This ruling resolved an issue originating from a personal and joint and several guarantee granted by two companies to secure the obligations assumed by a Dutch company under a junior financing agreement. In light of the Dutch company's default on one of its payments under that agreement, the creditor companies sued the debtor, and the court issued a resolution ordering the debtor company to pay the amount claimed.

BARCELONA PROVINCIAL COURT (DIVISION 15) RULING OF JUNE 31. 2015, NO. 170/2015: CHANGE IN THE RULE FOR DETERMINING THE EXISTENCE OF A GROUP UNDER THE INSOLVENCY ACT

In this judgment, the Provincial Court of Barcelona modified its previous position (despite a degree of dissent) on the concept of group for insolvency proceeding purposes.

DECISION OF THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE ON REGISTRIES AND NOTARIAL ACTIVITIES DATED OCTOBER 6, 2015: NO PUBLIC DEED REQUIREMENT FOR REGISTERING PROPERTY JUDICIALLY AWARDED IN AN INSOLVENCY PROCEEDING

ACT 42/2015 AMENDS ARTICLE 1964 OF THE CIVIL CODE (STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON ACTIONS)

NEW REFORM OF THE INSOLVENCY ACT CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 AMENDMENTS REGARDING REFINANCING AGREEMENTS 3 - NOTIFICATION OF THE START OF NEGOTIATIONS 3 - REFINANCING AGREEMENTS AND COURT APPROVAL 4 AMENDMENTS REGARDING COMPOSITION AGREEMENTS 4 - CONTENT OF THE COMPOSITION AGREEMENT 4 - QUORUM FOR THE CREATION OF THE CREDITORS’ MEETING AND CALCULATION OF MAJORITIES 5 AMENDMENTS REGARDING LIQUIDATION 5 AMENDMENTS REGARDING THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS 6 TELEMATIC COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INSOLVENCY REGISTRY 7 LEGAL UPDATE I COMMERCIAL AND LITIGATION PRACTICE AREAS June 2015

The insolvency system established under Royal Decree-Law 5/2005 applies to interest rate swap agreements if they are subject to a contractual compensation agreement, even when there is only a financial transaction under that agreement. Any claims arising from these agreements that might have accrued after the declaration of insolvency will be charged against the insolvency estate.

The Council of State has issued a report regarding the request for a declaration of the administration’s financial liability made by a party expropriated for fair value in legal proceedings in view of the declaration of insolvency of the concessionaire benefitting from the expropriation.

The Supreme Court confirmed the lower-court judgments that had rescinded the payments made to the managing director through remuneration, as the bylaw requisite to create the right to receive it had not been met, as well as payments made to shareholders through dividends, differentiating between the resolution of the meeting to distribute dividends and the payment of these dividends.

At the end of October  2014, as insolvency administrators of Establiments Miró, we carried out the sale of the insolvent company’s production unit to the Swiss fund Springwater Capital LLC.

This transaction was successful, resulting in maintaining 476 jobs, preserving 67 stores, and bringing income of €4,505,937 for the insolvency (€3,000,000 for the price and €1,505,937 for recovering the amount of the bonds to be substituted by the purchaser).

The Supreme Court repeated its criterion on classifying as insolvency claims any leasing installments arising after the declaration of insolvency, and interpreted the amendment introduced into article 61.2 of the Insolvency Act (“IA”) by the 2011 reform.