Introduction
Preventive measures
Out-of-court reorganisation
In-court reorganisation
Modernisation of bankruptcy
On 15 November 2023, the Temporary Transparency of Expedited Liquidation Act enters into force, initially for a period of two years. Expedited liquidation (also known as 'turboliquidation') concerns the dissolution of a legal entity with no assets, at its own initiative. The temporary Act aims to increase transparency in the case of an expedited liquidation and to improve the protection of creditors.
The Belgian legislator is preparing a legal framework on insolvency law to expand the restructuring toolbox. On 26 March 2023, a draft bill was published transposing EU Directive 2019/1023 on restructuring and insolvency. The Bill should be voted before the summer holidays. Our Restructuring & Insolvency team has identified five things you need to know about the upcoming changes.
The Luxembourg act of 28 October 2022 introducing the procedure of administrative dissolution without liquidation (procédure de dissolution administrative sans liquidation, the "Administrative Dissolution Procedure") (the "Act") has just been published and will enter into force on 1st February 2023.
Background and objective
The purpose of the Act is to dissolve empty shell companies within a short timeframe at reduced costs for the Luxembourg State.
Introduction
General obligation for creditors to file their claims
Nature of claims admissible in bankruptcy
Valuation of declared contingent claims
The Act of 17 December 2021 has extended the transitional measures provided for by the Act of 23 September 2020 until 31 December 2022. In practice, Luxembourg-based companies can hold either virtual board and shareholder meetings, even if their articles of association provide otherwise, or physical meetings if they respect the applicable sanitary conditions.
On 28 June 2021, Zacaroli J declined to sanction a restructuring plan (the “Plan”) in respect of Hurricane Energy PLC (the “Company”) under section 901F of the Companies Act 2006 (“CA 2006”). The Company is part of a group whose business is extracting oil stored within fractures in solid rock beneath the sea.
1. "German Scheme" available from 1 January 2021 in (slightly) modified form
The German Federal Parliament finally adopted the long-awaited bill to introduce a new pre-insolvency business stabilization and restructuring regime into German law.1 The new law was published in the German Federal Gazette on 29 December 2020 and will enter into force on 1 January 2021.
In several recent judgments in cases centring on complex commercial and regulatory disputes, the High Court has grappled with a number of important aspects of legal professional privilege under English law. Certain of these decisions, and their implications for parties to such disputes, are highlighted below.
Litigation privilege: sole or dominant purpose