The U.S. Cannabis industry stands on the cusp of springing forth as a fully formed industry once certain legislative hurdles are overcome. As one of the first major U.S.-based business advisory firms to establish a cannabis-specific practice, the FTI Consulting team understands the unique challenges of the cannabis industry from local, national and global perspectives.

The 5 (five) judge bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (“NCLAT”) has recently decided the long- standing issue of whether re-presentation of appeal constitutes a fresh filing before the NCLAT and its implication on the period of limitation. The NCLAT has held, inter alia, that ‘re-filing’ an appeal (after curing defects) beyond the prescribed 7 (seven) days period will not amount to a ‘fresh filing’ for the purposes of the limitation.

Facts

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has on 21 September 2022 released the Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 (Bill) which consolidates and amends the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933, and The Telegraph Wires, (Unlawful Protection) Act 1950. In Chapter 5 (Restructuring, Defaults in Payment and Insolvency), the Bill addresses situations wherein payment defaults or insolvency proceedings have been initiated against a telecommunication company (Telco or Corporate Debtor).

T W Timber Treatment Pty Ltd v Giddings [2022] VSCA 147

The Victorian Court of Appeal has re-affirmed that a director’s signature can indicate an intention to personally guarantee a company’s obligations, even where that signature is qualified and accompanied by contrary indications in the signed document.

The Court also confirmed that a creditor’s rights under a director’s guarantee, including a right to interest, are not affected by a Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA).

Background

The process of bankruptcy or insolvency may involve a company selling business assets in order to pay creditors or simply to remain financially liable. In some cases, this may include selling distressed assets. This article explains what a distressed asset is, how to deal with such an asset, and what may be the ramifications of engaging in this process.

What is a distressed asset?

The U.S. is one of the easiest jurisdictions in the world in which to do business. Regulatory barriers are generally low, establishing a branch or business entity is quick and easy, labor and employment laws are much more employer-friendly than in most other developed economies, and the legal system is well-developed and transparent. However, there are certain barriers to entry and challenges to doing business that should be taken into account before investing or establishing operations in the U.S.

Over the past decade, insolvency practitioners have developed an intrigue for the use of the creditors’ trust. Many have sought to structure their Deeds of Company Arrangement’s (DOCA) in a way that interfaces with a creditors’ trust through the mechanism of a creditors’ trust deed.  

This week’s TGIF considers the decision in Enares Pty Limited v Nimble Money Limited [2022] FCAFC 126, in which the Full Court considered shareholder information rights in the context of a dispute between Nimble’s board and its largest shareholder as to how to refinance Nimble’s debt.

Key takeaways

Creditors of distressed businesses are often frustrated by shareholder-controlled boards when directors pursue strategies that appear to be designed to benefit shareholders at the creditors’ expense. In these circumstances, creditors might consider sending a letter to the board to convince the directors to pivot and adopt alternative strategies or face risk of liability for breaching fiduciary duties. The efficacy of this approach depends on many factors, including the company’s financial condition, the board’s composition and the underlying transactions at issue.

簡介

最近在Re Carnival Group International Holdings Ltd [2022] HKCFI 2668一案中，本所代表呈請人成功申請將嘉年華國際控股有限公司（「該公司」）清盤。該公司是一家在香港聯合交易所（「聯交所」）上市的百慕達公司。在本案中，法院澄清及確認其將外國公司清盤的司法管轄權。此外，法院命令就訟費問題將該公司董事（「董事」）加入為被告人，因此日後假如公司在欠缺理據的情況下反對清盤呈請，董事或須就呈請人及支持清盤的債權人的訟費承擔個人責任。

背景

該公司在百慕達註冊成立，並根據香港前《公司條例》第XI部註冊為海外公司，其股份在聯交所上市，股份代號 996。該公司是一家投資控股公司，持有在香港、中國內地及英屬維爾京群島註冊成立的附屬公司（統稱「該集團」）。該集團主要在中國內地經營主題式休閒及消費業務。