Recent teachings of the Supreme Court of Canada court in Canada v Canada North Group Inc., 2021 SCC 30 [Canada North] had confirmed that the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (‘CCAA’) courts could grant super-priority charges (e.g. interim financing, administration charge, or directors’ and officers’ charges) ranking in priority to s.

On December 10, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) rendered its decision in Montréal (City) v.

The recent case of Re China Bozza Development Holdings Ltd [2021] HKLRD 977 demonstrated the attitude and increased scrutiny of the Hong Kong Companies’ Court towards offshore soft-touch provisional liquidation.

The leading authority on the meaning of soft-touch is the British Virgin Islands case of Re Constellation Overseas Ltd BVIHC (Com) 2018/0206,0207,0208, 0210 and 0212 . (§3) :

导言

Introduction

In Séquestre de Média5 Corporation, 2020 QCCA 943 (« Media5 »), the Quebec Court of Appeal unanimously held that, in order bring a motion for the appointment of a receiver under s.243 of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (the “BIA”), a secured creditor must not only have given the notice required under s.244 of the BIA, it must also have served the prior notice of the exercise of a hypothecary right required under the Civil code of Quebec (“CCQ”), and both notice periods must have expired.

Consider this situation: a dispute has arisen between two parties in relation to an agreement which is subject to an arbitration clause. Separately, a winding up application has been made against one of the parties to the arbitration in the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated. An arbitral award is obtained against the potentially insolvent company. That company has assets in Hong Kong, against which the creditor is now seeking to enforce their rights.

Foreign companies are frequently used to hold assets or other investments in Hong Kong. Some of these foreign companies are not registered under Part XI of the Companies Ordinance (“CO”) (“Unregistered Companies”). There are various reasons for not registering foreign companies in Hong Kong, including confidentiality and tax benefits. However, there may be some drawbacks to this approach.