引言：近期某集团破产清算案中，关于债务人与境外基金债权人之间因“维好协议”引发的纠纷事项，上海金融法院作出裁定，对境外债权人在香港特别行政区取得的对该债务人的胜诉判决予以认可，鉴此该境外债权人的债权有望在破产程序中获得确认。而其他破产案件中，管理人对境外投资人基于“维好协议”的债权作出不予确认的决定。由此，关于“维好协议”项下的债权人应如何主张权利、在“维好提供方”破产的情况下可否享有破产债权人地位并参与破产程序等问题众说纷纭。为此，本文将从“维好协议”的性质入手，在境内“维好提供方”破产语境下，阐述“维好协议”项下债权人可以主张权利的路径，并分析各救济途径在司法实践中的可行性。
一、“维好协议”的性质分析
（一）何谓“维好协议”
As lenders prepare for a world with an increased risk of borrower failures, liquidations, and bankruptcies, many have begun focusing on requiring that borrowers form special purpose entities (“SPEs”) to mitigate against those risks. In this publication, we explore how recent case law has viewed the formation and use of SPEs and which structures have been more effective than others.
Current State of the Law Regarding Bankruptcy Remote Entities
As interest rates remain relatively low and financial liquidity levels remain high, investors with a higher risk appetite will continue to find increased opportunities with distressed assets. In Brazil, these have already reinvigorated the trend of M&As in Q3 of 2020.
A revigorated trend
Op 12 november 2020 heeft de Tweede Kamer het wetsvoorstel tot wijziging van de Tijdelijke wet COVID-19 SZW en JenV (35557) als hamerstuk aangenomen. Vandaag, 24 november 2020, is het wetsvoorstel ook door de Eerste Kamer als hamerstuk afgedaan. Het wetvoorstel maakt het mogelijk (in Hoofdstuk 2 Tijdelijke voorziening betalingsuitstel COVID-19) om de rechter te verzoeken:
A legislative proposal to amend the Temporary Act COVID-19 was adopted by the Dutch parliament on 12 November 2020, and adopted by the Dutch Senate on 24 November 2020. The proposal (the COVID-19 Amendment Act) will enter into force shortly and remain in effect until 1 February 2021. This GT Alert summarizes the measures included in COVID-19 Amendment Act Chapter 2 (Temporary measures for the stay on recovery measures COVID-19).
The COVID-19 Amendment Act provides (in Chapter 2) for the possibility of the debtor requesting that the courts, in connection with the pandemic:
Bonding companies and debtors can learn an important lesson from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Louisiana’s recent opinion on how surety bond claims are treated once a bankruptcy plan is confirmed.
La prolongada duración de los efectos de la pandemia COVID-19 sobre el tejido económico empresarial ha impulsado al Gobierno a extender en el tiempo algunas de las medidas en el ámbito de la Administración de Justicia que se habían adoptado en el marco del Real Decreto-Ley 16/2020, de 28 de abril, posteriormente confirmadas en la Ley 3/2020, de 18 de septiembre.
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.