Pierre Dzakpasu, Anne Jesudason and Florence W Y Li, Mayer Brown
This is an extract from the 2025 edition of GRR's The Asia-Pacific Restructuring Review. The whole publication is available here.
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER SERIES AUGUST, 2024 | VOL. XV VAISH ASSOCIATES ADVOCATES LEGALAXY WWW.VAISHLAW.COM LEGAL MAXIM Volenti Non Fit Injuria: “No wrong is done to one who consents.” MONTHLY NEWSLETTER SERIES AUGUST, 2024 | VOL.
For RSLs who are routinely contracting with housebuilders for golden brick delivery of affordable housing across multiple phases, we discuss the four key actions that can help if the housebuilder becomes insolvent.
1. Pre-Insolvency – Financial Distress Provisions and Due Diligence
Introduction
Mareva orders, also known as freezing orders, may be granted when there is a risk that a defendant might move its assets out of reach of the court’s jurisdiction. Mareva can orders freeze assets owned directly or indirectly by the defendants. Oftentimes a defendant subject to a freezing order has other creditors seeking repayment. Can a creditor enforce its claim against the frozen assets? Yes, but the creditor must come to the court with clean hands and should not make loans to the defendant if it has notice of the order.
In the current market, investors are increasingly considering their options in relation to the stressed and distressed credits in their portfolios. Whilst mindful of stakeholder relationships, secured lenders may, in some circumstances, wish to consider the "nuclear option": enforcing their share pledge over a holding company of the operating group (ideally, such pledge being over a single company which directly or indirectly holds the entire business - a "single point of enforcement").
Serving as the stalking horse bidder in a Section 363 sale1 can provide a buyer with financial and legal protections, as well as better position the buyer to ultimately acquire the debtor's assets.
General Overview
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER SERIES MARCH, 2024 | VOL. X VAISH ASSOCIATES ADVOCATES LEGALAXY WWW.VAISHLAW.COM LEGAL MAXIM Delegatus non potest delegare: ‘A delegate cannot further delegate’ MONTHLY NEWSLETTER SERIES MARCH, 2024 | VOL.
The original version of this article was first published in the Trilegal Quarterly Roundup
New Zealand’s economy, like many others, has been significantly impacted by global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic hangover (inflation, supply chain shocks and high interest rates). These events have led to an increase in distressed M&A activity as healthy companies seek to acquire those in financial distress. Distressed M&A is not without its challenges. The uncertainty of the distressed company’s true value, potential liabilities, and the risk of subsequent insolvency proceedings can deter potential acquirers.