In this edition of the Going concerns, our Stephenson Harwood restructuring and insolvency team provides a brief update on the newest developments in Singapore, UK and Hong Kong. For Singapore, we update on the "conflict" between the admiralty and insolvency regimes while our London team provides an update on the cutting-edge Part 26A restructuring plans. Last but certainly not least, our Hong Kong team dissects and discusses the significance and impact of the new cooperation mechanism for Hong Kong liquidators and Mainland administrators to seek mutual recognition and assistance.

Sounds like an odd combination—enforceability of make-whole and post-petition interest and patent law. It is. But relevant nonetheless. Recall that a key argument in the ongoing Ultra Petroleum dispute regarding the noteholders’ entitlement to make-whole and post-petition interest is the existence of the Solvent Debtor Rule. The Solvent Debtor Rule is a judicially created exception to the prohibition on claims for post-petition interest by unsecured creditors in bankruptcy.

The Government has announced further measures to help commercial tenants who are in arrears as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, seemingly without much regard for the difficulties also suffered by landlords. Below we explain the latest measures and where this leaves landlords.

The headlines are:

Hsin Chong Construction Company Limited (in liquidation) v Build King Construction Limited [2021] HKCFA 14 (judgment dated 13 May 2021)

Introduction

A series of high-profile insolvencies in 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic, oil price crash and allegations of fraudulent activity has brought to the forefront the question of a seller's rights over goods when they are in transit to an insolvent buyer. While the seller might have a claim in damages or for the price, such claims will be unsecured and therefore of little to no value against an insolvent buyer.

In this issue:

Welcome to our corporate and commercial disputes update, a new bi-annual publication in which we summarise some of the most significant cases over the last six months or so in the corporate and commercial dispute resolution market:

On 14 May 2021, the Government of HKSAR and the Supreme People's Court signed the "Record of Meeting of the Supreme People's Court and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Mutual Recognition of and Assistance to Bankruptcy (Insolvency) Proceedings between the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" which effects a cooperation mechanism for Hong Kong liquidators and Mainland administrators to seek mutual recognition and assistance.

The Part 26A Restructuring Plans (the "Plans") proposed by each of Virgin Active Holdings, Virgin Active Limited and Virgin Active Health Clubs Limited (the "Plan Companies") have been sanctioned by the court. This decision has been eagerly anticipated by the restructuring and insolvency market, struggling tenants and the beleaguered landlord community.

Welcome to the first Akin Gump client alert sub-titled Make (Whole) a Minute. These alerts are designed to be short digestible updates or commentaries on topics of interest to the institutional investment community that take a minute (or two) to read. And who doesn’t love Make-Whole and a good play on words?

Dear Clients and Friends,

In 2020, domestic and international energy markets were challenged by a worldwide pandemic and its effect on commodity prices, which accelerated disruptions in supply chains and impacted the energy transition in countries around the world.