The last two months have seen two key appeals in which the court was required to decide whether the tenant of a particular type of building should enjoy the statutory right to acquire the freehold of a house. This right is enshrined in the Leasehold Reform Act 1967.
The properties, and the questions for the court in each case, were quite different. What the judgments had in common was a purposive approach to interpretation of the Act.
Judge Megarry in Re Rolls Razor Limited1, aptly describes the necessity of insolvency enquiries:
In view of the impending Solvency II Directive (Directive 2009/138/EC), which will be fully applied as of 1 January 2016, and the considerable changes associated with the directive, the (German) insurance landscape will not remain in its current state.
The UK Court of Appeal has swept aside existing rules governing when administrators have to pay advance rents falling due before their appointment.
In what will be seen as a significant victory for landlords, the Court held on 24 February 2014 that it was not open for administrators to enjoy a rent free period simply because they were appointed just after a quarter day. The decision will have major implications for the planning and implementation of corporate insolvencies and looks set to transform the relationship between insolvency practitioners and the property industry.
Last 31 August, the Spanish Council of Ministers passed the Royal Decree-law 24/2012, on restructuring and resolution of credit entities (the "RDL 24/2012") which entered into force on such date immediately following its publication in the Spanish Official Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado).
His Honour Judge Purle QC in Re Cornercare Limited [2010] EWHC 393 (CH) has clarified English law on the filing of successive notices of intention to appoint administrators. He has held that there is nothing in the relevant provisions of the Insolvency Act 1986 ("IA 1986") to prevent the filing of successive notices of intention to appoint administrators, where the original notice of intention to appoint an administrator had not been acted upon for good reason.
Wirecard's insolvency administrator has won a first victory before the Munich I Regional Court. On 5 May, the court declared the annual financial statements for 2017 and 2018, which show balance sheet profits totalling around EUR 600 million, null and void. Dividends of around EUR 47 million were distributed to Wirecard's shareholders from these profits, which probably never existed. As a consequence of the nullity of the annual accounts, the resolutions on the utilisation of the balance sheet profits are also null and void.
The High Court has dismissed an application by a landlord creditor to overturn a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) implemented by coffee shop chain Caffé Nero. The CVA, previously approved by its creditors, compromised rent arrears and reduced future rents for the company's premises. The decision follows a series of previous high-profile challenges to retail and leisure CVAs.
Doing business in the United States
2021
2
Hogan Lovells
Doing business in the United States 2021
3
Contents
Introduction1
I.Openness of U.S. markets to foreign investment
2
II.Direct or indirect market entry and choice of entity
8
III. Commercial contracting
20
IV.Labor and employment law considerations
26
V.Immigration laws
34
VI.Intellectual property laws
40
VII. Export control and economic sanction laws
46
VIII. U.S. antitrust laws
56
On 8 October 2020, the Insolvency Service published the outcome of its review of industry reforms to pre-pack sales in administration and made recommendations which will impact the way in which pre-pack sales to connected parties in particular operate in the UK in the future.
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