Analysis GA&P | February 2016 1 Given the jurisdictional and material difficulties arising in the context of insolvency proceedings, the conclusions reached by judges specialised in corporate and commercial matters, in their various regular meetings, are invariably of tremendous interest. The recent conference held in Pamplona at the beginning of last November was no exception, particularly so, as far as this paper is concerned, in relation to the employment and Social Security aspects of a production unit transfer. As is well known, the referral of arts.
In Sharma v Top Brands Ltd [2015] EWCA Civ 1140, the Court of Appeal refused to allow a former liquidator of a company (which was a vehicle for VAT fraud) to rely on the illegality defence to avoid liability for a claim brought against her for breach of duty under section 212 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986).
Background
This month in Sharma v Top Brands Ltd [2015] EWCA Civ 1140 the Court of Appeal has again been asked to grapple with the question of when the illegality defence is available to defendants to actions brought by an insolvent company where the losses claimed are arguably tainted by the company's own fraudulent actions. In this instance the question for the court was whether the defence was available to a former liquidator of a company seeking to defend a claim brought against her for breach of duty under section 212 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986).
Pre-Packs
The recent case of Oraki v Bramston and Defty [2015] EWHC 2046 (Ch) concerned former bankrupts' claims of professional negligence against their former trustees in bankruptcy (“the Trustees”). In dismissing the claims, the High Court held that the Trustees did not owe a common law duty of care to the bankrupts.
Patrick Hill and Declan Finn of DAC Beachcroft LLP, who acted on behalf of the successful Trustees, discuss the case and consider its implications for trustees in bankruptcy.
Background
It is known to everyone operating in the Spanish restructuring market that taking security to secure pre-existing indebtedness of a particular borrower is not a risk-free matter.
El Reglamento 2015/848, del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo, sobre procedimientos de insolvencia (texto refundido), sustituye al Reglamen- to 1346/2000 y se aplicará a los procedimientos de insolvencia que se abran después del 26 de junio del 2017 (DOUE L 141, de 5 de junio).
Regulation 2015/848 of the European Parliament and the Council on insolvency proceedings (recast) replaces Regulation 1346/2000 and shall apply to insolvency proceedings opened after 26 June 2017 (OJ L 141, 5 June).
The Fiduciary Duties of Directors
When a company enters the zone of insolvency (the so-called “twilight zone”), conflicts of interest between the company, its shareholders and the different stakeholders, such as creditors, are ignited and the pressure on directors for contradictory forms of action is intensified.
Análisis GA&P | Octubre 2015 1 N. de la C.: En las citas literales se ha rectificado en lo posible —sin afectar al sentido— la grafía de ciertos elementos (acentos, mayúsculas, símbolos, abreviaturas, cursivas...) para adecuarlos a las normas tipográficas utilizadas en el resto del texto. 1. Sobre la prejudicialidad de los pronunciamientos de los juzgados de lo Mercantil ante la venta de unidades productivas en sede concursal 1.1. Son muchas las empresas interesadas en adquirir unidades productivas en liquidación.