The UK's latest quarterly company insolvency statistics, including the 2020 annual summary, were published on 29 January, painting a picture of the effectiveness of government measures introduced over the past year to support companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

引言\

香港法例第 485 章《強制性公積金計劃條例》規定，僱員及僱主均須在強制性公積金計劃 （「強積金」）作出強制性供款，違例的僱主即屬犯罪，而強制性公積金計劃管理局（「積金 局」）可提出法律程序追討強制性供款。最近在 Re Hsin Chong Construction Co Ltd [2020] HKCFI 3160 一案中，法院探討了公司在清盤開始後支付的尚欠強制性強積金供款，是否可獲 法院認可。 

背景

經營建築服務的新昌營造廠有限公司（「該公司」）正在進行清盤。2018 年 2 月起，該公司 偶然未能為其僱員作出強制性強積金供款。積金局對該公司提出民事訴訟，並在該公司沒有抗 辯下就四項申索取得勝訴，可討回 2018 年 3 至 9 月的未付強積金供款合共港幣 958 萬元。

After Virgin Atlantic and Pizza Express achieved ‘too much consent’ and did not need cross-class cram down in the end, DeepOcean is the first judgment applying cross-class cram down as part of a restructuring plan.

引言

香港法例第 485 章《强制性公积金计划条例》规定，雇员及雇主均须在强制性公积金计划 （「强积金」）作出强制性供款，违例的雇主即属犯罪，而强制性公积金计划管理局（「积金 局」）可提出法律程序追讨强制性供款。最近在 Re Hsin Chong Construction Co Ltd [2020] HKCFI 3160 一案中，法院探讨了公司在清盘开始后支付的尚欠强制性强积金供款，是否可获 法院认可。 

背景

经营建筑服务的新昌营造厂有限公司（「该公司」）正在进行清盘。2018 年 2 月起，该公司 偶然未能为其雇员作出强制性强积金供款。积金局对该公司提出民事诉讼，并在该公司没有抗 辩下就四项申索取得胜诉，可讨回 2018 年 3 至 9 月的未付强积金供款合共港币 958 万元。

Introduction

In Uralkali v Rowley and another [2020] EWHC 3442 (Ch), the High Court confirmed that it is unlikely that an officeholder would be found to owe a duty of care to participants in a sale process out of an insolvent estate. This is an important decision which will give officeholder’s considerable comfort that operating an administration or liquidation sale in the ordinary course is unlikely to expose them to risk of liability to a bidder for the way the process is run.

The Act providing for court confirmation of a private restructuring plan (Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord (WHOA)) entered into force on 1 January 2021. It introduces a fast and efficient pre-insolvency procedure to restructure a company’s business through a scheme between the company and its creditors and/or shareholders, with the possibility of a court-approved cross-class cram down.

On 20 January 2021, the UK High Court approved the convening of a single scheme meeting for certain aircraft lessors of MAB Leasing Limited (MABL) in relation its proposed UK scheme of arrangement. This is an important step towards the implementation of a wider restructuring for the Malaysia Airlines group, but may also have wider implications on the restructuring options available not only to airlines, but also to businesses with other leased assets, including real estate.

Lessors form a single class

The High Court has, for the first time, sanctioned a restructuring plan exercising the power to cross-class cram down. The court handed down its sanction order but noted that, as the first decision to use cross-class cram down, a reasoned judgment will follow in due course.

On 13 January 2021, the court sanctioned three interconditional restructuring plans ('the restructuring plans') for three subsidiaries of DeepOcean Group Holding BV (together with all of its subsidiaries, 'the DeepOcean Group'):

Following the entering into force of the Dutch Scheme on 1 January this year, allowing for court confirmation of private restructuring plans, the Dutch legal toolbox for national and international restructurings has become even more diverse. This development forms part of a broader trend in the Dutch legal framework to facilitate effective restructurings of businesses, in which context one of the key techniques is the enforcement of share security, including through credit bidding.