Recently, the Second Circuit became the first federal circuit court to rule that the federal government could deny a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan to a debtor in bankruptcy solely because of an applicant’s bankruptcy status.[1] Prior to the Second Circuit’s decision in Springfield Hospital, Inc. v.
The first case to consider the requirement of a monitor to terminate a moratorium if they think a company is unable to pay certain debts was heard by the High Court on 4 February 2021. The case provides further clarity on the UK standalone moratorium process and is an example of a moratorium being used in order to restrain secured creditor action.
In August 2021, Raízen S.A. (one of the largest integrated energy companies in Brazil) merged with Biosev S.A. and Biosev Bioenergia S.A (sugar, ethanol and biomass producing businesses previously owned by the Louis Dreyfus group). Shortly prior to the completion of that merger, the agreement for which was signed in February 2021, Raízen completed one of the biggest initial public offerings in Brazil ever.
In its January 14, 2022 decision in In re Wolfson, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware discharged Chapter 7 debtor Ryan K.
Introduction
In this case, Re Kobian Pte Ltd (OS 1269 / 2020 in the Singapore High Court), Kobian Pte Ltd applied to the Singapore High Court for a moratorium to propose a scheme of arrangement with its creditors. The legal issues at stake were the necessary conditions to be fulfilled by an Applicant in order to obtain a moratorium under section 64 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (IRDA).
Regulated firms using company or insolvency law procedures to manage their liabilities could face action by the FCA if their proposals unfairly benefit them at the expense of their customers. The FCA has put forward draft guidance setting out the new role which it would have when a regulated firm proposes a compromise, what information it expects to be provided and the key factors which the FCA will consider.
A bankruptcy court gave “unnecessary and unlikely incorrect” reasoning to support its “excessively broad proposition that sales free and clear under [Bankruptcy Code (“Code”)] Section 363 override, and essentially render nugatory, the critical lessee protections against a debtor-lessor under [Code] 365(h),” said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Feb. 16, 2022. In re Royal Bistro, LLC, 2022 WL 499938, *1-*2 (5th Cir. Feb. 16, 2022).
For the second time in four weeks, a U.S. district court questioned the authority of bankruptcy courts to issue nonconsensual third-party releases as part of a plan of reorganization.
In December 2021 the Insolvency Service launched a Consultation on the future of insolvency regulation. The Consultation proposes a number of changes that will have a significant impact on the insolvency profession, including the creation of a single regulator for insolvency professionals and bringing firms providing insolvency services within the scope of insolvency regulation for the first time. The deadline for responses is 25 March 2022, although there is no specified timeline for the implementation of any reforms.
In a December 16, 2021, decision,1 Judge Colleen McMahon of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York reversed the bankruptcy court order confirming the Chapter 11 plan of Purdue Pharma, L.P.