Las empresas deben estar atentas esta semana a la fase 1 de la ‘desescalada’, el tercer tramo de avales, la prórroga de los ERTE, el posible retraso en la aplicación de directivas de IVA y de la DAC6 y las medidas de apoyo al sector cultural.

Phase 1 of the ‘scaling-down’ process, third tranche of guarantees, extension of ERTE temporary layoffs, potential delay in the application of VAT directives and of DAC6, and measures to support the cultural sector

Joining three other bankruptcy courts, Judge Thuma of the District of New Mexico recently held that the rules issued by the Small Business Administration (“SBA“) that restrict bankrupt entities from participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP“) violated the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, H.R. 748, P.L. 115-136 (the “CARES Act”), as well as section 525(a) of the Bankruptcy Code.

This note discusses two recent decisions of the Court of Appeal of Singapore that dealt with the standard of review to be applied in winding up proceedings where a debtor asserts that there is a dispute which parties agreed to resolve by way of arbitration.

Winding up proceedings

It is quite often that we see contracts providing for disputes arising under the contract to be resolved by way of arbitration.

Esta semana abordamos la reapertura al público de establecimientos, los efectos del RDL 16/2020 en materia procesal, concursal y tributaria, las medidas laborales ante la ‘desescalada’ y las novedades en trámites administrativos

In brief

Even with the fiscal stimulus and other measures taken by the Federal and State governments in Australia, corporate insolvencies are likely to increase in coming months.

Under Australia's insolvency regimes, a distressed company may be subject to voluntary administration, creditor's voluntary winding up or court ordered winding up (collectively, an external administration). Each of these processes raises different issues for the commencement and continuation of court and arbitration proceedings.

This article is produced by CMS Holborn Asia, a Formal Law Alliance between CMS Singapore and Holborn Law LLC.

The coronavirus pandemic has left companies increasingly concerned about the possibility of winding-up as a result of a failure to pay debts. In a situation where a party’s disputed debt is subject to an arbitration clause, the debtor may wish to seek a stay or dismissal of any winding-up applications commenced against it before the court in favour of arbitration.

The Singapore Court of Appeal has clarified the standard of review that applies to winding-up applications where the underlying relationship between the debtor and creditor is subject to an arbitration agreement.

Background

Under Section 254(2)(a) of the Singapore Companies Act, a company can be wound-up by the court upon the application of a creditor who has served a statutory demand on the company for a debt of SGD 10,000 or more and the debt continues to remain unpaid for three weeks thereafter.

The troubles possibly faced by WeWork, the shared office space company, were well documented long before the global impact of COVID-19 was felt. WeWork, unlike other shared office companies, tends to use a more inherently risky business model, taking long leases and carving them up into short-term flexible letting arrangements. Whilst some shared office companies take on geared leases, passing up a percentage of revenue, and thus sharing the risk and reward, WeWork are understood to have a larger holding of fixed rent leases.

The Singapore Court of Appeal has clarified the standard of review that applies to winding-up applications where the underlying relationship between the debtor and creditor is subject to an arbitration agreement.