2023 has been a good year for developing the law of Subchapter V through court rulings and opinions. Here are some of the highs and lows of that development.

Working as Intended

If 2023 shows us anything, it’s this: Subchapter V is working as intended.

Subchapter V has developed into the efficient and effective tool for business reorganization it was intended to be. That’s true, whether the reorganization is in the form of continued operations or liquidation. Such a tool did not exist before Subchapter V.

In a recent landmark case, the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong (CFA) clarified its approach to bankruptcy proceedings where the disputed petition debt arises from a contract with an exclusive jurisdiction clause (EJC) favouring a foreign court.

Background

The bankruptcy proceedings related to a disputed debt due under a credit agreement with an EJC favouring New York. The Hong Kong Court of Appeal (CA) upheld the EJC, setting aside the bankruptcy order to allow the dispute to be determined under the agreed jurisdiction. The applicant appealed to the CFA.

This is the 1st article in a 2-part series on employment contracts vis-à-vis CIRP. The article examines whether a resolution professional can enforce an employment contract (for an employee, not a ‘workman’) during the moratorium period.

In a recent case before the Federal Court of Justice, an insolvency administrator was found to have neglected his duties of investigation in a particularly serious and reproachable manner.

Decision

The insolvency administrator had contested the offsetting of an investment subsidy by the creditor bank to balance the debtor’s accounts.

The focus of the decision was whether the insolvency administrator had made the contestation claim within the statutory limitation period. In Germany, this is usually three years and starts:

Över 8 200 företag försattes i konkurs under 2023, vilket innebär en ökning med 31 procent jämfört med föregående år, enligt statistik från Creditsafe. 2023 går till historien som det högsta konkursåret sedan Creditsafe började med sina mätningar 1999.

Konkursstormen som pågått i sjutton månader har drabbat både stora och små företag i alla län och branscher. Värst drabbat är sportsektorn, bilhandlare och bygg. Under året gick 1,08 procent av Sveriges aktiebolag i konkurs. Höga konkurstal kommer fortsätta prägla 2024.

For many manufacturers, protecting your company from unpaid invoices could help you stay in business.

It remains an uncertain time for the sector, with manufacturing firms among the five industries most affected by insolvencies.

The festive period is a time for celebrating with loved ones, enjoying food and drink, and exchanging gifts. But it can also bring financial challenges. With rising living costs, interest rates at levels not seen for over a decade, and inflation still high, the cost of Christmas can present a further struggle, leaving many overstretched and facing unmanageable debts and insolvency come January.

Pursuant to recent amendments to the Income Tax Act 1967 (“ITA”), gains or profits from the disposal of a ‘capital asset’ on or after 1 January 2024 will be subject to capital gains tax (“CGT”).

‘Capital asset’ is defined to mean movable or immovable property, and includes any rights or interests thereof and includes amongst others, stock and shares, loan stock and debentures.

With a rise in the number of businesses collapsing, construction companies need to be aware of how to protect themselves against risks.

According to UK Government data, construction firms in England and Wales topped the list of industries that experienced the highest number of insolvencies in the 12 months ending 30 September 2023.

There are a few things that we can be almost certain of in 2024, and others are things to add to the watchlist, but with a potential change in government on the cards, there are likely to be a few curveballs thrown into the mix that none of us can predict.

Increasing Insolvencies