Until the Cayman Islands introduces any changes to its corporate insolvency regime, with the COVID pandemic pushing many groups into the zone of insolvency, the following considerations remain relevant to structures involving a Cayman Islands entity:
This briefing first appeared in the June 2020 edition of South Square Digest.
Executive Summary
In February 2020 the British Virgin Islands Commercial Court (the "BVI Court") sanctioned a creditor scheme of arrangement, which was part of a much larger cross boarder restructuring. This scheme of arrangement, which as a creditor scheme was itself rare for the BVI, was preceded by the BVI's first ever "soft touch" provisional liquidation (in linked proceedings), which commenced in December 2018.
Introduction
Solvency test
Standing and process
Purposes of administration
Effects of administration order
Administrator's duties and functions
Remuneration and swearing in of administrator
In an application by Joint Official Liquidators for sanction of an agreement to sell the assets of a Company over the objections of creditors, the Court has confirmed the importance of establishing a clear and transparent sale process, which enjoys the confidence of the interested parties, in order to establish that the sale agreement is in the best interests of creditors.
Background
Suppliers of goods often rely upon retention of title clauses to preserve their goods in the event the purchaser defaults on any aspect of the supply agreement. However, how enforceable are these provisions when the purchaser enters into administration or liquidation or becomes bankrupt? What steps can suppliers take to protect their interests in these circumstances?
As concerns about illegal phoenix activity continue to mount, it is worth remembering that the Corporations Act gives liquidators and provisional liquidators a powerful remedy to search and seize property or books of the company if it appears to the Court that the conduct of the liquidation is being prevented or delayed.
When a person is declared a bankrupt, certain liberties are taken away from that person. One restriction includes a prohibition against travelling overseas unless the approval has been given by the bankrupt's trustee in bankruptcy. This issue was recently considered by the Federal Court in Moltoni v Macks as Trustee of the Bankrupt Estate of Moltoni (No 2) [2020] FCA 792, which involved the Federal Court's review of the trustee's initial refusal of an application by a bankrupt, Mr Moltoni, to travel to and reside in the United Kingdom.