Composition with creditors

New rules for the competitive bid process aimed at the sale of the debtor’s assets in each phase or type of concordato preventivo procedure, which can now take place even before the confirmation order of the Court.

Competitive sale of debtor’s assets

The Italian Government further integrated the rules applicable to debt restructuring agreements, allowing the debtor to cram down the agreement also to dissenting minority lenders, in two different frameworks: a) stand-still agreements for a “temporary moratorium” pending negotiations, and b) the actual agreements for the rescheduling and restructuring of the outstanding debt.

The Court Monza decided upon a petition filed by the managing director of a company, after confirmation of a “concordato preventivo con continuità  aziendale”  proposal, seeking an authorization to perform certain acts not in the ordinary course of business.

The case

On 23 June 2015, the Italian Cabinet approved Law Decree No. 83 which amends Royal Decree No. 267 16 March 1942 (the “Bankruptcy Act”), the civil code and the code of civil procedure, and certain tax provisions (the “Decree”). The amendments aim to facilitate debt restructurings, support distressed companies in their turnaround attempts, and foster quicker liquidations in bankruptcy proceedings.

Interim Financing

On June 27, 2015, the Italian government approved Law Decree No. 83/2015 (the “Decree”) with the aim of further improving the competitiveness of Italian bankruptcy legislation and facilitating debt restructuring of Italian companies.

The Decree entered into force on June 27, 2015 and needs to be converted into law by the Italian Parliament within 60 days of such date.

New rules on restructuring procedures

Important changes to Italian bankruptcy law with particular respect to the composition with creditors (concordato preventivo) and restructuring agreements (accordi di ristrutturazione) have entered into force on 27 June 2015.

Art. 57 para. 6-bis TUF (introduced by Legislative Decree No. 42/2012) provides for a special procedure of judicial liquidation of investment funds in an insolvency situation, where debts cannot be satisfied in full out of the fund’s assets, but does not state whether investment funds are eligible for concordato preventivo as an alternative to liquidation.

The issues

The Italian Supreme Court (judgement No. 14552 of 26 June 2014), ruled that the disclosure of acts in fraud carried out by the debtor causes the admission to concordato preventivo to be revoked according to Article 173 IBL, even in case of approval by the creditors.

The case

The decision of the Court of Treviso of 26 February 2015 admitted a concordato proposal providing for a partial payment of receivables having a lien over the entire estate and for payment of unsecured creditors out of the higher liquidation value of the debtor’s assets according to the concordato plan, as compared to the bankruptcy liquidation value

The case