In Short
The Background: On November 15, 2023, the Temporary Fast-Track Liquidation Transparency Act (Tijdelijke Wet Transparantie Turboliquidatie) (the "Act") came into force in the Netherlands, temporarily changing certain statutory provisions in the Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek), the Dutch Bankruptcy Act (Faillissementswet), and the Dutch Economic Offenses Act (Wet op de economische delicten).
最高人民法院与香港律政司在2019年1月18日共同签署了《关于内地与香港特别行政区法院相互认可和执行民商事案件判决的安排》（“《新安排》”）。在香港方面，《新安排》需透过本地法律实施，根据香港政府2023年11月10日的宪报，《内地民商事判决（相互强制执行）条例》（第645章）以及《内地民商事判决（相互强制执行）规则》将于2024年1月29日生效。在内地方面，我们预期最高人民法院亦将近期颁布相关司法解释。依照双方共识，《新安排》会于2024年1月29日在两地同步实施。
《关于内地与香港特别行政区法院相互认可和执行当事人协议管辖的民商事案件判决的安排》（“《旧安排》”）将在《新安排》生效之日废止（第30条第1款）。但《新安排》生效前，当事人已签署《旧安排》所称“书面管辖协议”的，仍适用《旧安排》（第30条第2款）。
《新安排》的生效落地，将大大提高两地法院判决被互相认可和执行的便利性。据最高人民法院估计，新安排实施后内地与香港两地法院90%左右的民商事案件判决将有望得到相互认可和执行。
有鉴于此，我们希望分享《新安排》生效后的一些实务要点和操作流程概览，期待与业界交流探讨。
Rainbow Papers: The Judgment
In State Tax Officer (1) v. Rainbow Papers Ltd., 2022 SCC OnLine SC 1162 ("Rainbow Papers"), the Supreme Court dealt with the question as to whether the provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, ("IBC") (specifically Section 53) overrides Section 48 of the Gujarat Value Added Tax Act, 2003 ("GVAT Act").
Section 48 of the GVAT Act provides as follows.
Section 48. Tax to be first charge on property:
The changes corresponding to the proposals are suggested in the IBBI (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) Regulations, 2016, and the IBBI (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016. The draft regulations have been annexed to the proposals.
Comments on the proposals and the draft regulations have been sought by November 28, 2023.
The Board’s proposals are as follows: –
Registration of corporate debtor’s real estate projects under RERA
In a recent decision in the case of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd. v. HDFC Bank Ltd. and Another, the Supreme Court of India (“Supreme Court”) has held that the rents receivable by a borrower which was assigned to a lender of a lease rental discounting facility would not be treated as an asset of the borrower, and thus fall outside the purview of the asset and security freeze order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (“NCLAT”).
Brief Facts
(Published in the Fall 2023 issue of The Bankers' Statement)
On April 19, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 363(m) is a not a jurisdictional provision. Thus, challenges to Section 363 sales that have closed can be heard on appeal notwithstanding a Section 363(m) finding in the sale order, so long as the appellate decision does not affect the validity of the sale to a good faith purchaser.1
A "double-dip" structure is considered a way to allow some creditors to have multiple claims against key obligors arising out of the same underlying transactions. These additional claims could improve their position relative to other creditors in a bankruptcy or liquidation.
Is an involuntary bankruptcy, filed by an owner/creditor of the Debtor, filed in good faith or in bad faith?
That’s the question before the U.S. Supreme Court on which it denied certiorari on October 30, 2023 (Wortley v. Juranitch, Case No. 23-211).
Here’s the gist of the case.
Your customer, who has always paid on time, has started to fall behind on payments and maybe has even started to short pay invoices. When you inquire about what is going on, your customer has a million excuses but assures you that everything is fine. On the one hand, you want to continue to do business with this long-standing customer. On the other hand, you are worried about the growing accounts receivable and a potential bankruptcy filing by your customer. How can you protect your business?
Key Issues
Two recent cases from New Zealand demonstrate how an equitable lien can arise in insolvency to elevate the interest of unsecured purchasers of goods to secured status.
Key takeouts