Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led certain infrastructure businesses to face significant disruptions to operations and revenues, giving rise in many instances to breaches or potential breaches of finance documentation. This article considers at high-level issues to be mindful of when undertaking waiver processes to address such breaches.

Potential Waivers

Financial Covenants

On 28 March 2020, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced key measures to protect companies and businesses facing major funding and operational difficulties in the current COVID-19 pandemic.^[1] The measures will involve the Government bringing forward legislation at the earliest opportunity to amend current U.K. insolvency law to give firms extra time and space to weather the current storm while ensuring that creditors can get the best return possible in the circumstances.

In Berryman v Zurich Australia Ltd [2016] WASC 196 it was decided that a bankrupt's entitlement to claim a TPD benefit under a life insurance policy is not an entitlement that is divisible amongst the bankrupt's creditors, and therefore such an entitlement does not vest in the Official Trustee in bankruptcy. Tottle J of the Supreme Court of Western Australia ruled that the bankrupt insured could continue an action in his own name to recover the TPD benefit. Life insurers may need to adjust their claims' payment practices in light of the Berryman decision.