National Leasing Group Inc. v. Raymond Veterinary Clinic Ltd., [2009] A.W.L.D. 2017, 2009 ABQB 219 (Alta. Q.B.)

The Lessor leased specialized medical equipment to the corporation and three individuals as lessees. The veterinary clinic failed and closed its doors.

TD Bank v. Dunn-Rite Cattle Corp. [2009] A.W.L.D. 2075; 2009 ABQB 227 (Alta. Q.B.), on hearing of issue from (2006) 26 C.B.R. (5th) 1 (Alta. C.A.)

The master granted TD priority to the subject cattle ahead of the Dunns’ lien pursuant to the since repealed Livery Stable Keepers Act. The Dunns appealed to the Alberta Court of Appeal, which allowed the appeal and because of sparse evidence, directed the matter of priority be heard by the Court of Queen’s Bench.

On 15 September 20091 the judge responsible for the Lehman bankruptcy proceedings in the United States held that Metavante Corporation (“Metavante”) could not rely on Section 2(a)(iii) of the ISDA Master Agreement to suspend payments to Lehman Brothers Special Financing, Inc. (“LBSF”). Specifically, Judge Peck held that the safe harbour provisions in the US bankruptcy code protected a non-defaulting party’s contractual rights to liquidate, terminate or accelerate swaps and to net termination values but did not provide a basis to withhold performance under a swap if it did not terminate.

The facts behind Mr. Justice Lewison’s recent judgment in Stanford (STANFORD INTERNATIONAL BANK LIMITED [2009] EWHC 1441 (Ch)) have no direct connection with either the British Virgin or Cayman Islands but lawyers there do have particular reason to note the more general principles around the seemingly vexed but important issue of COMI in the context of multi-jurisdictional insolvency.

If you are interested in submitting a bid to buy assets from a Court appointed receiver in Ontario and there is a Court approved sales process, then it is important to submit your bid as part of that Court approved sales process. A bid tendered outside the sales process time line and procedure (even if it turns out to be the highest bid) will generally end up being a losing bid.

Often, when creditors start to take action against a debtor, the debtor will seek relief through the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act(i). Some Trustees in bankruptcy even advertise that the bankruptcy process can be an important step on the road to “financial well being”. Creditors, upon receiving notice of their Debtor’s bankruptcy, may feel that the chance of any recovery all but disappears with the assignment into bankruptcy.

No doubt by now, every creditor knows of the new protections given to employees in the face of a company’s insolvency as a result of the enactment of the Wage Earner Protection Program Act (“WEPPA”) and related amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”) on July 7, 2008.

Debtor in Possession (“DIP”) financing is essentially new bridge financing that is provided to a corporation as it undergoes insolvency proceedings. The term exists because the corporation maintains possession of its assets during this process as opposed to having a bankruptcy trustee take possession. The concept derived from the United States of America where DIP financing is expressly provided for under c.11 of the Bankruptcy Code and allows a bankrupt corporation to incur new debt for the purposes of carrying on business operations.

A recent application to the British Virgin Islands courts has sought to blur the lines between directors’ general duties to act for the benefit of an insolvent company’s creditors, and the statutory clawback associated with unfair preferences entered into in the twilight period prior to a company going into liquidation.

In recognition of the new BVI Commercial Court, Harneys is publishing quarterly Commercial Court case notes which summarise some of the more important judgments delivered by the Court.

Appropriation