On 28 May 2020, the Hungarian Government adopted amendments to the laws on company liquidation and forced deletion procedures to cushion the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic on the economy.
1. Changes related to liquidation
Liquidation is initiated when a company is unable to meet its financial obligations and pay off its debt. However, in Hungary, the courts do not apply an actual insolvency test before ordering liquidation but check only whether certain criteria have been met.
On May 21, 2020, the Québec Court of Appeal (QCA) released its reasons in Arrangement relatif à 9323-7055 Québec inc. (Aquadis International Inc.)[1](the Aquadis case).
WHAT DUTY?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
WHEN DOES IT APPLY?
Maintenance of solvency Management of business risks
Introduction
On May 8, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its written reasons in 9354-9186 Québec Inc. v. Callidus Capital Corp.[1](the Bluberi case).
Gerade in aktuellen Krisenzeiten stellt sich für viele Unternehmer die Frage, wie sie ihr Unternehmen bestmöglich sanieren können, um so das Fortbestehen des Unternehmens zu sichern. Dafür stehen in der Praxis eine Vielzahl an rechtlichen Sanierungsinstrumenten zur Verfügung.
The coronavirus pandemic has made life complicated for almost all businesses, especially from the financial point of view. Businesses thus face an increased risk of bankruptcy and subsequent insolvency proceedings.
To help with this challenging situation, an amendment to the Insolvency Act as part of the "Lex Covid" was adopted. Lex Covid became effective on 24 April 2020.
Initiation of insolvency proceedings
Creditor's right to file an insolvency petition
Introduction
On 23 April 2020 the Croatian Government adopted a Proposal for an Act on Intervention Measures in Enforcement and Insolvency Proceedings During Special Circumstances (the "Draft Intervention Act"). The Draft Intervention Act states that its purpose is to alleviate the position of citizens subject to the enforcement proceedings, to help companies which may be facing bankruptcy during the special circumstances, as well as to help the recipients of national and/or EU grants and recipients of the governmental aid due during the special circumstances.
On April 15, 2020, the British Columbia Supreme Court denied an application by a married couple previously found to have contravened B.C. securities laws for an absolute or suspended discharge from bankruptcy under s. 172 of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (the “BIA”). The ruling sends a strong message that securities law violators will have difficulty using the bankruptcy process to absolve themselves of the financial consequences of their misdeeds.
With the fourth law on COVID-19, the Austrian legislator has suspended the obligation of an overindebted debtor to file for insolvency until 30 June 2020, irrespective of the cause of the over-indebtedness. Some other countries in the CEE region have also adopted measures to combat the consequences of COVID-19 as detailed in the following overview:
