United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Decision of 9 July 2012, No. 11-3920, Sunbeam Products, Inc. v. Chicago AM. MFG. LLC, and United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Decision of 30 August 2012, No. 11–1850, In Re Interstate Bakeries Corp.
The U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Seventh and Eighth Circuits came to different conclusions in deciding the right of a trademark licensee to continue using the licensed mark after rejection or attempted rejection of the trademark license by a bankrupt licensor.
Last week the High Court of England and Wales revoked a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) promoted by retailer Miss Sixty in a damning judgment that called into question the conduct of the practitioners involved. The case of Mourant & Co Trustees Limited v Sixty UK Limited (in administration) [2010] could end so-called guarantee stripping – where the CVA purports to discharge guarantees given by a third party – and provide powerful ammunition to landlords seeking to negotiate future CVAs with tenant companies.
On 28 June 2022 the Insolvency Service published a report it had commissioned from RSM UK to assess the impact that CVAs were having on commercial landlords (the “Report”).
The Supreme Court of New South Wales has recently handed down its decision in proceedings (“Arrium Proceedings”) brought by a number of lenders against former officers and employees of Arrium Limited and its subsidiaries (“Arrium”).
Introduction
Justice Ball’s landmark decision1 dismissing the lenders’ claims addressed various important issues that often arise when a borrower is facing financial distress in Australia, including:
In a pair of significant judgments issued on the same day, Re China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd. [2020] HKCFI 2940 and FDG Electric Vehicles Ltd. [2020] HKCFI 2931, the Honorable Mr. Justice Harris has once again issued highly relevant and timely guidance on key cross-border insolvency issues.
Teilweise Erleichterung für Geschäftsleiter – Haftungsgefahren für Zahlungen bei Insolvenzreife gegenüber der aktuellen BGH-Rechtsprechung vermindert
Die anstehende Marktkonsolidierung birgt fusionskontrollrechtliche Herausforderungen
Die COVID-19-Pandemie ist schon lange nicht mehr nur eine Gesundheitskrise, sondern hat sich zu einer globalen Wirtschaftskrise entwickelt, die viele Unternehmen in massive wirtschaftliche Schwierigkeiten bringt. Erwartet wird eine Konsolidierung, bei der finanziell angeschlagene oder insolvente Unternehmen übernommen werden. Auch der Präsident des Bundeskartellamtes, Andreas Mundt, hält eine Übernahmewelle in Folge der Corona-Krise für ein mögliches Szenario.
On 23 April 2020 the UK Government announced that they will be introducing a temporary ban on the use of statutory demands and winding up petitions where the inability to pay has arisen because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Does the owner bear the risk in case of bankruptcy?
Due to the tense situation in the hotel industry, various lessees are currently approaching their lessors asking for deferral or abatement of rent payments for the period ahead. There are many suggestions for possible compromises - but the insolvency law situation must always be taken into account in order not to create any risks for tenants or lessors. The comments in this article apply equally to hotel usufructuary leases.
Currently discussed compromises
The Pension Schemes Bill [HL] 2019-20 (Bill) was re-introduced before Parliament on 7 January 2020. Among its proposed amendments to the Pensions Act 2004 (Act) are new criminal offences for failing to comply with a contribution notice, avoiding employer debt, conduct risking accrued scheme benefits, an expansion of the moral hazard powers and an extension of the ‘notifiable events’ framework. The Government’s stated intention is to “ensure that those who put pension schemes in jeopardy feel the full force of the law“.