With more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt outstanding in the United States, student loan borrowers sometimes try to turn to the bankruptcy courts for relief, often without success due to the fact that most student loans are presumed to be nondischargeable.[1] In its July 15, 2021 decision in In re Homaidan,
A new cooperation arrangement for mutual recognition of and assistance to cross-border corporate insolvency and debt restructuring proceedings has been established between Mainland China and Hong Kong (the Cooperation Arrangement).
The Cooperation Arrangement is provided in a Record of Meeting on Mutual Recognition of and Assistance to Bankruptcy (Insolvency) proceedings between the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the ROM) signed by the Mainland’s Supreme People's Court (SPC) and Hong Kong’s Department of Justice on 14 May 2021.
The UK Government has published a Consultation1 which sets out its proposals for targeted (but significant) amendments to certain aspects of the existing UK insolvency arrangements for insurers.
1. Hurricane Energy PLC: Restructuring Plan
(A) Convening Hearing
At the recent R3 Scotland Forum[1], experts in the hospitality and leisure sector came together with the restructuring and insolvency profession to discuss the issues the sector is facing as the country emerges from lockdown. The panel discussion which was chaired by Judith Howson, Senior Manager at French Duncan and member of the R3 Scotland Committee was led by Steven Fyfe, head of the Scotland Hotels Divisions within Savills.
Earlier this month, judgments were handed down in the landlord challenges to two Company Voluntary Arrangements ("CVAs"), New Look and Regis. The challenge to the New Look CVA was unsuccessful, although permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal has been given. Whilst the Regis challenge lead to the revocation of the CVA, the majority of the landlords' arguments failed. These judgments provide important guidance on the use of landlord CVAs and their terms.
The English High Court has sanctioned the restructuring plans proposed by the Virgin Active group following a hearing contested by a group of the gym chain's landlords. The decision represents the first use of the restructuring plan procedure, introduced during the summer of 2020, to restructure a lease portfolio, demonstrating the utility of the tool for debtors when implementing a significant restructuring across the capital structure, and as an alternative to the much-used company voluntary arrangement.
What is a pre-pack?
Pre-pack is the term used to describe an arrangement whereby the sale of all or part of a company’s business and/or assets is negotiated and agreed before an insolvency practitioner (IP) is appointed, with the relevant documentation being signed and implemented immediately or shortly after the appointment is made.
Following the demise of receiverships, administration is the insolvency process most commonly used to achieve a pre-pack sale.
Why are pre-packs used?
If you thought the popularity of CVA's had been overshadowed by restructuring plans you might have to think again and watch what happens in the coming months. As you will know from the press there are a number of high-profile retail CVA's which are being challenged by landlords – New Look and Regis to name just two.
The Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas dismissed the National Rifle Association’s (“NRA”) bankruptcy case on May 11, finding that the case was not filed in good faith. In his opinion, Judge Harlin Hale found that there was cause for dismissal because the case was filed “to gain unfair litigation advantage and … to avoid a state regulatory scheme,” neither of which he considered to be a purpose intended or sanctioned by the Bankruptcy Code.