In Brief:
Directors have potential liability in cases of bankruptcy.
Directors must be aware of their statutory obligations. For example, directors are obliged to:
- call for a general meeting if losses exceed half the share capital;
- keep proper books and records; and
- avoid wrongful trading.
Background
Businesses experiencing financial distress as a result of COVID-19 will continue to receive financial relief until 31 December 2019.
What does this mean for businesses?
The extension predominantly impacts companies in relation to statutory demands and insolvent trading.
Statutory Demands
Credit bidding is a mechanism, enshrined in the US bankruptcy legislation, whereby a secured creditor can ‘bid’ the amount of its secured debt, as consideration for the purchase of the assets over which it holds security. In effect, it allows the secured creditor to offset the secured debt as payment for the assets and to take ownership of those assets without necessarily having to pay any cash for the purchase. Whilst there is no statutory equivalent in the UK, the process has evolved here into an accepted practice.
On 1st January 2019, the revised Swiss Law on Cross-Border Insolvencies entered into force. The first experiences with the revised law are throughout positive and show that the newly introduced simplifications of the Swiss cross-border insolvency regime are increasingly used by foreign liquidators and their counsels.
Previous regime
On 17 October 2020, Ukraine enacted changes to the Code on Bankruptcy Procedures in order to protect businesses from the negative financial impact of COVID-19.
These changes provide businesses with additional time to recover from financial difficulties and protection from immediate legal action by creditors.
Upon passage of the amendments, creditors are prohibited from opening court proceedings for claims (matured after 12 March 2020) on the bankruptcy of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs.
The English courts are known for being pro-arbitration. In the recent case of Riverrock Securities Limited v International Bank of St Petersburg (Joint Stock Company) [2020] EWHC 2483 (Comm) the English High Court has granted an anti-suit injunction in relation to claims being made in foreign bankruptcy proceedings, where the underlying agreements included arbitration provisions with a London seat.
The parties
Die für Geschäftspartner (Gläubiger) eines bankrotten Kaufmanns oder Unternehmens (Schuldner) bereits an sich schlechte Situation wird durch das Recht des Insolvenzverwalters zur Insolvenzanfechtung nach §§ 129 ff InsO vielfach erst richtig ärgerlich. Insolvenzanfechtung bedeutet, dass derjenige, der vorinsolvenzlich noch Leistungen oder auch nur Sicherheiten vom Schuldner erhalten hat, gezwungen sein kann, diese zur Befriedigung der Gläubigergesamtheit wieder herausgeben zu müssen.
Wenn Insolvenz droht
The new set of Swiss laws on blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT; Blockchain/DLT Laws) has been approved by the Swiss Parliament on 25 September 2020 and is thus now in final form. Subject to a referendum, which is unlikely, the Blockchain/DLT Laws will presumably enter into force early next year.
The main topics of the Blockchain/DLT Laws are:
Can state regulatory agencies move ahead with lawsuits against businesses who file for bankruptcy in order to enforce consumer protection and business laws, or does the automatic stay’s broad injunctive sweep capture those actions? The answer depends on whether the state is acting in its regulatory capacity or simply like another creditor – and the distinction is not always clear.
The COVID pandemic is going to increase bankruptcy filings in 2020 and 2021. Therefore, it is important to know some bankruptcy basics in order to maximize recovery. It is also important to retain bankruptcy counsel, but only after ensuring the likelihood of recovery and if the case/claims necessitate engagement of a bankruptcy specialist.
What kind of bankruptcy has been filed?