In the years since its independence, Ukraine's public and private sectors have faced one crisis after another. Notwithstanding different factors causing distress and incomparable peculiarities of each, restructuring has always remained one of the key mechanisms to make it through these difficult periods and get back on track. This includes the current crisis due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Even in the present unprecedent environment, inaction is not a solution.

T W Timber Treatment Pty Ltd v Giddings [2022] VSCA 147

The Victorian Court of Appeal has re-affirmed that a director’s signature can indicate an intention to personally guarantee a company’s obligations, even where that signature is qualified and accompanied by contrary indications in the signed document.

The Court also confirmed that a creditor’s rights under a director’s guarantee, including a right to interest, are not affected by a Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA).

Background

On 17 July 2022, Law 216/2022 came into force amending and supplementing Law No. 85/2014 on insolvency prevention and insolvency proceedings and other normative acts.

Law 216/2022 also amended Romanian Companies Law No. 31/1990 (Romanian Companies Law) on the duties of directors if a company is likely to become insolvent. Also, the law brings derogations from the provisions of the Romanian Companies Law on calling deadlines for shareholders’ meetings in those specific cases when a restructuring agreement or approval of the restructuring plan has been confirmed.

Summary

Restructuring Plans (“Plan(s)”) were introduced by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (“CIGA”) as a rescue tool for companies in financial difficulty to compromise debt and other liabilities owed to secured and unsecured creditors and its members, with the court’s sanction.

The new Companies House Register of Overseas Entities (the “OE Register”) became operational and key parts of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act (“ECTEA”) came into force on 1 August 2022.

The land registration elements of ECTEA have been deferred and will come into force on 5 September 2022 – this second stage of implementation will with effect from such date have an immediate impact on the registration of property acquisitions and new leases and security being taken over those acquisitions/leases.

Summary

The Insolvency Service has released its report on CVAs (the “Report”), which was commissioned in response to the significant concerns raised by the commercial property sector in recent years and the legal challenges launched by landlords against a number of CVAs.

Re Intellicomms Pty Ltd (in liq) [2022] VSC 228

The proceeding was brought by the liquidators of Intellicomms Pty Ltd (the Company) seeking relief in relation to a Sale Agreement dated 2021 between the Company and the defendant, Tecnologie Fluenti Pty Ltd (the Purchaser), involving the sale of certain business assets of the Company to the Purchaser.

Cathro (liquidator), in the matter of Petsamo No 14 Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 399

Bioaction Pty Ltd v Ogborne, in the matter of Bioaction Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 436

Aviation 3030 Pty Ltd (in liq) v Lao, in the matter of Aviation 3030 Pty Ltd (in liq) [2022] FCA 458

Can the remedies available for an unreasonable director-related transaction under section 588FDA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Act) be awarded in the case of a solvent company? This was the key legal question in the recent case of Aviation 3030 Pty Ltd (in liq) v Lao, in the matter of Aviation 3030 Pty Ltd (in liq) [2022] FCA 458. Ultimately, Justice Anastassiou answered this question in the affirmative.