NOVEMBER 2020 Corona: directors’ duties and restructuring options in the BeNeLuCh Corona: directors’ duties and restructuring options in the BeNeLuCh I Introduction The rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is leading to far-reaching health and safety measures all around the world. For people at home, but also for businesses, this creates a situation of great uncertainty. Certain governments have taken (extensive) measures to help businesses and its employees.
In the wake of the economic stress created by COVID-19, we have seen increased opportunities for buyers looking to acquire distressed companies and assets in Canada. Increased deal flow in industry sectors that have been hit hardest by COVID-19, including retail, hospitality, travel, cannabis, and oil and gas has occurred, and with the passage of time other sectors will be affected.
The Insolvency Act 1986 (HMRC Debts: Priority on Insolvency) Regulations 2020 will apply to all business insolvencies that commence on or after 1 December 2020. They provide for certain debts owed to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to become preferential debts in the event of a business entering a formal insolvency. It is important that creditors understand whether they are affected by these changes so that they can decide whether they need to take steps to protect their position.
The relevant debts
The Swiss Insurance Oversight Act has been subject to a partial revision in order to bring the protection of insurance customers in line with international developments and to improve the competitiveness of the Swiss insurance sector. The new provisions include a new insolvency restructuring regime, a customer categorisation making supervisory requirements proportional to the protection required by customers as well as new rules of conduct applicable to insurance undertakings and intermediaries.
WHOA Dutch scheme of arrangement LAW & TAX I Introduction 1. This memorandum describes the bill on court sanctioning private composition to avoid bankruptcy (de Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord ter voorkoming van faillissement, the WHOA or the Dutch Scheme). The WHOA introduces the possibility in the Netherlands for companies to offer a composition to its creditors outside an insolvency proceeding.1 The WHOA will enter into force on 1 January 2021. II The WHOA II.1 Offering a composition: by whom? 2.
Mergers & acquisitions (M&A)
Canada is an ideal location in which to establish and grow a business. One of the most common ways for foreign companies to expand to the Canadian market is through a merger with or acquisition of an existing Canadian business. There are a number of advantages to choosing Canada:
The economies of the United States (U.S.) and Canada are closely intertwined. As operations expand across the border, so too do the complexities associated with carrying on business - particularly the insolvency of a company spanning both jurisdictions. As such, understanding how to navigate the complexities of Canadian insolvency regimes is essential to successfully doing business in the country.
1. Legislation and court system
Op 26 mei 2020 heeft de Tweede Kamer het wetsvoorstel Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord (WHOA) aangenomen. Als de Eerste Kamer dit voorstel eveneens goedkeurt, is de WHOA een feit en kunnen huurder-schuldenaars die in financiële nood verkeren onder voorwaarden wijzigingen laten aanbrengen in lopende huurovereenkomsten, of deze zelfs geheel doen eindigen. De verwachting is dat de WHOA op 1 januari 2021 in werking zal treden.
LAW & TAX Swiss Restructuring & Insolvency in a nutshell loyensloeff.com LAW & TAX Introduction Ever-changing market conditions require businesses to continuously monitor their earnings and liquidity situation as well as their debt structure. In addition, the overall economic situation remains uncertain and asks for continued operational flexibility and resilience. Thus, it is not surprising that companies need to rethink their organisational obligations in restructuring and insolvency situations.
Jasvir Jootla provides an overview of the recent changes to the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act. She highlights the differences within the Act and discuss the impact it will have if you are dealing with insolvent businesses.
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