On 28 March 2020, the UK government announced it would be implementing new measures to improve the insolvency system aiming to, amongst other things, support businesses under pressure as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and resulting restrictions.
Government support package – relaxation of insolvency rules
In a recent decision in the Supreme Court of NSW[1], Rees J set aside a liquidator’s bid to publicly examine two senior officers of the National Rugby League (NRL), finding that examination summonses issued by the liquidator were an abuse of process and the entire liquidation process was a contrivance in order to exert commercial pressure on the NRL.
The German Federal Government has resolved upon a draft bill for the mitigation of the consequences of the SARS-CoV2- Virus (COVID-19) pandemic (the “Proposed Legislation”). One of the goals of the Proposed Legislation is to prevent insolvencies of companies which encounter financial difficulties as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Proposed Legislation goes well beyond the earlier announcement made by the German Federal Department
Proposed Legislation to avoid COVID-19-related Insolvencies in Germany
The Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Bill 2020 (Coronavirus Response Bill) was passed on 23 March 2020 and received Royal Assent on 24 March 2020 following the Federal Government’s announcements made between 12 and 22 March 2020 of its economic response to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Coronavirus Response Bill provides, amongst other legislative amendments, for temporary changes of 6 months’ duration to Australian insolvency and corporations laws to assist in managing the sudden economic shock resulting from COVID-19.
In its recent decision in the ongoing Solar Shop litigation,[1] the Full Federal Court established two key principles which will have significant ongoing implications for the conduct of unfair preference claims:
In Carrello,[1] the Federal Court granted a warrant under section 530C of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act) allowing the liquidator of Drilling Australia Pty Ltd (the Company) to search and seize property, books and records located in storage containers belonging to the Company.
The Federal Court has considered whether a deed of company arrangement (DoCA) binds a regulator. The case involved an application by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) for leave to proceed against a company in liquidation. The Court rejected the company’s argument that the FWO’s claims were extinguished by the DoCA and granted the FWO leave to pursue the claim. The outcome of the proceedings may impact the types of, and circumstances in which, claims by a regulator will not be extinguished by a DoCA.
In a decision of the Federal Court handed down on 18 October 2019 in Masters v Lombe (Liquidator); In the Matter of Babcock & Brown Limited (In Liquidation) [2019] FCA 1720, Foster J held that Babcock & Brown Limited (BBL) did not breach the continuous disclosure obligations in the Corporations Act 2001 and the ASX Listing Rules.
How should the liquidator of an insolvent trustee company ensure payment out of trust assets of the entirety of his or her remuneration and expenses?
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1054 into law today, marking a significant financial commitment by the state to shore up the financial position of California's major investor-owned utilities. The new law establishes a Wildfire Fund of up to $21 billion to provide liquidity for utilities to cover eligible, uninsured third-party damage claims resulting from future catastrophic wildfires. The law also establishes a new framework to encourage and certify utility safety practices intended to reduce the risk of wildfires ignited by power infrastructure.