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Ford (Administrator), in the matter of The PAS Group Ltd (Administrators Appointed) v Scentre Management Ltd [2020] FCA 1023

Factual background

Caron and Seidlitz v Jahani and McInerney in their capacity as liquidators of Courtenay House Pty Ltd (in liq) and Courtenay House Capital Trading Group Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 2) [2020] NSWCA 117

Adjudication is a quick and comparatively cheap method of dispute resolution and for those reasons is attractive to insolvent companies seeking to recover debts. However, a respondent was likely to be able to restrain the insolvent company from referring the matter to adjudication on the basis that it would be futile to do so, since any positive decision was unlikely to be enforced as a result of the very fact of the company’s insolvency. Therefore, any award lacked practical utility. Following the decision of the Supreme Court in Bresco v Lonsdale, that is no longer the case.

This article follows the #HardwickeBrew on 28th May 2020 which looked at the Corporate Insolvency & Governance Bill. If you would like to take part in future #HardwickeBrews, please sign up via our Events page.

Introduction

  1. This note reviews the provisions relating to the moratorium procedure for Great Britain under the draft Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill (“CIGB”).

CIGB

The Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act 2020 (Cth) (Omnibus Act) amended the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Act) and the Corporations Regulations 2001 (Cth) (Regulations) with effect from 25 March 2020 to create a “safety net” for Australian businesses facing COVID-19 related financial distress.

The recent decision of the Federal Court in Strawbridge, in the matter ofVirgin Australia Holdings Ltd (administrators appointed) [2020] FCA 571 provides an example of the Court granting flexibility to administrators performing their functions through the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Re Debenhams Retail Limited (In Administration) [2020] EWCA Civ. 600