With the impact of COVID-19 rapidly being felt by businesses, 2020 is likely to see a number of Australian insureds face insolvency. While this presents a number of challenges for (re)insurers in the Australian market, there are steps that (re)insurers can take to manage the situation and their exposures.

The Western Cape High Court^[1] has recently passed judgment in a decision which reiterates the bounds of the duties of directors of holding companies to subsidiary companies.  Even though the case involved a damages claim against the liquidators of the holding company (in liquidation), the principle applies equally to directors.