Creditors frustrated by cost and time delays in cross border disputes, as well as from unscrupulous delaying tactics by debtors, will have some comfort in the form of the revised EU Judgments Regulation. The revised Regulation came into force on 10 January 2015 and aims to resolve cross-border legal disputes more easily, bringing huge cost savings to creditors.
The European Advocate General has today given his opinion in the “Woolworths case” (and two other cases) on the meaning of “establishment” for the purposes of determining when the duty to consult appropriate representatives is triggered under the European Collective Redundancies Directive (the Directive).
The European Commission has reached agreement to update the current insolvency regulation known as Council Regulation (EC) No 1346/2000 dated May 29, 2000 on insolvency proceedings. The goal of the new Regulation is to rescue companies in distress. The proposed insolvency Regulation will change the member states’ insolvency proceedings with respect to both personal and corporate insolvencies and will include modified restructuring options that may not always result in a formal insolvency proceeding and liquidation.
The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has made a referral to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) concerning the question of whether a director of an English limited company which predominantly operated its business in Germany and over the assets of which insolvency proceedings have been opened in Germany, pursuant to Art 3 para 1 European Insolvency Regulation, can, like the director of a German GmbH, be held liable for forbidden payments pursuant to German corporate law or insolvency law.
The recent judgment of Mrs Justice Proudman in Plaza BV –v- The Law Debenture Trust Corporation1 illustrates and extends a line of authorities in which the English courts have sought to narrow the scope of the mandatory application of Article 2 of the Brussels Regulation 44/2001. These cases are a reaction to the broad interpretation of the applicability and effect of Article 2 set out in the ECJ's decision in Owusu –v- Jackson2 , and attempt to confine the influence of that decision.
The legislative process regarding the proposal of the Parliament and of the Council to amend the Regulation (whichwould introduce various changes as proposed by the Commission in order to address issues arisen in the enforcementof the Regulation) is approaching its conclusion
Introduction
This quarter has seen a wave of legislative and regulatory reform on the way. We review some of the more significant developments.
Insolvency exemption to the Jackson reforms extended indefinitely
In the latest decision on COMI (Northsea Base Investment Limited & ors [2015] EWHC 121 (Ch)), the English Court had to determine the centre of main interest for a group of companies registered in Cyprus, but where the operations of the companies were managed by a shipping agent in London.
Alert The Impending First Revision to the EU Insolvency Regulation: An Update 16 December 2014 The latest draft of the First Revision published on 20 Nov. 2014 indicates measured but extensive amendments to the EU Insolvency Regulation (‘EIR’). The most significant is the EU policy shift evidenced by the proposal to extend the EIR’s application from its currently narrow and primarily liquidation-based proceedings to a broader range of measures that are focused on rescue and that have recently been implemented in various jurisdictions.
On January 5, 2015, HM Treasury published the Bank Recovery and Resolution Order 2014 (“BRRO”) and the Banks and Building Societies (Depositor Preference and Priorities) Order 2014 (“BBSO”). The Banking Act 2009 (Restriction of Special Bail-in Provision, etc.) Order 2014 and the Banking Act 2009 (Mandatory Compensation Arrangements following Bail-in) Regulations 2014 were published in December 2014.