The Insolvency Service issued a consultation paper in July 2010 on proposals for a restructuring moratorium.

This follows a previous consultation paper titled Encouraging Company Rescue, issued in June 2009, which outlined three proposals:

A Maryland bankruptcy court has declared that Side A benefits under a D&O policy are not property of the bankrupt estate, with the result that two former executives who have been accused of making illegal payments and diverting funds from their former employer to start a new venture may be able to recoup certain defense costs. In re: TMST, Inc. f/k/a Thornburg Mortgage, Inc., et al., Docket No. 09-17787 (Bankr.D.Md. Aug. 17, 2010).

Just as this issue of the Insurance and Reinsurance Review was going to press, the Court of Appeal handed down its decision in the appeal in CRC Credit Fund Ltd & Ors v GLG Investments Plc (Sub-Fund: European Equity Fund) & Ors (reported at [2010] EWCA Civ 917) against the decision of Mr. Justice Briggs, reported in our March 2010 issue.

In Lehman Brothers International (Europe)(in administration) v CRC Credit Fund Limited & Ors [2010] EWCA Civ 917 the Court of Appeal considered the first instance judgment of Mr Justice Briggs on the operation of the Client Money Rules (CASS) in relation to the insolvency of Lehman Brothers International (Europe)(LBIE).

A federal judge has ruled that directors and officers of a company in bankruptcy proceedings may continue to access an eroding liability policy to cover their defense costs. The court based its decision on a close examination of the policy language, and alternatively held that the individual directors and officers had shown they were entitled to relief from the automatic stay. In re: Downey Financial Corp., No. 08-bk-13041 (CSS) (Bankr.D.Del. May 7, 2010).

The US District Court for the District of Connecticut recently dismissed a customer suit against an insurer, based upon its determination that all of the underlying claims were excluded by the policy’s Insolvency Exclusion.1 Associated Community Bancorp, Inc., et al. v. The Travelers Companies, Inc., et al.

A corporate borrower’s bank accounts can provide powerful security for lenders, especially if the secured party knows that it can quickly and easily sweep the funds if the borrower defaults.

The UK Government has announced a consultation on proposals to strengthen the administration regime for insurers, in particular to improve the protection and payment of benefits for persons insured with companies facing financial difficulties and addressing gaps in the administration regime for insurers as compared with the liquidation regime. The proposals include:

1. applying to administration the existing rules for valuing insurance contracts in liquidation; and

2. revising the objectives of administration in insurance company cases by:

Trade creditors take note: even though Chapter 11 debtors may continue purchasing goods and services and may continue operating in the ordinary course of their business, an earned cash payment in the creditor’s hands may not be safe from recovery. Moreover if you are a party to a supply contract and under an obligation to continue to furnish goods or services, the payments you receive may be recoverable by a subsequently appointed trustee.

Readers of our December 2009 issue will recall that we wrote about the Scottish court decision on the Scottish Lion Insurance Company scheme of arrangement. Just before this issue went to press the decision of the Scottish court of appeal (the Inner House of the Court of Session) on the issue of whether “creditor democracy” would be allowed to prevail or whether unanimity was required became known.