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In the November 2023 edition of the Restructuring Department Bulletin, we highlight recent decisions and developments impacting the restructuring arena and share the latest news on the Paul, Weiss Restructuring Department.

» read the bulletin

In the October 2023 edition of the Restructuring Department Bulletin, we highlight recent decisions and developments impacting the restructuring arena and share the latest news on the Paul, Weiss Restructuring Department.

» read the bulletin

关于最高人民法院审委会专职委员刘贵祥大法官在全国法院金融审判工作会议上发表的题为“关于金融民商事审判工作中的理念、机制和法律适用问题”的讲话(“讲话稿”),我们在上篇中篇中对“关于进

引言

按照《中华人民共和国企业破产法》(“《企业破产法》”)第三十二条[1]规定,管理人有权起诉请求法院撤销破产企业在一定期间内的个别清偿行为。债权人在面对该类个别清偿撤销诉讼时,时常面临举证困难、法律适用不明确等困境。

我们近期代理某金融机构债权人处理一宗个别清偿纠纷诉讼二审程序。本文将尝试结合这一案件,提出我们对上述法律规定的思考,讨论债权人应对个别清偿撤销诉讼的“困境”与“突围”,并且为债权人提供缓释该类纠纷带来的潜在风险的思路。

一、债权人应对个别清偿撤销纠纷的困境

为充实破产企业偿债资产、维护债权人公平受偿,《企业破产法》赋予管理人针对债务人破产前一定期间内特定行为的撤销权。本文关注的是《企业破产法》第三十二条指向的债务人在破产申请受理前6个月内的个别清偿行为,或称“偏颇性清偿行为”。依照该条规定,撤销该类行为需要满足以下条件:

In the latest issue of the Restructuring Department Bulletin, we highlight the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision holding that Section 363(m) of the Bankruptcy Code is not jurisdictional. We also discuss two Bankruptcy Court decisions from the Southern District of New York, one which held that the “knowledge exception” to Section 546(e)’s safe harbor defense was sufficiently pled to survive dismissal, and the other which found that service of a discovery subpoena on the foreign debtor’s founders via Twitter was adequate.

On April 19, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held in MOAC Mall Holdings LLC v. Transform Holdco LLC that Section 363(m) of the Bankruptcy Code is not jurisdictional. The decision requires parties timely to invoke that provision, or else risk forfeiting its protections. The decision also continues the Supreme Court’s trend of interpreting statutes to be non-jurisdictional (and thus waivable or forfeitable) in the absence of a clear congressional statement to the contrary.

Background

近年来,越来越多的企业面临债务困境,由于该等企业较多成立时间久、体量巨大,且存在经营多元化、债权债务形式多样化的情形,企业资金链的断裂易引发债务风险,实践中迫切需要进行债务重组,使债权人得到受偿,让企业重获新生。从目前情况来看,信托工具越来越多地被应用于债务重组中,包括在破产重整前的债务重组阶段,也包括在破产重整阶段。根据中国信托业协会于2022年12月12日发布的《2022年3季度中国信托业发展评析》,截至2022年3季度末,我国信托资产规模余额约为21.07万亿元。另根据建信信托有限责任公司(“建信信托”)发布的《建信信托2021年年度报告》,截至2021年12月31日,建信信托破产重整服务信托规模超2,300亿元[1];根据中信信托有限责任公司(“中信信托”)发布的《中信信托二〇二一年年度报告》,截至2021年12月31日,中信信托特殊资产服务信托业务受托规模近160亿元[2]。

Fifth Circuit Remands Bankruptcy Court’s Refusal to Abstain from Adjudicating Uri Storm-Related Pricing Claims

On December 5, 2022, in In re Global Cord Blood Corp., 2022 WL 17478530 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Dec. 5, 2022) (“Global Cord”), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Court”) denied recognition of a proceeding pending in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Proceeding” and the court, the “Cayman Court”) because it was more like a corporate governance and fraud remediation effort than a collective proceeding for the purpose of dealing with reorganization or liquidation, as Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code requires.