On July 7, 2008 specific provisions of the Insolvency Reform Act, 2005 and the Insolvency Reform Act, 2007 were proclaimed into force by Order in Council. As a result, the Wage Earner Protection Program Act (the “WEPPA”) and certain related amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”) have come into immediate effect.
Certain of those amendments are intended to protect current and former employees of insolvent companies and will affect lenders to insolvent businesses.
In Mendlowitz & Associates Inc. v. Chiang, an Order was granted in 2006 compelling the bankrupt and others to attend for an examination by the trustee under section 163(1) of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada). In 2008, the trustee applied under the same section to examine the bankrupt and others again.
Section 163(1) of the BIA provides:
In anticipation of the coming into force of amendments to current Canadian insolvency legislation, the Toronto Insolvency and Workout Group has created a comprehensive tool to help identify the changes.
We have created blackline versions of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada), the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) and the Wage Earner Protection Program Act (Canada) which show what the statutes will look like when the amendments are proclaimed in force and which specifically illustrate the changes that have been made.
Imagine that a critical part of your business is dependent on a software program that you license from a software supplier. This scenario is not that hard to imagine, because in fact most businesses and other organizations are indeed reliant on licensed software – it is simply a fact of life in the computer age.
“Bankruptcy” is commonly used to describe a number of legal situations involving a tenant’s financial distress. But with the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants determined by the true course of action taken, it pays for both sides to get the facts.
In Meunerie B.L. inc., Re (2007), EYB 2007-126274, 2007 QCCA 1601 (Que. C.A.) affirming (2006), EYB 2006-109274, 2006 QCCS 4914 (Que. S.C.) Meunerie B.L. Inc. (“Meunerie”) made an assignment in accordance with the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (“BIA”). At the time of bankruptcy Meunerie was a mill which processed corn purchased from corn producers. Corn that was delivered to Meunerie was stored on site in silos
Second and third time personal bankruptcies are uncommon, but fourth time bankruptcies are so rare they deserve recognition. The Supreme Court of British Columbia was recently presented with one such instance when Mr. Douglas Kusch applied for a discharge from his fourth bankruptcy.
In the Spring of 2007, Canada’s Parliament amended several federal insolvency statutes so as to transfer the definition of the class of protected contracts known as “eligible financial contracts” (EFCs) from the federal insolvency statutes themselves to their respective associated regulations. On November 15, the Treasury Board approved the finalized regulations to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Winding-up and Restructuring Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, and the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act.
The Debtor’s Freeze: Protecting Your Client’s Assets
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Protecting Assets
A. The Restructuring Candidate