Introduction

Commercial insolvencies are expected to steadily increase in the near-term due to higher interest rates, supply chain disruption and corresponding increased commodity costs. A rise in commercial insolvencies will increase the likelihood that businesses will be impacted by a formal insolvency proceeding, whether as a creditor, supplier, customer or other stakeholder. It is, therefore, important for businesses to understand how to strategize in the context of both newly initiated and ongoing insolvency proceedings.

Commercial insolvencies are expected to steadily increase in the near-term due to higher interest rates, supply chain disruption and corresponding increased commodity costs. A rise in commercial insolvencies will increase the likelihood that businesses will be impacted by a formal insolvency proceeding, whether as a creditor, supplier, customer or other stakeholder. It is, therefore, important for businesses to understand how to strategize in the context of both newly initiated and ongoing insolvency proceedings.

スタートアップ（ベンチャー企業）において重要なエクイティ・インセンティブであ るストックオプション（SO）のうち、税制適格 SO の要件の一つとして、1 株当たりの 権利行使価額として、その新株予約権に係る契約（付与（割当）契約）を締結した時に おける発行会社の 1 株当たりの価額に相当する金額（時価）以上であることが必要とさ れています2。この点につき、従前、種類株式（優先株式）を発行しているスタートアッ プが、普通株式を目的とする税制適格 SO を発行する際の普通株式の 1 株当たりの価額 に相当する金額（時価）の算定ルールが明確ではありませんでした。

Le 27 avril 2023, le projet de loi C-228, Loi sur la protection des pensions (« LPP ») a reçu la sanction royale et est entré en vigueur au Canada. Comme la LPP vient modifier considérablement le traitement des exigences au titre des régimes de retraite dans le cadre des procédures d’insolvabilité, il y a lieu pour les prêteurs de veiller à bien comprendre la nature et les répercussions de cette loi.

With the passage of several years since the outbreak of COVID-19 and additional external factors such as the soaring prices of various goods and services and the sharp depreciation of the Japanese yen, companies' financial conditions have deteriorated, while others are considering filing for restructuring proceedings, which is why the reduction of excessive debt has become a major issue as of late.

In an increasing number of restructuring cases of globally-operating companies, companies or funds outside Japan are becoming strong sponsor candidates, and even more foreign players are expected to be actively selected as sponsor candidates in the future.

In this article, we focus on the sponsor selection process in out-of-court restructurings and legal insolvency procedures in Japan, based on recent actual cases.

FTX Trading Ltd. ("FTX") and its affiliates (collectively, "FTX Group"), which operated one of the largest crypto-asset exchanges in the world through the FTX.com platform, filed for Chapter 11 in the United States on November 11 last year.

The high-profile Chapter 11 case of the FTX Trading group involves its Japanese affiliates including FTX Japan, which operated a registered cryptocurrency exchange in Japan and has been ordered by the Financial Services Agency of Japan to suspend its business upon the filing for Chapter 11. Recently, a motion was made for entry of orders approving, among other things, the group to sell FTX Japan's business through so-called “363 sale”.

Restructuring & Insolvency Newsletter

December 2022 (Vol.1)

The first case in Japanese history where the debtor used simplified rehabilitation proceedings as a tool to "cram down"

minority lenders

I. Introduction II. Overview of the procedures used

- Turnaround ADR and simplified rehabilitation proceedings

III. Marelli case IV. Expected future developments

Mori Hamada & Matsumoto