The Spanish Insolvency Act has been reformed several times recently to solve technical problems and to facilitate the continuity of economically or operationally viable companies. In the final quarter of 2014 alone, two partial reforms of the act were approved.
Royal Decree-Law 11/2014, of September 5, on urgent measures in insolvency matters
The insolvency administration is authorized to sell the production unit of the insolvent company Antibióticos, S.A.U. to Black Toro Capital S.A.R.L.
The Madrid Senior Commercial Judges have published the conclusions of the meetings held on November 7 and 21 on the unification of applicable criteria of the reforms of the Insolvency Act enacted by Royal Decree-Law 11/201415 and Act 17/2014.16
Claims secured with an in rem guarantee continue to accrue default interest charged to the encumbered asset and are classified as privileged.
The Madrid Provincial Court applied the doctrine of the Supreme Court judgment of April 30, 2014, no. 100/20148, and declared the rescission of a personal guarantee granted by the insolvent company to secure the loan granted by a credit institution to a related company.
A composition agreement was approved involving the merger of some of group’s companies and with different alternatives, one of which is specifically designed for financial institutions, but open to all creditors, proposing a partial capitalization of the insolvency credits and the payment of the resulting credits through the realization of certain assets and the free cash flow generated by the company in the coming eight years.
First decisions on the court-sanction of refinancing agreements and extension of effects to dissenting entities under the new text of the Fourth Additional Provision, and analysis of the concept of disproportionate sacrifice when there is opposition to the agreement
On October 1, 2014, the Official Gazette of the Spanish State (“BOE”) published Act 17/2014, on urgent measures for refinancing and restructuring corporate debt (“Act 17/2014”). This act arises from Royal Decree-Law 4/2014, of March 73 (“Royal Decree-Law 4/2014”), which was approved by the Spanish Congress of Deputies and subsequently processed as a draft bill through the urgent procedure.
When an composition agreement is terminated due to non-fulfillment and the disappearance is declared of its effects over the credits, the affected credits will be recognized for their original amount, and the definitive texts will include the fraction pending of payment, even if the resulting amount after applying the debt relief agreed has been paid in full
Royal Decree-Law 11/2014, of September 5, on urgent measures in insolvency matters, introduces important reforms into the Insolvency Act regarding composition agreements and insolvency liquidation to facilitate the continuity of financially viable companies.