On 23 March 2020, the Australian Parliament passed the Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act No. 22 of 2020 (the Act), which is designed to provide an economic response to the effect, on Australia, of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world by stimulating and supporting economic activity.

In relation to the Australian insolvency regime the Act made some significant changes to the relevant laws as follows.

Temporary relief for financially distressed individuals and businesses

Following the declaration of the state of alarm in Spain due to the COVID-19 outbreak on March 14 2020, the Spanish Government announced the implementation of a series of extraordinary measures in the financial sector in order to address the economic impact promoted by the rapid spread of COVID-19.

CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE – INTRODUCING FLEXIBILITY TO DIRECTORS' DUTIES?

IN LIGHT OF COVID-19, THE UK GOVERNMENT RECENTLY ANNOUNCED ITS INTENTION TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND THE OFFENCE OF WRONGFUL TRADING BY DIRECTORS OF UK COMPANIES. THIS WILL INEVITABLY HAVE A WIDE-RANGING EFFECT ON BOTH DIRECTORS AND CREDITORS.

Temporary suspension of obligation to file for insolvency and of creditor’s right to request opening of insolvency proceedings

On 25 March 2020 the German parliament passed a bill “to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in civil, bankruptcy and criminal procedure law” (COVID-19 Bill) that aims at protecting companies that experience financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vorübergehende Aussetzung der Insolvenzantragspflicht und des Rechts des Gläubigers, die Eröffnung eines Insolvenzverfahrens zu beantragen

Am 25. März 2020 hat der Deutsche Bundestag ein Gesetz „zur Abmilderung der Folgen der COVID-19-Pandemie im Zivil-, Insolvenz- und Strafverfahrensrecht (COVID-19 Insolvenzgesetz) beschlossen, das darauf abzielt, Unternehmen zu schützen, die infolge der COVID-19-Pandemie in finanzielle Schwierigkeiten geraten.

The Czech Government has prepared several measures that should help people and businesses in the challenging times related to the outbreak of COVID-19. These measures are currently divided into several draft laws, covering topics such as insolvency, loans, leases, employment, and court proceedings. We have chosen relevant fields briefly described below and we will provide more detailed information about these relevant fields once the final laws are passed by the Parliament (which should be shortly due to the state of legislative emergency).

Directors have a duty to act in the best interests of the company. A director has the following general duties under the Companies Act 2006:

It is widely known that COVID-19 imposes immediate difficulties on many companies to pay their bills, and – equally – to collect their own outstanding invoices. Below, we discuss the most commonly expected complications against the background of enforcement, leniency provisions and – if worst comes to worst – insolvency in the Netherlands.

Government measures (emergency aid)

Our lives have changed completely in a few days due to COVID-19 and the world’s response to it. Governments react with a multitude of regulations, which have a considerable influence on the economy especially for the Retail & Consumer sector. This affects very different areas of law. Our sector approach consists, among other things, of showing you the legal consequences in the most diverse legal areas and our contact persons for this.

In order to protect German companies and their employees against the economic impact of the coronavirus, the German government has resolved on 23 March 2020 on a comprehensive set of measures. It is the largest government support programme which was ever enacted in Germany. These measures even go beyond the support organized by the government during the financial crisis. The goal of this “protective shield” is to provide businesses with sufficient liquidity to help them make it through the crisis.