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This week’s TGIF considers the decision in Cant v Mad Brothers Earthmoving Pty Ltd[2020] VSCA 198, where the Court of Appeal refused to find that a payment made by a third party on behalf of an insolvent company was an unfair preference.

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This week’s TGIF considers a recent decision of the Federal Court which demonstrates that, irrespective of the COVID-19 landscape, the Court will continue to support administrators acting to maximise a return for creditors and stakeholders.

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This week’s TGIF considers the recent decision of the NSW Court of Appeal in the Arrium liquidation, where the Court set aside examination orders sought for the purpose of a possible shareholder class action.

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Administrators unsuccessfully argued that rent incurred during the administrators’ statutory “no personal liability” period was an unsecured debt which would not enjoy priority in the event the relevant companies went into liquidation.

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A 139ZQ notice issued by the Official Receiver is a powerful tool for trustees in bankruptcy seeking to recover a benefit received by a third party from an alleged void transaction. These include transactions such as an unfair preference, an undervalued transaction, or a transaction to defeat creditors.

Given the adverse consequences for noncompliance, a recipient of a 139ZQ notice should take it seriously and obtain legal advice without delay.

Section 139ZQ notices

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced recently that the Commonwealth Government is considering extending aspects of the ‘regulatory shield’ implemented on 24 March 2020, which provided temporary relief from certain insolvency laws for financially distressed businesses.

This week’s TGIF considers an appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court for the termination of a deed of company arrangement , in circumstances where the appellants argued that liquidation of the company would provide a better return to creditors.

Key takeaways

Section 561 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) provides that accrued employee entitlements must be paid in priority to the holder of a circulating security interest in a winding up.

Until recently, it was unresolved whether the property subject to a circulating security interest should be determined as at the date the liquidation began, on a continuous basis, or at some other unidentified date.

This week’s TGIF considers In the matter of Fellmane Pty Ltd (in liq)[2020] NSWSC 595, a recent decision in which the NSW Supreme Court declined to give directions approving a proposed transaction proposed by a liquidator of the trustee and the receiver of that trust which would have extinguished the trustee’s right of indemnity against the principal debtor.

Key takeaways