Includes developments in relation to: ESG; CRR; COVID-19; IFPR; Basel III; Securitisation Regulation; LIBOR; and EMIR.
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HEADLINES
So far this year, fewer European and American businesses have encountered financial distress that required either bankruptcy or restructuring procedures than in the same period in 2020. This decline occurred despite the ongoing economic impact of COVID-19.
Across the world, government support has kept insolvency rates down but as jurisdictions look to loosen restrictions and ease back into some kind of normality, governments can't foot the bill forever.
As financial support is withdrawn, restructuring, insolvency and corporate recovery practitioners will likely see a spike in activity, and offshore firms are braced for an increase in demand from clients. After that, there'll likely be lender enforcement resulting in formal insolvencies by the end of the year and into next year.
Last year I published an article about “COVID-19’s Impact on Chapter 11 Cases”, suggesting its impact for debtors, secured lenders, unsecured creditors, and equity interest holders may be to turn the Chapter 11 process into true reorganizations of companies, rather than mostly asset sales of the Debtor’s assets as has been the situation for many years.
It's probably becoming a cliché to say that the future is already here, but it's hard to resist. New technology increasingly pervades every professional sector, including that of insolvency.
In a recent report by the Law Society on developing technology, the Chancellor of the High Court, Sir Geoffrey Vos, commented that: "Lawyers face a steep learning curve. They will need to become familiar with […] cryptoassets – conceptually and functionally."
Good afternoon.
Following are this week’s summaries of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of June 14, 2021.
In Kelava v. Spadacini, the Court found that a Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court has the jurisdiction to make a representation order relying on Rule 12 of the ordinary Rules of Civil Procedure by analogy. The overriding consideration in Small Claims Court matters is access to justice.
The FCA has published finalised guidance for insolvency practitioners (IPs) appointed (or looking to be appointed) over regulated firms.
This sets out the FCA’s expectations as to how IPs can ensure firms continue to meet their regulatory obligations both before an appointment and during the course of an insolvency process. It confirms the FCA’s view of what would constitute good practice, as well as linking in to some of the existing statutory obligations on regulated firms and/or IPs.
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed Senate Bill 475 into law, making “Juneteenth” a federal holiday. Because June 19th (tomorrow) falls on a Saturday this year, the day will be observed by federal government offices on June 18, 2021 (today).
This new law, revising the list of federal holidays in the U.S. Code, will affect consumer credit lenders’ operations. It is important for lenders to review their processes to determine how this new holiday will impact their operations.
The Uniform Commercial Code was established to provide predictability and conformity in commercial transactions. Certain states have adopted nonstandard UCC provisions, which create an unreliable and unpredictable market for secured creditors. In addition, statutory liens, which are liens arising under federal and state statute, may disrupt the priority of secured creditors’ interest in a debtor’s assets. In re First River Energy, L.L.C. (986 F.3d 914, 917 (5th Cir.
In England, it is common and quite straightforward for companies and LLPs to grant all assets security by way of a debenture which includes a series of fixed charges over specified assets, an assignment of material leases, insurances and other contracts and a floating charge over assets which are not expressly subject to those fixed charges. That same approach does not work in Scotland, at least not without some adaptation.