In Joint and Several Liquidators of Yes! E-Sports Asia Holdings Limited (in Liquidation) v Holman Fenwick Willan (A Firm) [2024] HKCFI 1197, the Court confirmed that solicitors should produce documents of former insolvent clients to liquidators when a request is made under section 286B(1)(d) of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, Cap 32 (CWUMPO).

Hip Hing Construction Company Ltd v Hong Kong Airlines Limited [2024] HKCFI 370, concerned clause 32.5 of the General Conditions of the Standard Form of Building Contract (2005 Private Edition) (GCC 32.5) which relates to retention money. It provides that the retention shall be held upon trust by the Employer for the Contractor and any Nominated Sub-Contractor or Nominated Supplier, subject to the rights of the Employer to have recourse to it for payment of any amount which he is entitled to under the Contract or at law or to deduct from it any sum owed to him by the Contractor.

The Law Commission published its Report on digital assets on 28 June 2023. It covers discussions on crypto-token collateral arrangements and apportionment of shortfall losses on the insolvency of a custodial holding intermediary.

To summarise, the Law Commission has made various recommendations in the Report, including that:

On July 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit partially affirmed and partially reversed a district court’s dismissal of an FDCPA suit. The district court reviewed plaintiff’s claims under the FDCPA, which alleged that defendants violated the bankruptcy court’s order discharging his debt and knowingly filed a baseless debt collection lawsuit.

Orrick's Founder Series offers monthly top tips for UK startups on key considerations at each stage of their lifecycle, from incorporating a company through to possible exit strategies. The Series is written by members of our market-leading London Technology Companies Group (TCG), with contributions from other practice members. Our Band 1 ranked London TCG team closed over 320 growth financings and tech M&A deals totalling US$9.76bn in 2022 and has dominated the European venture capital tech market for 7 years in a row (PitchBook, FY 2022).

Earlier this year, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California granted in part and denied in part cross-motions for summary judgment in an action concerning “piecemeal exemptions” to California’s usury law.

On August 8, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) issued a desist and refrain order to a now-bankrupt cryptocurrency lender and its CEO after determining that the company allegedly made material misrepresentations and omissions in the offering of crypto interes

The Hong Kong Court has power pursuant to section 327 of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) to wind up a foreign-incorporated company in Hong Kong. Before the Court can exercise its statutory jurisdiction, the following three well known “core requirements”, cited by the Court of Final Appeal in Kam Leung Siu Kwan v Kam Kwan Lai (2015) 18 HKCFAR 501, must be satisfied:

Since the signing of a record of meeting concerning mutual recognition of and assistance to insolvency proceedings between the courts of Mainland China and Hong Kong in May 2021, there have been a number applications for letters of request to be issued by the Hong Kong Court to the Bankruptcy Court of the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court.

On May 6, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed a district court’s decision, ruling that American tribes are not exempt from federal law barring suits against debtors once they file for bankruptcy.