Released in April 2016 the Turnbull Government proposed significant reforms to Australia’s insolvency laws, as part of its National Innovation Science Agenda - designed to strike a balance between encouraging entrepreneurship and protecting creditors, and to reduce the stigma associated with business failure.

This week’s TGIF considers the decision of Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v BE100 Property Investments Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 597 where the court found that a deed administrator acted unreasonably by attempting to terminate a deed of company arrangement immediately before a meeting of creditors.

Legislation and proposed legislation

Government consults on proposals for technology neutrality in the distribution of company meeting communications

The Government has proposed a technology neutral mode of distributing company meeting notices and materials which aims to facilitate innovation and reduce economic and time costs for companies, while maintaining an appropriate level of shareholder engagement.

The recent decision of the New South Wales Supreme Court in Independent Contractor Services (Aust) Pty Limited ACN 119 186 971 (in liquidation) (no 2) [2016] NSWSC 106 found that the statutory scheme of priority does not apply to realisations from circulating trust assets. This decision has potentially profound impacts for both employees and secured creditors in the context of both liquidations and receiverships.

A summary of the case

Key Points:

This case provides some clarification of matters relating to registration of retention of title clauses for secured creditors dealing with grantors

The registration of security interests on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a critical, yet unresolved, issue in the context of the appointment of administrators and liquidators, and also for parties to sale transactions.

Bell Group N. V (in liquidation) v Western Australia [2016] HCA 21

Alan Bond passed away last year, but the legal battles over the 1990 collapse of his Bell Group companies may yet continue. The High Court has declared state legislation, which was designed to end the long-running litigation by short-circuiting certain aspects of the Corporations Act 2001 (C’th), constitutionally invalid.

Background

This week’s TGIF considers the decision in Hussain v CSR Building Products Limited, in the matter of FPJ Group Pty Ltd (In Liq), in which an ROT clause was held to be a “security”, defeating the liquidators’ unfair preference claim.

Background

On 18 July 2014, FPJ Group Pty Ltd (FPJ Group) was wound up in insolvency.

On 23 February 2016, Justice Brereton of the Supreme Court of New South Wales handed down a decision In the matter ofIndependent Contractor Services (Aust) Pty Limited ACN 119 186 971(in liquidation) (No 2) that may significantly impact the economics of winding up of corporate trustees and the return to priority creditors such as employees.

In summary, the Court held that:

Background

On 7 December 2015, the Australian Government released its "National Innovation and Science Agenda" ("Agenda"). In the Agenda, the Government outlined its intention to make three significant reforms to Australia's insolvency laws, adopting the recommendations of the Productivity Commission ("Commission") in its report, "Business Set-Up, Transfer and Closure" ("Report"), released on the same day as the Agenda:

Key Points:

While shareholders may only need to establish indirect market causation, there are still significant obstacles for establishing shareholder claims.

Do plaintiffs in a shareholder class action have to show they relied upon misleading or deceptive conduct, or is it enough that the market in general relied upon them, which then affected the share price?