As one of the most important and influential countries in the Middle East, it is no surprise that the development of the laws and regulations of the UAE have a major impact on the region. The UAE Bankruptcy Law is no exception, and it has recently been amended to bring it up to date with international standards.
The amendments are particularly relevant for board members, who have a responsibility to ensure the financial health of their companies.
On 24 October 2022, Dubai Court of First Instance declared Arabtec Holding Company bankrupt and approved the liquidation of its assets. The decision highlights the responsibilities of directors, board members and managers of all companies, and the possibility they can be held liable and accountable under UAE Laws for the mismanagement and the fallout of a company.
The Court appointed two trustees to list the assets of the bankrupt company, complete the liquidation and pay the creditors. Regarding the company’s governance, directors, managers and current assets, the Court ruled:
This Regulatory Update provides a snapshot of the key legal developments in the BVI and the Cayman Islands over the last quarter – including amendments to BVI business company fees, the introduction of the BVI Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, and an update on the list of director names which is now publicly available in the BVI. It also contains a reminder of the January 2023 filing deadlines in the Cayman Islands, amendments to the Cayman LLC legislation and details of the highest possible rating given to the Cayman Islands by OECD for effectiveness of AEOI regime.
1. Related Fund Entity filings for private funds]
On 1 September 2021, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) issued a Notice advising industry that a new Related Fund Entity (RFE) form for private funds was available for use via CIMA's Regulatory Enhanced Electronic Forms Submission (REEFS) portal.
On December 5, 2022, in In re Global Cord Blood Corp., 2022 WL 17478530 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Dec. 5, 2022) (“Global Cord”), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Court”) denied recognition of a proceeding pending in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Proceeding” and the court, the “Cayman Court”) because it was more like a corporate governance and fraud remediation effort than a collective proceeding for the purpose of dealing with reorganization or liquidation, as Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code requires.
Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code provides a mechanism for United States cooperation and coordination with insolvency proceedings abroad, often affording foreign debtors wide-ranging relief and expansive rights through the United States Bankruptcy Court system. Not all proceedings in foreign jurisdictions are eligible — in order to be so, a proceeding must constitute a “foreign proceeding” under the Bankruptcy Code.
Cryptoassets are traded on a global basis. Indeed, the markets are even more global and constant than markets in more conventional financial instruments, rivalled only perhaps by the FX markets in their reach.
Recent regulatory developments of interest to all financial institutions. Includes key COVID-19 updates from the UK FCA, AML/CTF updates and more.
COVID-19: FCA statement on handling of post and paper documents
On 13 May 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a statement on how firms should handle post and paper documents during the COVID-19 pandemic.