BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING REVIEW VOL. 21 • NO. 5 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2022 1 IN THIS ISSUE 1 Texas District Court: Bankruptcy Sale Break-Up Fee Satisfied Both Business Judgment Test and Administrative Expense Standard 2 Lawyer Spotlight: Gregory M.
Federal district courts, with the consent of the parties, are authorized by statute to refer "civil matter[s]" to magistrate judges for the purpose of conducting all proceedings and entering a judgment in the litigation. In the case of an appeal to a district court from a bankruptcy court, however, this statutory authority arguably conflicts with another statutory provision dictating that appeals from a bankruptcy court order or judgment be heard by a "district court" or a "bankruptcy appellate panel." This apparent conflict was recently addressed by the U.S.
This week’s TGIF examines Sentinel Orange Homemaker Pty Ltd v Davis Investment Group Holdings Pty Ltd (in liquidation) (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1171 where a court considered an application for non-party costs orders against a litigation funder and the liquidator of an insolvent defendant.
Key takeaways
In Short
The Situation: Bankruptcy courts have split on what rate of post-petition interest unimpaired creditors of a solvent debtor are entitled to receive. Bankruptcy courts have variously ruled that such creditors were entitled to the contractual rate of interest, interest at the federal judgment rate (about the rate on a one-year Treasury bill) as of the bankruptcy petition date, or an equitable rate. Another possibility is that no interest is payable at all.
This week’s TGIF considers a recent decision of the Federal Court of Australia in which the Court relieved administrators of liability for entering a funding agreement with a major creditor in order to keep the company trading.
Key takeaways
This week’s TGIF considers the decision in Enares Pty Limited v Nimble Money Limited [2022] FCAFC 126, in which the Full Court considered shareholder information rights in the context of a dispute between Nimble’s board and its largest shareholder as to how to refinance Nimble’s debt.
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In Short
The Situation: As businesses continue to grapple with realising the value of business and assets which are potentially impacted by sanctions related to Russia's war in Ukraine, an English company recently utilised an insolvency process to seek court approval for a proposed divestment.
This week’s TGIF considers In the matter of Nicolas Criniti Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) [2022] NSWSC 1149 which examined the intersection between the winding up provisions in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW).
Key takeaways
This week’s TGIF considers Hill, in the matter of Ovato Limited (Administrators Appointed) [2022] FCA 903 in which the Federal Court approved the administrators’ proposal for the Ovato Group to continue trading in order to maximise the chances of a sale as a going concern. The proposal was dependent on ongoing funding from the Ovato Group’s financier and, in that context, the administrators were able to agree to have their personal liability limited to the assets subject to the financier’s security.
Key takeaways
WHITE PAPER An Update on Insolvency in the Australian Construction Industry The construction sector in Australia has long been affected by insolvency and broader liquidity issues. In the last year, construction companies accounted for 26% of businesses that entered into insolvency, and insolvencies in the construction sector more than doubled. This year, contractors have been further squeezed by inflation, supply chain issues and labour market shortages. As the federal government has wound back its COVID-19 economic stimulus packages, further collapses seem inevitable.