Introduction
On September 22, 2017, the First Circuit Court of Appeals held that § 1109(b) of the Bankruptcy Code (the “Code”) provides a creditors’ committee with an “unconditional right to intervene” in an adversary proceeding.[1] In reaching this conclusion, the court reversed the District Court for the District of Puerto Rico’s order denying an intervention motion and distinguished its own precedent, on which the District Court had relied. This decision further bolsters the right of creditors’ com
From 1 July 2018, reforms to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act) will become effective including the addition of safe harbour laws and protections against ipso facto clauses.
The new Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Bill 2017 (Qld) was assented to on 10 November 2017, which will see the introduction of project bank accounts (PBAs) into the Queensland construction industry. As the project bank account provisions will be trialled from 1 January 2018, contractors, at least those involved in State Government projects, should familiarise themselves with the relevant provisions.
What Are Project Bank Accounts?
A PBA is a trust over:
Factoring agreements are very popular with subcontractors and suppliers in the construction industry, assisting cash-flow by providing a line of credit against accounts receivable. However, like any financial product, they can present complexities, pitfalls and at times surprises when pursuing debt recovery and enforcement action.
Where a subcontractor is factoring its debts:
On 1 September 2017, Boart Longyear Limited (Boart), successfully implemented the reconstruction of its US law governed debt using Australian creditor schemes of arrangement (Schemes).
This is a landmark case that will influence Australian corporate reconstructions for years to come.
The case involved approval by the NSW Supreme Court and recognition by the US Bankrupcty Court under Chapter 15 of the US Bankruptcy Code, ensuring cross border effectiveness for the reconstruction.
Highlights
External administrators of companies can now assign any right to sue that is conferred on them by the Corporations Act, for example voidable transaction claims and insolvent trading claims. Previously these were considered rights that could only be utilised by the appointed liquidator and so could not be assigned. Now they can.
When did this start?
- This has already begun. It commenced on 1 March 2017.
What legislation brought this about?
The New South Wales Court of Appeal granted leave to appeal following a finding that certain documents relating to attempts to secure litigation funding were not privileged.