On July 21, 2009, Quebecor World Inc. and its affiliated debtors announced that they emerged from creditor protection under the CCAA and Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Quebecor announced that it had completed its Canadian and U.S. reorganization plans, closed a US $800 million exit financing facility and had drawn down approximately US $540 million with which it repaid its debtor in possession (DIP) facility.
On June 29, 2009, Nexient Learning Inc. filed under the CCAA in Ontario. Nexient announced that it made arrangements with The Vengrowth Traditional Industries Fund Inc., one of its lenders, to provide debtor in possession (DIP) financing to support its ongoing operations. Nexient also announced that on July 8, 2009 it received approval from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to conduct a sale process for the sale of its assets and that it had entered into a stalking horse asset purchase agreement. The sales process is expected to be completed by August 15, 2009.
TrustIn Canada (Deputy Attorney General) v. Temple City Housing Inc., the Alberta Court of Appeal had to consider an application for leave to appeal a provision in a Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) (“CCAA”) order granting a DIP lender a charge in priority over the claims of CRA. The claims of CRA consisted of deemed trust claims arising under sections 224(1.2), 227(4) and 227(4.1) of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
In Stomp Pork Farm Ltd., Re, (“Stomp Park Farm”) the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal partially overturned orders granted from the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench which approved debtor in possession financing (“DIP Financing”).
In this case, the debtor owed its first lender $20.5 million, secured against the debtor’s current assets. The lender had priority over the current assets to the extent of $18 million and thereafter shared priority with the debtor’s second lender.
Frank Grell is a partner at Latham & Watkins who chairs the firm’s German Restructuring and Insolvency Practice. Grell reflects on some of the major changes brought about by Germany’s 2012 Insolvency Act (Insolvenzordnung), including an increase in the rights of creditors in the proceedings over the assets of German companies, the introduction of “protective shield” proceedings and a reduction in the negative stigma previously associated with restructuring and insolvency.
On the bill of the Federal German Government for an Act Serving the Further Facilitation of the Reorganization of Enterprises (ESUG)
Bankruptcy partner Brian Hermann and counsel Lauren Shumejda co-authored the chapter, “U.S.: New Strategies for Getting Paid: Recent Investment Fund Activity in Chapter 11,” in the 2019 edition of the Global Restructuring Review (GRR) Special Report, “The Restructuring Review of the Americas.”
No Respite for Distressed Companies in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, a company that is financially distressed may generally only avoid being liquidated or wound up if it:
Court Acceptance of Petition for Corporate Reorganization
On March 1 2011 Tokyo District Court issued a decision which admitted the right of avoidance exercised by the court-appointed administrator of a corporate debtor in possession under civil rehabilitation proceedings, where the debtor company had settled a mortgage for a financing company as the real guarantor of its parent company.