External administrators often occupy quasi-judicial offices which, among other things, require them to:

Als Reaktion auf die aktuellen Verwerfungen auf den Energie- und Rohstoffmärkten und die damit zusammenhängenden finanziellen Belastungen für Unternehmen tritt am 9. November 2022 das Gesetz zur vorübergehenden Anpassung sanierungs- und insolvenzrechtlicher Vorschriften zur Abmilderung von Krisenfolgen (Sanierungs- und insolvenzrechtliches Krisenfolgenabmilderungsgesetz – SanInsKG) in Kraft. Kern des SanInsKG ist eine zeitlich befristete Entschärfung des Insolvenzeröffnungstatbestands der Überschuldung gemäß § 19 InsO.

The Supreme Court, in a key judgment handed down on 5 October 2022 (BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana SA and others [2022] UKSC 25), has provided some important clarification around the scope of directors’ duties in the context of companies that are nearing insolvency.

Factual background

Insolvency practitioners (IPs) often occupy quasi-judicial offices which, among other things, require them to, assess and adjudicate on competing claims, take coercive and enforcement actions and complete potentially contentious transactions. They must discharge their legal and equitable duties whilst maintaining objectivity and, whilst recognising and appropriately balancing the interests of a diverse range of stakeholders.

Introduction

On 5 October 2022, the UK Supreme Court delivered its long-awaited judgment in BTI 2014 LLC v. Sequana SA and others [2022] UKSC 25 ("Sequana Case") which concerns the question of the trigger point when directors must have regard to the interests of creditors ("Creditor Duty"). This case raised questions of considerable importance for Malaysian company law.

La reforma concursal recientemente aprobada ha sustituido los acuerdos de refinanciación y los acuerdos extrajudiciales de pago por los planes de reestructuración. Para los socios en general, y de la empresa familiar en particular, esta reforma supone un cambio de paradigma, ya que, en determinadas condiciones, los acreedores podrían imponerles un plan de reestructuración mediante el cual los acreedores tomen el control del capital de la compañía, amortizando las participaciones de los socios fundadores o preexistentes.

The Law on the Temporary Adaption of Restructuring and Insolvency Law Provisions to Mitigate the Consequences of the Crisis (SanInsKG) was published in the German Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) today (8 November 2022) and will become effective in German law tomorrow (9 November 2022), following a very quick legislative process.

Purpose of the SanInsKG

SanInsKG is intended to address the difficulty of companies assessing their solvency in the current economic climate.

The Hastie Group Ltd. (liquidators appointed), and its related entities, fell into external administration on 28 May 2012. 

The Supreme Court recently considered the existence of the “creditor duty” and when this duty arises in the case of BTI v Sequana. The creditor duty is the duty for company directors to consider the interests of the company’s creditors when the company becomes insolvent or is at real risk of insolvency.

Introduction