On September 10, 2021, Agspring Mississippi Region LLC, along with four affiliates, filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Lead Case No. 21-11238). Agspring Mississippi Region and its affiliates are each subsidiaries of non-debtor Agspring LLC, an agriculture supply chain services company.

UK Government introduces a temporary increase to minimum debt level required for a winding up petition

Restrictions have been in place since the start of the pandemic to prevent creditors taking steps to wind up debtor companies. Those restrictions are due to expire on September 30, 2021. To lessen the risk of October seeing a mass rush by creditors seeking to wind up their debtors, the UK Government has introduced a further temporary measure in connection with liquidation petitions.

On September 8, 2021, A.B.C. Carpet Co., Inc., dba ABC Carpet & Home, along with two affiliates, filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (Lead Case No. 21-11591). ABC Carpet & Home is a New York City-based luxury furniture retailer. The company estimates $10 to $50 million in assets and $50 to $100 million in liabilities.

On August 31, 2021, Sequential Brands Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SQBG), together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries that own, manage and license a large-scale and diversified portfolio of consumer brands across multiple industries, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 21-11194). The company reports $442.8 million in assets and $435.1 million in liabilities.

In this two part article we highlight for directors some of the main ways in which the general protection of limited liability does not apply or can be lost.

Part one of this article discusses those exceptions to the principle of limited liability that arise in insolvency or distress situations. Part two deals with the provisions that have more general applicability.

Breach of duties

On August 30, 2021, BL Santa Fe, LLC, along with one affiliated debtor doing business as Bishops Lodge, an Auberge Resorts Collection luxury hotel and resort located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 21-11190). The company reports $50 to $100 million in both assets and liabilities.

Limited liability is one of the fundamental concepts in our understanding of company law. Even people who know very little about the working of limited companies may know that directors and shareholders are not liable for the debts of their companies. For the last 160 years, the protection of limited liability has been a key factor in economic growth and commercial activity as it has allowed entrepreneurs to speculate and take risks that they might not have been willing to do if the risk of personal liability overshadowed their decision-making.

On August 17, 2021, Basic Energy Services, L.P., along with several affiliates that provide operational support for oil and gas wells located in several US states, filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Case No. 21-90001). The company reports $100 to 500 million in assets and $500 million to $1 billion in liabilities.

On August 15, 2021, Aluminum Shapes LLC, a Delair, New Jersey-based aluminum fabricator and processing company, filed a petition under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey (Case No. 21-16520). The company estimates $10 to $50 million in assets and liabilities.

On August 12, 2021, nursery and landscaping company Moon Group of Chesapeake City, MD filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 21-11140). According to the petition, several affiliates are also expected to file. The company reports up to $50,000 in assets and $10 million to $50 million in liabilities.