Establishing a debtor company’s Centre of Main Interests (“COMI”) is an important step for any creditor who wishes to begin insolvency proceedings within the UK. In the context of real estate finance, it is common for the different borrower-side parties to be incorporated in various jurisdictions and, in particular, for the borrower/propco to be a special purpose vehicle incorporated and registered outside the UK.
Original news
Mikki v Duncan [2016] EWCA Civ 1312, [2017] All ER (D) 157 (Feb)
To start, let me introduce some familiar characters. First, an impecunious claimant who has the benefit of after the event (ATE) insurance, but the disadvantage of an incompetent solicitor. Second, a successful defendant with the benefit of a costs order and a final costs certificate, but the disadvantage of a slippery ATE insurer who has avoided the claimant’s ATE policy because of failures by the aforesaid incompetent solicitor. Different ways around this problem have been tried, and generally failed.
It is standard market terms for a lender to have the express right to transfer its loan. In particular, English law governed syndicated loan documents will usually incorporate the Loan Market Association (LMA) wording (or similar) to this effect. Interestingly, the Court of Appeal has recently had to consider the scope for implying terms into such LMA-style language and whether to restrict a lender’s right to market the sale of the loan under those standard terms.
- On 29th September 2004 the Trustees of the Ashtead United Charity allocated Mrs Janet Watts accommodation in an almshouse, in fact one of 14 residential flats the Charity owned at Ashstead in Surrey. In May 2015 they issued proceedings for possession based on the allegations that Mrs Watts had acted in an anti-social manner, swearing, spitting, and aggression. This was a breach of the terms of the Appointments Letter under which she was allocated the property.
The Claim
Arjo Wiggins Appleton Limited (“AWA Limited”) was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sequana SA (the “Defendant”). BAT Industries Plc (“BAT Plc”), through a series of corporate acquisitions, became liable to pay for part of an environmental clean-up operation in the USA. AWA Limited was also liable to indemnify BAT Plc for part of that liability.
In December 2008, AWA Limited’s directors signed a solvency statement confirming that, in the opinion of the directors;
The Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 (the “2016 Rules”) were published on 18 October 2016 and laid before Parliament on 25 October 2016. The 2016 Rules are due to come into force with effect from 6 April 2017. The 2016 Rules are the product of an extensive programme of consultation with a range of parties, including the insolvency profession, creditor representatives, insolvency regulators and public bodies. The aim was to streamline the process and reduce regulation with the ultimate goal of increasing returns to creditors.
Facts
The appellant is a company trading in electrical goods which regularly supplied Edge Electrical Ltd ('Edge'). Their standard terms provided Edge with a short period of credit before payment was required.
Facts
Angove’s PTY Ltd (‘Angove’s’) is an Australian winemaker which for many years had employed D&D Wines International Ltd (‘D&D’) to distribute its products to retailers. In addition, D&D also purchased wine for itself direct from Angove’s. Their business relationship was governed by an Agency and Distribution Agreement (‘ADA’) entered in December 2011. Amongst its provisions, the ADA entitled the parties to terminate the agreement with immediate effect upon either becoming insolvent.