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Anchorage Capital Master Offshore Ltd v Sparkes (No 3); Bank of Communications Co Ltd v Sparkes (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 1025

Badenoch Integrated Logging Pty Ltd v Bryant, in the matter of Gunns Limited (in liq) (receivers and managers appointed) [2021] FCAFC 64

Last week saw the government further extend COVID-19 emergency insolvency provisions until 31 March 2021. Since April, these have:

In our previous update dated 5 November 2020, we looked at when it is reasonable for insolvency practitioners to continue litigation. In this article, we explore the circumstances in which personal costs orders may be made against liquidators.

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Today, new legislation comes into force* that provides directors of companies in financial difficulty with a second breathing space from the financial impact of the wrongful trading provisions.

On 26 June 2020, the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (Act) came into force with changes to insolvency law to help businesses manage the economic implications of Covid-19. The new Act’s permanent measure on continuing supply stands out for the construction industry.

This round-up collates the information, analysis and guidance relating to insolvency issues shared by our Construction and Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. For further information on any of the issues below, please get in touch with one of the Key Contacts.

The stringent regulations introduced to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused widespread disruption across UK sites. The consequent commercial challenges were too great for some businesses − despite government measures to help those facing financial difficulty. Inevitably, insolvencies followed.

In Cant v Mad Brothers Earthmoving [2020] VSCA 198, the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria has clarified the application of the unfair preference regime in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) to payments made by third parties at the direction of a debtor to its creditors. In short, a payment to a creditor by a third party at the direction of the debtor will not be ‘from’ the debtor unless the payment diminishes the assets available to the debtor’s other creditors.

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