On 3 December 2020, HM Treasury published the Government's proposal to implement a new special administration regime for PIs and EMIs (PI and EMI SAR), a copy of which can be seen here.

It is common for E&P companies in chapter 11 to seek to reject burdensome midstream contracts under Bankruptcy Code § 365. Rejection has not been permitted by bankruptcy courts where such agreements create enforceable covenants running with the land (“CRWL”) because a CRWL is a real property interest of the midstream gatherer, not just a contract right. Accordingly, before a debtor can seek to reject midstream agreements, the bankruptcy court must first determine whether an enforceable CRWL exists.

The UK Government announced on 24 September 2020 that some of the temporary COVID-19 measures within the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA) will be extended.

The effect of the extension is as follows:

On August 26, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed Delaware Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey’s order confirming the Tribune Company’s chapter 11 plan.¹ As a matter of first impression, the Court held that the prohibition against “unfair discrimination” in cramdown plans supplants the requirement that subordination agreements be enforced in bankruptcy. The decision comes more than eight years after Judge Carey initially entered the Bankruptcy Court order, and follows years of appeals by the senior noteholders.

On 25 June 2020, the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (the Act) received Royal Assent and it now forms part of UK law. Among other provisions, the Act addresses the difficulties faced by UK companies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to holding meetings of shareholders and filing documents with the UK Registrar of Companies (Companies House).

The Act includes the following in relation to company meetings and filings:

Meetings

Die Geltung von Tarifverträgen kann nicht davon abhängig gemacht werden, dass die Arbeitsvertragsparteien mit einer Bezugnahmeklausel auf die Tarifverträge verweisen.

Das BAG hat entschieden, dass die Tarifvertragsparteien in Tarifverträgen nicht vereinbaren können, dass trotz beiderseitiger Tarifgebundenheit von Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitgeber die Ansprüche aus einem Tarifvertrag nur dann bestehen sollen, wenn die Arbeitsvertragsparteien den Tarifvertrag durch eine Bezugnahmeklausel individualvertraglich nachvollziehen.

El RDL 16/2020 de 28 de abril y el Texto Refundido de la Ley Concursal, que entrará en vigor el 1 de septiembre de 2020, han suscitado numerosas cuestiones, a la vista de la situación compleja que previsiblemente se avecina. Para abordar, desde un punto de vista práctico y ágil, las principales novedades que plantean, Bird & Bird celebró el pasado 30 de junio un webinar, bajo el título Principales novedades en materia preconcursal y concursal a raíz del RDL 16/2020 y el nuevo Texto Refundido de la Ley Concursal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heavily disrupted our lives, communities, and businesses. Even with new approaches, not all businesses can overcome the substantial challenges brought by the pandemic. Lending programs like the Paycheck Protection Program have brought temporary relief, but many small businesses remain exposed to financial difficulties and face a real risk of bankruptcy.

New Small Business Provisions in Bankruptcy Code

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (the "Act") represents big changes to the current insolvency legislative framework and potentially to companies who may be affected by an insolvency within their supply chain. It will introduce new protections for insolvent companies against creditors wishing to exercise termination rights within supply contracts and against more aggressive creditor action.

On June 22, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC” or “Commission”) issued an order concluding that the Commission and the United States Bankruptcy Courts have concurrent jurisdiction to review and address the disposition of natural gas transportation agreements (“FERC-jurisdictional agreement”) sought to be rejected through bankruptcy.