In an earlier post we discussed the bankruptcy filing of Compute North Holdings, Inc., a bitcoin miner felled by high electricity costs and falling cryptocurrency prices (see here). It may be followed shortly by another miner, Core Scientific, Inc., which announced on October 26, 2022 that it has similarly been severely impacted by rising electricity costs and the price of bitcoin.
The Supreme Court handed down its long-awaited judgment in BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana SA on 5 October 2022. This important case addresses the duties of directors to consider the interests of creditors as a company approaches insolvency.
While the judgment will be welcomed by many as providing some useful guidance on a number of issues, there still remain some key areas of uncertainty which, as we consider in further detail below, will present clear challenges for directors seeking to navigate their way through a company’s financial difficulties.
The government’s monthly insolvency statistics for August 2022 present a concerning trend for companies hoping to weather the storm amid the current economic crisis. Largely driven by creditors’ voluntary liquidations, company insolvencies were 43% higher than the same period last year and 42% higher than in 2019 (pre-pandemic).
The High Court has held that where companies have adopted the model articles without amendment, any sole director acting has the power to pass resolutions acting alone.
The purchase and sale of assets by a debtor is governed by Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code. So-called “363 sales” are typically attractive from a buyer’s perspective (and may be a primary reason for a bankruptcy filing). Perhaps the most important benefit afforded to buyers in 363 sales is the ability to acquire assets “free and clear” of claims and interests of third parties.
With administration figures creeping back up after falling to low levels during the pandemic, the number of pre-pack sales of businesses in administration also appears to be on the increase. In such transactions, a purchaser acquires all, or substantially all, of the business and assets of the insolvent company from the administrator, with the terms of the deal being agreed pre-appointment and completion usually taking place immediately after the administrator takes office.
The High Court has held an original tenant and guarantor of a lease liable for unpaid sums due where the new tenant had compromised its liabilities under the lease pursuant to a restructuring plan under Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006). Read on for our analysis of Oceanfill Limited v Nuffield Health Wellbeing Limited and Cannons Group Limited [2022] EWHC 2178 (Ch).
The lease and licence to assign
On September 22, 2022, Compute North Holdings, Inc. and certain affiliates filed bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas in Houston. The company describes itself as “a leader in data centers, focused on delivering sustainable, cost-effective infrastructure for customers in the blockchain, cryptocurrency mining and distributed computing space.” SeeDeclaration of Harold Coulby, Chief Financial Officerand Treasurer of the Debtors (Doc. 22).
From 1 November 2022, the Official Receivers' deposit fee to be paid by petitioners initiating a creditor bankruptcy or compulsory liquidation proceeding is to increase. For creditor bankruptcy petitions, the fee will increase from £990 to £1,500 and for compulsory liquidation proceedings it will rise from £1,600 to £2,600. These increases are the first since April 2016 and are reported to have been introduced at least in part due to the relatively low level of recent insolvencies.