Overview

The scope and extent of a director's duty is of particular interest to officeholders of companies and their D&O insurers.

How can creditors reduce the risk of a fixed charge being characterised as floating?

The determination as to whether a charge over a valuable asset is fixed or floating can be crucial to a creditor's recovery in an insolvency. To have two cases over the course of little more than a year providing detailed analysis of the nature of fixed and floating charges is indeed a treat. Are there any practical steps creditors can take to reduce the risk of a fixed charge being characterised as floating?

Fluctuating assets?

Last week, in a 5-to-4 decision in the case ofHarrington, United States Trustee, Region 2 v. Purdue Pharma L.P, et al., the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the ability of bankruptcy courts to order non-consensual third-party releases (i.e., claims held by non-debtors against non-debtor third parties) as part of a Chapter 11 plan.

On 8 May 2024, the General Court of the EU annulled the Commission decision of 26 July 2021 approving restructuring aid to German airline Condor following an annulment action lodged by Ryanair. The Commission should have opened a formal procedure because of doubts about the compatibility of the aid. The General Court rejected Ryanair’s argument relating to the impact of the aid on its competitive position.

Background

引言

在新《公司法》实施的第一天，即2024年7月1日，北京市西城区人民法院微信公众号发布了其审结的首例适用新《公司法》第54条规定的加速到期规则的案件。

在该案中，经债权人申请，西城法院在执行程序中追加案涉公司的股东张某为被执行人。进而，西城法院根据新《公司法》第54条，对案涉公司股东张某适用加速到期规则，判决其履行提前缴纳出资的债务，在其未出资的范围内向债权人承担补充赔偿责任。

一、西城法院案例简析[1]

（一）案情概要

李某系案涉公司的前员工。因该公司拖欠工资，李某提起劳动仲裁。经仲裁委调解，双方达成调解协议，约定：公司应于2023年4月底前支付拖欠李某的工资70,000余元。随后，仲裁委据此出具了《调解书》。

因该公司未履行《调解书》项下的付款义务，李某以该公司为被执行人向西城法院提出强制执行申请。由于该公司名下没有可供执行的财产，西城法院裁定终结本次执行程序。

In December 2012, Halimeda International Ltd lent $140m to Sian Participation Corp. The loan agreement provided that any claim, dispute or difference of whatever nature arising under, out of or in connection with the loan should be referred to arbitration. In September 2020, in proceedings akin to a winding up petition, Halimeda applied to have liquidators appointed over Sian under the BVI Insolvency Act 2003. Wallbank J held that Sian had failed to show that the debt was disputed on genuine and substantial grounds and ordered that the company be put into liquidation.

On July 2, 2024, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia (the “Court”) released its highly anticipated decision in British Columbia v. Peakhill Capital Inc., 2024 BCCA 246 (“Peakhill”) concerning the use of reverse vesting orders (“RVOs”) to effect sale transactions structured to avoid provincial property transfer taxes for the benefit of creditors.

The opening of safeguard or reorganisation proceedings does not automatically terminate a current agreement notwithstanding any contractual clause providing for termination.

Termination by a lessor

The inter-relationship between disputed debts, arbitration agreements and winding up proceedings has come up again this time before the Privy Council in Sian Participation Corp (In Liquidation) v Halimeda International Ltd [2024] UKPC 16. In delivering this important judgment, the Privy Council looked closely at the dividing line between two areas of public policy, namely insolvency and arbitration.

Background

The liquidator of UKCloud Ltd (the Company) applied to the court for directions as to whether a debenture granted by the Company created a fixed or floating charge over certain internet protocol (IP) addresses. The lender argued that it had a fixed charge.

Fixed or floating?