The Government has passed an omnibus bill which introduced amendments that will assist New Zealand to respond to the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19.
In brief the changes to insolvency legislation are:
In Re A Company (injunction to restrain presentation of petition) [2020] EWHC 1406 (Ch), the Court held that it is able to take into account the likelihood of a change in the relevant law in deciding whether to restrain a winding up application from being brought.
The English Court of Appeal in Re Debenhams Retail Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 600 recently considered the inter-relationship between the UK Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the ‘adoption’ of employment contacts by administrators under the Insolvency Act 1986. The issue was whether by paying only the amounts which may be claimed under the Scheme to furloughed employees, the administrators have adopted the contracts. Adoption means that the wages and other entitlements are payable as expenses of the administration ahead of other expenses.
The Federal Court of Australia in Strawbridge (Administrator), in the matter of CBCH Group Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) (No 2) [2020] FCA 472 has made orders to release the administrators of retailer The Colette Group (the Group) from personal liability for rent for a two-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Federal Court of Australia in Frisken, in the matter of Avant Garde Investments Pty Ltd v Cheema [2020] FCA 98 has considered a dispute between a receiver and the director of the company as to whether the provisional liquidator, Mr Banerjee, should be appointed as the liquidator.
The director sought the appointment of different liquidators on the basis that Mr Banerjee’s conduct as provisional liquidator was such that a reasonable person might apprehend that he might not be impartial as liquidator.
Even with the fiscal stimulus and other measures taken by the Federal and State governments in Australia, corporate insolvencies are likely to increase in coming months.
Under Australia’s insolvency regimes, a distressed company may be subject to voluntary administration, creditor’s voluntary winding up or court ordered winding up (collectively, an external administration). Each of these processes raises different issues for the commencement and continuation of court and arbitration proceedings.
Distressed M&A
Any downturn tends to produce a surge of distressed m&A opportunities, and the current crisis will be no different. Investments in distressed companies follow a different set of rules to "normal" m&A transactions, bringing additional complexity in terms of the stakeholders involved and deal structuring, as well as particular set of challenges for due diligence and buyer protections.
In brief
Can you take security over all types of assets, including working capital? Generally yes, before filing for the reorganization or the ruling setting forth the start of the liquidation bankruptcy. After the beginning of the reorganization proceedings, no further security interests can be granted over the assets of the debtor for credits due before the beginning of the reorganization proceedings. The debtor can grant security interests for new creditors after the start of the reorganization proceedings.
Directors of Australian companies face significant personal monetary -- and potential criminal and adverse professional -- consequences if they allow the company to trade whilst insolvent.
Australian insolvent trading laws are harsher, and more frequently utilised to prosecute directors personally, than in many other jurisdictions including in the US and the UK.
Accordingly, frequent assessment of a company's solvency by its directors is crucial, particularly in financially difficult times, as are active steps to address any potential insolvency.