This briefing first appeared in the June 2020 edition of South Square Digest.
Executive Summary
In February 2020 the British Virgin Islands Commercial Court (the "BVI Court") sanctioned a creditor scheme of arrangement, which was part of a much larger cross boarder restructuring. This scheme of arrangement, which as a creditor scheme was itself rare for the BVI, was preceded by the BVI's first ever "soft touch" provisional liquidation (in linked proceedings), which commenced in December 2018.
A recent case has highlighted the dangers of the treatment of a Director’s Loan Account (“DLA”), and the risks to directors of trying to re-categorise their DLAs as salary payments. This can mean that the information previously provided to HMRC was incorrect and puts directors at risk of penalties and possibly even a charge of tax evasion.
Conversion of Director’s Loan Accounts to Dividends
In this week’s update: more details on plans for reforms of governance, audit and executive pay, Companies House is ending its temporary strike-off policy, the court orders virtual meetings on a scheme of arrangement and the FRC calls for participants in a review of company disclosures.
The e-book “Litigation in the Time of Covid-19: Legal issues in commerce, finance and insolvency” analyses the key issues arising out of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the latest legal developments, in seven areas: contract, corporate insolvency, personal insolvency, company law (including directors’ duties), civil procedure, banking and financial services, and offshore litigation. It is organised in a question and answer format and addresses issues such as:
The Main Street Lending Program is designed to help companies that were in sound financial condition prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain their operations and payroll until conditions normalize. This White Paper gives a broad understanding of the program’s terms and implications by delving into the key questions that market participants are likely to have about the program and addressing the latest changes implemented in the final legal forms and agreements.
Around the globe, our lawyers are receiving a large number of enquiries about mitigating the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) on companies' business operations and finances. Governments in several countries have reacted quickly to try to mitigate COVID-19's impact by changing or amending their insolvency laws. This memorandum is an overview of the key changes in restructuring and insolvency laws that select countries have undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
A recent decision in the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”) proceedings of Bellatrix Exploration Ltd.[1] (“Bellatrix”) serves as a useful reminder to professionals that a
1. Incorporation, corporate power, capacity and authorization of an Italian company
In connection with the capacity and authorization of an Italian company to enter into ISDA or GMRA master agreements, a Italian lawyer must check and control the copies of the accessible and public records of the company, the Registration Statement, the Company Statute and the Company bylaws, with regard to the prospective negotiation of any new Master netting Agreement.
This examination of available documentation is necessary and opportune in order to verify
The ‘new normal’ for Statutory Demands and Winding Up Petitions under the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020
On 26 June 2020 the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 finally entered force. Now it is in its final form, Simon Newman and Christopher Pask of 1 Chancery Lane’s Property, Chancery & Commercial team will be providing their views on its provisions and their impact over a series of updates.