On 7 December 2022, the European Commission published its proposal for a directive harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law (the Insolvency Directive).

The Insolvency Directive seeks to offer more certainty and create a common minimum standard of insolvency regimes across member states, encouraging more effective cross-border investment.

It aims to harmonise three key areas of EU insolvency law (the Insolvency Directive).

Aims law:

• the recovery of assets

• the efficiency of proceedings

近年来，越来越多的企业面临债务困境，由于该等企业较多成立时间久、体量巨大，且存在经营多元化、债权债务形式多样化的情形，企业资金链的断裂易引发债务风险，实践中迫切需要进行债务重组，使债权人得到受偿，让企业重获新生。从目前情况来看，信托工具越来越多地被应用于债务重组中，包括在破产重整前的债务重组阶段，也包括在破产重整阶段。根据中国信托业协会于2022年12月12日发布的《2022年3季度中国信托业发展评析》，截至2022年3季度末，我国信托资产规模余额约为21.07万亿元。另根据建信信托有限责任公司（“建信信托”）发布的《建信信托2021年年度报告》，截至2021年12月31日，建信信托破产重整服务信托规模超2,300亿元[1]；根据中信信托有限责任公司（“中信信托”）发布的《中信信托二〇二一年年度报告》，截至2021年12月31日，中信信托特殊资产服务信托业务受托规模近160亿元[2]。

On 9 December 2022, in the first restructuring to be implemented by way of a parallel and overlapping Hong Kong scheme and English restructuring plan, the English High Court approved a restructuring plan proposed by Hong Kong Airlines Limited (Hong Kong Airlines). The High Court of Hong Kong followed suit on 14 December 2022 and approved a scheme of arrangement on broadly the same terms.

The approved restructuring has saved Hong Kong Airlines from imminent liquidation and aims to secure its continued existence as a going concern.

Background

It has been just over a year since the introduction of Poland's new electronic insolvency procedure. The new procedure, introduced on 1 December 2021, is generally conducted via an online platform, the National Debtors’ Register, and has brought about a revolutionary change to Polish insolvency procedure.

Positive developments

• Faster access to the court - Documents filed on the online platform are instantly disclosed to the judge and to the other parties involved. The court’s decisions are also delivered quickly to the parties.

On 11 November 2022, the English High Court handed down judgment in relation to a number of applications made by the insolvency officeholders of 10 UK energy suppliers, seeking clarification on issues arising in the insolvencies which had not previously been considered by the courts.

Background

The officeholders sought directions from the court on the following:

• whether the claims in the insolvencies by UK energy regulator, Ofgem relating to outstanding renewables obligation payments (ROPs) were valid, and

On 23 November 2022, the Regional Court of Munich ruled that shareholders' damages claims for breach of capital markets law rank as equity and not as general unsecured claims in the Wirecard insolvency. As a result, the shareholders can only recover from the insolvent estate in the unlikely event that all insolvency creditors' claims are fully satisfied.

The decision

On 7 December 2022, the European Commission published its proposal for a directive harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law (the Insolvency Directive).

Aims

The Insolvency Directive seeks to offer more certainty and create a common minimum standard of insolvency regimes across Member States, encouraging more effective cross-border investment.

It aims to harmonise three key areas of EU insolvency law:

• the recovery of assets

• the efficiency of proceedings, and

In times of economic uncertainty, fraud typically increases. And these are certainly economically uncertain times. Fraud has been on the rise over recent years and that trend is set to continue. The motivation and opportunity to commit fraud increases as financial pressures loom over individuals and businesses. We are also set to see a continued increase in insolvencies as the impact of the pandemic and other global events set in. The appointment of insolvency practitioners means frauds which might have otherwise continued or remained concealed are more likely to be uncovered.

Zugleich: Besprechung des Urteils des OLG Hamm vom 6. April 2022, 8 U 73/12

In seinem Urteil vom 6. April 2022 hat das OLG Hamm darauf erkannt, dass sechs frühere Aufsichtsratsmitglieder der 2009 insolventen Arcandor AG, ehemals Holding des Karstadt-Konzerns, der Insolvenzmasse der Arcandor AG auf rund 53,6 Mio. Euro Schadenersatz haften.

Urteilstatbestand

Background

Under Dutch law, the directors of a (private) company can be held personally liable by the trustee for the bankruptcy deficit. Liability can arise when the directors have manifestly performed their management duties improperly and if it is reasonable to assume that bankruptcy was declared as a result. Section 2:248(4) of the Dutch Civil Code (DCC) contains a list of grounds for reducing the amount of the directors’ liability.

Decision