The Irish Government has published the General Scheme of a Bill and related secondary legislation to address practical issues that have arisen for companies and cooperative societies as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We examine the scope of the measures and next steps for entities that can avail of its provisions.
Duration of proposed temporary measures
In several Commonwealth jurisdictions, the corporate legislation allows creditors to petition a court to order the winding up of a debtor in circumstances where that debtor is unable to pay its debts as they fall due. Such legislation generally presumes that the debtor is insolvent if it has failed to comply with a statutory notice requiring the debtor to pay a certain debt within a given period of time (a statutory demand).
Hogan Lovells Publications | 06 July 2020
Contracts and Insolvency – a transformational change
New statutory provisions retrospectively change the way many existing and future contracts work. Businesses urgently need to look afresh not just at supply arrangements but also many other significant transactions of which the supply of goods or services forms part.
Real Estate Quarterly
Summer 2020
Contents
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Die anstehende Marktkonsolidierung birgt fusionskontrollrechtliche Herausforderungen
Die COVID-19-Pandemie ist schon lange nicht mehr nur eine Gesundheitskrise, sondern hat sich zu einer globalen Wirtschaftskrise entwickelt, die viele Unternehmen in massive wirtschaftliche Schwierigkeiten bringt. Erwartet wird eine Konsolidierung, bei der finanziell angeschlagene oder insolvente Unternehmen übernommen werden. Auch der Präsident des Bundeskartellamtes, Andreas Mundt, hält eine Übernahmewelle in Folge der Corona-Krise für ein mögliches Szenario.
In this article we consider how the current challenging environment is impacting M&A in the insurance sector
We are living in volatile times. As a consequence of the COVID-19 virus, our equity and high-yield markets have witnessed large swings, making it difficult to value assets. Uncertainty over the timing and extent of the recovery has also made it difficult to value income streams. Moreover, debt financing has become more challenging. All of these factors are contributing to a challenging environment for M&A.
For many companies facing financial stress, restructuring liabilities is the only way for their business to survive. Consensual restructuring, or voluntary workout, requires agreement from creditors to reorganise the company’s liabilities, and is typically implemented by agreement between the company and its creditors. Court-based restructuring processes, on the other hand, involve at least some degree of legal coercion of creditors to vary or release liabilities.
Notwithstanding the phased return to some level of normality, some businesses will continue to be significantly affected, particularly those in the leisure, travel/tourism, retail and hospitality sectors. These sectors will face longer term challenges due to social distancing requirements, consumer unease and the likely absence of international travel for many months, or perhaps even longer. However, these are not the only sectors that will suffer.
Although the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have, and continue to, put exceptional pressure on supply chains, the reality is that the insolvency of a business partner is a risk even in normal times. When that business partner is on the other side of pending arbitration proceedings, questions arise as to how the insolvency affects the substantive claim as well as the underlying procedure.
The High Court recently refused to grant an order sought by a Revenue-appointed liquidator, requiring Google Ireland to provide him with access to a private Gmail account. The Gmail account in question was believed to have been operated by the liquidated company. For their part, Google strongly resisted the liquidator’s application, citing concerns over protecting the privacy of individuals. It argued that the liquidator was seeking access to the entirety of the Gmail account which could contain diary entries and photographs as well as emails.