As Canadian businesses continue to grapple with decreased cash flow as a result of COVID-19, many are looking for ways to generate cash and remain viable. One such way is to sell non-core assets or divisions through a pre-packaged sale transaction.

Pre-Packaged Sale Overview

The initial wave of post-COVID Chapter 11 business bankruptcies has revealed an increasing tendency for senior executives of financially distressed companies to award themselves substantial bonuses and similar forms of compensation immediately before placing their companies into bankruptcy. If this trend continues, it may largely nullify the efforts of Congress and the courts to rein in and strictly regulate such forms of compensation.

Highlights

The U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Eighth Circuit recently held managing members of a limited liability company that filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy were equitably estopped from asserting ownership of equipment where the members previously verified documents in the bankruptcy showing ownership of the equipment by the company.

A copy of the opinion in Richards v. Rabo ArgiFinance, LLC is available at: Link to Opinion.

La jurisprudencia de la Sala de lo Civil del TS avala, con ciertos límites, las cláusulas de los convenios de acreedores en las que se prevé la pérdida del crédito de los acreedores que no comuniquen en un plazo determinado su número de cuenta bancaria. Una reciente sentencia de 2019 ha matizado el alcance tradicional de esta doctrina.

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill (CIGB) was introduced to Parliament on 20 May 2020 and includes measures both as a response to COVID-19, which apply temporarily, and measures which apply permanently, part of a long-planned package of insolvency reform measures.

Market conditions and Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic and the response to it, including global lockdowns, has caused substantial disruption to business operations and trade which has resulted in significant cash flow and financial challenges for many businesses. As a result, in a number of cases, financing covenants have been breached which have triggered defaults under financing arrangements.

Indian Banking sector is going through a hard time due to various reasons including but not limited to increase in Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA), loan frauds/corruption in some cases, economic slowdown etc. Rise in NPAs is major concern for banks as it reduces profit of banks and restricts the loan giving ability of the banks by way of provisioning. Reasons for the rise in NPA can be attributed to aggressive lending practice by the banks and willful default by borrowers i.e., lack of willingness to repay.

In the ten years before COVID-19, the national and global economy, along with business optimism, steadily improved. Some businesses, of course, failed as competitive pressures or mistaken assumptions led to missed projections, blown covenants, loan defaults, and financial restructuring, if not outright liquidation.

But a prudent ABL lender typically suffered little in a properly underwritten loan, even in a wind down. Receivables remained generally collectible, inventory readily converted into receivables, and machinery and equipment was salvageable at auction.