Important changes to Italian bankruptcy law with particular respect to the composition with creditors (concordato preventivo) and restructuring agreements (accordi di ristrutturazione) have entered into force on 27 June 2015.

On 26 July, the Pensions Regulator (TPR) published a statment on financial support directions (FSDs) and insolvency, with the aim of helping 'the pensions and insolvency industries understand TPR's approach in relation to financial suppirt directions in insolvency situations.'

The German parliament (Deutscher Bundestag) has recently passed a law on the restructuring and dissolution of distressed financial institutions, establishing a sector-wide restructuring fund and extending the statute of limitations for the liability board members (Restructuring Act).

DWP consults on amendments to the employer-debt regulations

In the construction industry, contractor insolvency delays projects, increases costs and may deprive the employer of remedies and third parties of meaningful warranty protection. In 2008, it was reported that the number of construction firms facing grave financial concerns was 547 per cent higher than in 2007 (Building, 14 November 2008). As contractor insolvencies are likely to increase in 2009, how can an employer protect its position at the start of a project and when contractor insolvency occurs?  

Contractual safeguards  

Cryptoassets continue to be in the spotlight with prices no longer heading ‘to the moon’, the recent high-profile failure of an algorithmic stablecoin and the difficulties experienced by various service providers. This all forms the backdrop to the UK Government’s publication of proposals with respect to managing the failure of systemic digital settlement asset firms.

Overview

A new Act, which received Royal Assent on 15 December 2021, extends the existing directors’ disqualification regime to the directors of dissolved companies.

A new bill, which the UK Government introduced to Parliament on 12 May 2021, seeks to extend the existing directors’ disqualification regime to the directors of dissolved companies.

The demand by asset managers, CLOs and other investors for leveraged loans continues to fuel the market for cov-lite loans that include other terms that are attractive for sponsors. These terms often allow for liability management transactions by permitting transfers of assets to unrestricted subsidiaries, or the non-pro rata uptiering of debt and incurrence of super-priority debt with mere majority lender consent.

As widely blogged about, on 26 June 2020 the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (the Act) came into force, introducing both far-reaching wholescale reforms to the UK’s restructuring toolbox as well as temporary measures dealing with COVID-19 impacts on companies. The two most significant temporary measures for companies facing financial difficulties as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic were: