Introduction

Introduction

In this first instalment of our insights series on construction insolvency, Ironbridge Legal outlines key red flags to look for and practical steps to manage counterparty risk.

An Industry at Risk - With Contagion Potential

Introduction

In December 2024, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) released an updated version of Regulatory Guide RG 217. The guidance is designed to assist directors in complying with their duty to prevent insolvent trading. It sets out four key principles for directors to avoid insolvent trading, explains the safe harbour defence (which offers protection from personal liability), and clarifies ASIC’s approach to assessing breaches of duty and the application of the safe harbour defence.

自主清算程序相对更加灵活，可根据实际情况灵活调整清算策略，因此退出效率会更高。破产清算需要根据企业破产法的规定履行相应的程序流程并受法院监督，清产核资、拍卖处置资产也是时间不可控的程序，原则上破产清算周期更长。尽管如此，从破产管理人的选派程序和破产清算的申请流程看，破产管理人由法院指定，而后从破产申请到清算程序终止的一系列工作，均由破产管理人负责开展，公司股东工作量极大减少。

图：源自投中网

虽然过去五年国有资本的参股投资行为在投资金额上并不领先，但其项目数量远超并购及新股发行认购行为。与此相对应的是，国务院国资委于2023年6月23日发布了《国有企业参股管理暂行办法》（国资发改革规〔2023〕41号）（简称“暂行办法”），该办法对国有资本的投资、管理、退出进行了规范，标志着国资监管向强化国有企业参股管理迈进了一大步。《暂行办法》将适用范围扩大至所有国资委履行出资人职责的企业及其子企业，而不仅局限于中央企业^[1]。

在投资方面，该办法对国有资本进行了谦抑化规范，严控非主业投资，例如第六条要求国有资产投资“坚持聚焦主责主业，符合企业发展战略规划，严控非主业投资，不得通过参股等方式开展投资项目负面清单规定的禁止类业务”。

The Singapore International Commercial Court (the "SICC"), a division of the General Division of the High Court and part of the Supreme Court of Singapore, was established in 2015 as a trusted neutral forum to meet increasing demand for effective transnational dispute resolution. It recently considered, as a matter of first impression for the SICC, whether to approve a prepackaged scheme of arrangement for a group of Vietnam-based real estate investment companies under Singapore's recently enacted Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (the "IRDA").

In FamilyMart China Holding Co Ltd (Respondent) v Ting Chuan (Cayman Islands) Holding Corporation (Appellant) (Cayman Islands) [2023] UKPC 33, the Privy Council has provided useful guidance about the interplay between an arbitration agreement and exercise of the Cayman court’s powers and discretion to wind up a company on just and equitable grounds.

Divorce and Family partner Lisette Dupré and Commercial Litigation partner Elaina Bailes were among 500 lawyers from more than 50 countries who gathered for the AIJA International Young Lawyers’ Congress in Rio between 20 and 26 August. This year’s theme was rethinking the law in four dimensions, which called upon speakers to think more about how the law may develop in the next five years than simply looking at how it stands today.

On 8 February 2023, the High Court of Australia (being Australia’s highest court) simultaneously handed down two highly anticipated insolvency law decisions:

In the recent case of LMN v Bitflyer Holdings Inc & Ors [2022] EWHC 2954, the High Court of England and Wales made orders directed at a number of cryptocurrency exchanges requiring them to provide information in relation to misappropriated crypto assets.

The Court’s decision in Barokes Pty Ltd (in liq) [2022] VSC 642 is important because, for the first time in Australia, a Court has granted a creditor leave to bring a derivative action in the name of a company in liquidation against its liquidators. This case opens another significant gateway for creditors to seek redress for their losses.