Investors in non-performing loans ("NPLs") continue to look for new jurisdictions and opportunities to achieve attractive returns on capital. Much of the European NPL market is now in a relatively advanced state (particularly in the more mature parts of the market such as UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and, to a lesser extent, Italy). Funds are, therefore, looking further afield for NPL opportunities. One interesting jurisdiction, given the 1.71 trillion yuan (c.US $270 billion) of NPLs held by commercial banks, is China.

In a decision of interest to construction industry participants, the English Technology and Construction Court confirmed that, in some circumstances, the directors of an insolvent company may be liable in tort for the failings of that company.

It is not uncommon that, after performing works, a contractor finds out that the employer is insolvent. This may have serious consequences as the contractor will be most likely ranked behind other categories of the employer's creditors in any insolvency process. In this situation, what are the contractor’s other options?

In September 2008, the seismic collapse of Lehman Brothers initiated one of the largest corporate insolvencies in history. Nearly ten years later, in a landmark decision, the High Court has sanctioned the scheme proposed by the administrators of its principal European trading arm, Lehman Brothers International Europe ("LBIE").1

Sports Direct International plc's last-minute offer to buy substantially all of the assets of House of Fraser out of administration is the latest example of a pre-packaged administration being used to rescue a failing business and continue it as a going concern.

The House of Fraser pre-pack sale to Sports Direct, the British retail group headed by Mike Ashley, was announced almost immediately after House of Fraser entered into administration, and included a transfer of its UK stores, the brand and all of its stock and employees.

The UK and the US have historically been perceived as leading jurisdictions in the development of restructuring and insolvency law – to the extent that dozens of local insolvency regimes around the world have been modelled on some combination of their processes. Both regimes are highly sophisticated, and feature well-developed legislation supported by decades of case law that offers both debtors and creditors alike a degree of certainty and predictability that is not always available in other jurisdictions.

The Company Voluntary Arrangement (‘CVA’) was introduced into English insolvency law by the Insolvency Act 1986 (the ‘IA 1986’), as a result of recommendations made in the Cork Report1 in 1982.

July 2018

2018 Summer review M&A legal and market developments

In this issue...

Contractual provisions.............................................................1 Company law...........................................................................4

Listed companies....................................................................7 Good faith................................................................................9

Authors: Philip Broke, Veronica Carson

TV rental business, Box Clever, was created as a joint venture between Granada (now ITV) and Thorn (now Carmelite).

The Box Clever business was later sold and administrative receivers were subsequently appointed over Box Clever companies.

The Pensions Regulator (“TPR”) issued Financial Support Directives (“FSDs”) against five ITV companies in relation to the Box Clever defined benefit pension scheme. ITV referred the determinations to the Upper Tribunal.

European Leveraged Finance Alert Series: Issue 6, 2018

One: Regulatory framework for Lending in Spain

In the wake of the Carillion insolvency and the Toys R Us administration, there are contrasting tales from two different UK businesses.

The engineering business Rolls-Royce is going against the trend and has announced that it will keep its defined benefits pension scheme open for current members until January 2024.

The scheme is running at a £1.4 billion surplus, which will also allow the company to decrease its contributions to its defined benefit retirement fund by £145 million over the next three years.