On May 9 2017 the Amsterdam Court of Appeals ruled that the Russian liquidation order of August 1 2006 regarding OAO Yukos Oil Company is contrary to Dutch public order and therefore null and void.(1) An interesting question is whether the judgment will have a bearing in the appeal of the annulment proceedings concerning the $50 billion Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) arbitration case between former Yukos shareholders and Russia, which is pending before The Hague Court of Appeal.

Introduction

On 29 June 2017 the High Court made an order for costs against the three former directors of Custom House Capital (the “Company”) having already disqualified them from acting as directors for periods in excess of ten years. The judgment was unusual because the order for costs was not just in relation to the legal costs but also for the very significant investigative costs of the Official Liquidator.

Background

Introduction The number of financial institutions that have announced the relocation of their EU headquarters from the UK to Germany has increased during the last weeks. In the meantime, some of the largest US and Asian institutions have confirmed their plans to expand their operations in Germany, and we expect others to follow soon. How can we assist? This briefing shall provide you with an overview of a number of issues that may be of interest for your decision to expand your operations in Germany.

In the recent decision of Re JD (a debtor), the High Court upheld a debtor’s challenge to a lender’s decision to reject a Personal Insolvency Agreement (“PIA”) proposal.

Section 115A of the Personal Insolvency Acts 2012- 2015 (“the Acts”) provides a new mechanism by which a debtor may seek the Court’s approval of a PIA notwithstanding its rejection by creditors.

This case is particularly significant as:

Introduction

With the commencement of the Companies Accounting Act 2017 (“2017 Act”) on 9 June 2017, the priority of charges in liquidations has been dramatically altered.

Judicial Development

Il 5 aprile scorso l’Avvocato Generale Campos Sànchez-Bordona (AG) ha rassegnato le proprie conclusioni nell’ambito della causa C-245/16 pendente innanzi alla Corte di Giustizia (CdG) e instaurata su un rinvio pregiudiziale da parte del TAR Marche.

New legislation came into force in Hong Kong in eary February which gives the court power to set aside transactions performed at an undervalue. This briefing explains the scope of this new law and the key considerations for directors when approving corporate transactions in order to avoid the risk of incurring personal liability. It is available in English and Chinese.

The recent judgment in MB Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Limited (in liquidation) –v- Allied Irish Bank Plc [2016] has clarified what constitutes “notice” of the liquidation of a company for creditors and banks alike.

The High Court yesterday held that a Chairperson of a shareholder scheme meeting may reject votes cast against a scheme of arrangement in circumstances where the shares were acquired through an artificial share-splitting exercise designed to frustrate the scheme. It is the first English case to consider this issue and while it arose in the context of a shareholder scheme, the impact is also significant for debt restructurings implemented by way of a creditor scheme of arrangement.

Background

Welche Folgen hat die Entscheidung für abgeschlossene Verfahren? Was bedeutet sie für die Zukunft?