Jaeger and Peacocks are the latest in a (seemingly) ever lengthening list of High Street stores who have fallen victim to the pandemic, with both stores entering administration last week.
FRP Advisory have been appointed as administrators and are seeking a sale of the businesses which they note are both "attractive brands" for a potential purchaser.
The UK Government has introduced a new suspension of the wrongful trading provisions contained in s214 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986) to apply from 26 November 2020 to 30 April 2021.
The onset of COVID-19 has precipitated and accelerated substantial change for businesses in fashion retail, adding to particular headwinds already facing the sector in the UK. While many brick-and-mortar fashion retailers were already experiencing challenging trading conditions at the start of 2020 – ranging from rent and rates overheads to increased online competition – restrictions on and changes to consumer preferences resulting from the pandemic have intensified the challenges facing many fashion retailers and businesses operating in the supply chain.
We reported in September that New Look's CVA had been approved by creditors, including provision for 400 of its store rents to be linked to turnover - see https://blog.charlesrussellspeechlys.com/post/102gf9i/a-new-look-for-commercial-rents
However, it seems that the controversial CVA is now going to be challenged in the courts by a number of the landlord creditors, including British Land and Land Securities. This will obviously be unwelcome news for the retailer on top of the arrival of a second lockdown, which will inevitably cause further disruption for its business.
The damage that the COVID pandemic has done to the food and beverage sector has been widely reported. Plenty of well-known and well-loved restaurants and pubs have entered into an insolvency process or formally restructured their debts in an effort to survive.
This summer’s landmark Supreme Court decision in Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd v Bresco Electrical Services Ltd (in Liquidation) [2020] UKSC 25 (“Bresco”) would have doubtless been interesting news for Insolvency Practitioners (“IPs”) engaged in the construction sector.
On 17 October 2020 the coronavirus amendments1 came into effect after being signed by the President of Ukraine. The amendments temporarily change the Code on Bankruptcy Proceedings to protect Ukrainian businesses and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With effect from 17 October 2020, throughout the quarantine period and 90 days thereafter, the following changes will apply to the bankruptcy process:
On 17 October 2020 the coronavirus amendments1 came into effect after being signed by the President of Ukraine. The amendments temporarily change the Code on Bankruptcy Proceedings to protect Ukrainian businesses and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With effect from 17 October 2020, throughout the quarantine period and 90 days thereafter, the following changes will apply to the bankruptcy process:
Pre-packed administration sales, or pre-packs, remain a useful tool in the tool box for quickly and discreetly achieving a rescue of a business. However, that must always be balanced with the need to protect the veracity of the restructuring process and thereby the interests of creditors. In response to criticism of pre-packs, and a recent review of existing industry measures, the Insolvency Service has proposed draft regulations (the Administration (Restrictions on Disposal etc.
Scottish landlords enjoy a preferential right of security known as “landlord’s hypothec” in respect of any unpaid rent arrears due in the event that their tenants enters administration or liquidation. The landlord's right of hypothec is unique to Scots Law and is not available to landlords in respect of properties south of the border. For reasons we will go on to discuss, the current legal framework on landlord’s hypothec is not particularly well developed and is widely criticised as being unsatisfactory.