As Parliament debates the draft Withdrawal Agreement prior to the vote on 11 December, this week's Q&A looks beyond the headlines at the potential impact of the proposed Brexit deal on a number of specific topics, including what the Political Declaration tells us about the shape of the future EU/UK trade agreement:
Alternative Investment Funds
2018 has seen a wave of company voluntary arrangements ("CVAs") hit the market, with high profile companies such as House of Fraser, Carpetright, New Look and Homebase (to name a few) all making use of this restructuring tool. This briefing note explains how a CVA works, provides an overview of current "market" themes, and makes some predictions on the future of CVAs.
EVOLUTION OF THE CVA
2018 has seen a wave of company voluntary arrangements ("CVAs") hit the market, with high profile companies such as House of Fraser, Carpetright, New Look and Homebase (to name a few) all making use of this restructuring tool. This briefing note explains how a CVA works, provides an overview of current "market" themes, and makes some predictions on the future of CVAs
EVOLUTION OF THE CVA
Secured creditors can breathe a sigh of relief. We have received word that the Supreme Court of Canada has allowed the appeal from the bench in Canada v. Callidus Capital Corporation (“Callidus”).
KEY POINTS Investors seek reliable information, legal certainty, predictability of outcome and the
opportunity to participate in a rescue and/or restructuring which will recover value. The Recast European Insolvency Regulation (the `Recast EIR') should, at least in part,
help investors meet those objectives. It is hoped that the Recast EIR will encourage greater investment (including distressed
KEY POINTS
The CE-File system made electronic working mandatory for insolvency proceedings in
London, with effect from 25 April 2017. Insolvency filings outside London can continue to be made on paper. Potential users should create a CE-File account and familiarise themselves with the
system as soon as possible. While the system will bring users increased flexibility, including the ability to make filings
Encrypted digital currencies (“cryptocurrencies”),1 particularly Bitcoin, have recently become the target of enormous international speculation and market scrutiny. Some expect cryptocurrency payments and other transactions tracked via distributed ledger technology (“DLT”, of which “blockchain” technology is one example) to be the future of commercial interaction. The theory is that cryptocurrencies could become “the holy grail of commerce – a payment system that would eliminate or minimize the roles of third party intermediaries.”2
An equipment finance company finances the purchase of a truck and registers a purchase-money security interest (a “PMSI”) pursuant to the Personal Property Security Act (Ontario) (the “PPSA”) to protect its interest. The truck breaks down and is taken in for repairs. While the truck is in the shop, the debtor defaults under its lending arrangements with the equipment finance company.
In a January 31, 2018 decision from the bench in the matter of Royal Bank of Canada v. A-1 Asphalt Maintenance Ltd. (Court File No. CV-14-10784-00CL) (“A-1 Asphalt”), Madam Justice Conway of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) (the “Court”) held that the deemed trust provisions of subsection 8(1)(a) of the Construction Lien Act (Ontario) (the “CLA”) were not, on their own, sufficient to create a trust recognized in a contractor’s bankruptcy or proposal proceedings.
Until a court orders otherwise, a monitor appointed under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act is a neutral party and may not take sides in favour of one stakeholder over another.