes to the insolvency landscape that have occurred since Covid-19 started to affect the economy.

Since March 2020, we have seen the introduction of the Corporate Insolvency & Governance Act ("CIGA"), Government schemes and lockdowns of various sizes, shapes and geographical restrictions. 

The statutory provisions for Restructuring Plans form a new Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006. CIGA was brought into force on June 26, 2020 and at a hearing in the High Court in London on September 2, 2020, the plan proposed by Virgin Atlantic, which was the first to be brought before the courts, was sanctioned.

La justicia europea se pronuncia sobre la aplicación de las garantías laborales en la transmisión de empresas cuando cedente y cesionario prevén la posterior desaparición del cesionario por liquidación. Nada impide segregar una parte de la empresa y posibilitar su autonomía, pero mantener la dependencia y provocar su quiebra resulta contrario al principio de estabilidad que rige el transfondo laboral de toda transmisión empresarial.

Ante el embargo de todos los saldos de las cuentas bancarias de la empresa por parte del Juzgado de lo Social, el administrador concursal solicita que sea el Juez de lo Mercantil el que se pronuncie sobre si los bienes a embargar son necesarios para la continuidad de la empresa. De ser así, el Juzgado de lo Social deberá esperar a la resolución mercantil antes de adoptar ninguna medida de embargo y habrá de devolver al administrador concursal las cantidades confiscadas.

El reconocimiento de la improcedencia del despido del trabajador en la fase de conciliación prejudicial implica asimismo el abono de la indemnización correspondiente al trabajador. Cuando, tras el acuerdo alcanzado, se intenta su ejecución pero la empresa declara su insolvencia, los trabajadores suelen recurrir al FOGASA para el cobro de las cantidades adeudadas.

La competencia del orden social para declarar una sucesión de empresas en caso de adquisición de unidad productiva en concurso no parece albergar duda alguna para la Sala de lo Social del Tribunal Supremo. A tal fin, se imponen la aplicación de la norma laboral, las consecuencias derivadas sobre la responsabilidad solidaria de empresa adquirente y transmitente en toda su extensión —para contratos vigentes y deudas derivadas de contratos ya extinguidos— y la inviabilidad, en tal caso, de la exoneración contenida en el plan de liquidación.