Prompted by the EU Restructuring Directive and accelerated by the pandemic, jurisdictions all across Europe have completely transformed their restructuring regimes in recent years. This is part of a global trend towards more debtor-friendly, rescue-orientated restructuring regimes, inspired by US Chapter 11.

Amar Meher, Addleshaw Goddard LLP

This is an extract from the 2024 edition of GRR's Europe, Middle East and Africa Restructuring Review. The whole publication is available here.

This is an Insight article, written by a selected partner as part of GRR's co-published content. Read more on Insight

Alexandros Kontogeorgiou and Georgia Papathanasiou, Kontogeorgiou Bakopanou & Associates Law Firm

This is an extract from the 2024 edition of GRR's Europe, Middle East and Africa Restructuring Review. The whole publication is available here.

Alexander Vogel and Marc Baumberger, MLL Legal

This is an extract from the 2024 edition of GRR's Europe, Middle East and Africa Restructuring Review. The whole publication is available here.

Communicating with Scheme Creditors: Beware of Zealous Advocacy

A-Cap Energy Limited [2023] FCA 1356 ("A-Cap") and Symbio Holdings Limited [2024] FCA 40 ("Symbio")

The main communication with scheme creditors is the explanatory statement approved at the first court hearing.

However, there can be other communications which are proposed to be sent to creditors.

In the case of other communications which are known at the time of the first hearing, they can include:

近年来，我国公开市场债券违约处置体制不断健全，违约处置方式不断丰富，违约处置的市场化程度进一步提升，债务重组作为一种公开市场债务处理的方式逐渐出现在人们的视野中。与此同时，受经济下行大环境的影响，债券市场违约事件频发，截至2023年一季度，公开市场多笔债券出现未按时兑付本息、回售款或利息，构成实质违约。为了寻求公开市场违约债券处置效率的进一步提升，健全公开市场债券信息披露制度，探索最优方式化解债券违约的路径，针对公开市场债券的特点，对处理手段及相应注意事项进行研究十分必要。本文将结合我国目前公开市场违约债券的处置现状和应对方式，从庭外重组与庭内重组程序的差异性出发，论述庭外债务重组作为处置手段的特殊性及应当重点注意的事项等，明确以庭外债务重组手段处置公开市场债务将会进一步提升债券违约处置机制市场化、法治化水平。

一、我国公开市场违约债券处置现状

2021年，我国债券市场新增23家违约发行人，共涉及到期违约债券87期，到期违约金额合计约1015.76亿元；17家发行人首次发生展期，涉及展期债券33期，展期规模157.31亿元，较上年增多。[1]

En 2023, le nombre de défaillances d’entreprises est en hausse par rapport à l’année précédente. À cela s’ajoutent le rallongement des délais de paiement, l’inflation, des taux d’intérêt toujours élevés...À la lumière dececlimat monétaire et financier instable se profile la gestion du risque crédit.

A creditors' scheme of arrangement ("Scheme") can be a powerful restructuring tool implemented to achieve a variety of outcomes for a business, ranging from deleveraging or a debt-to-equity conversion to a merger and/or issue of new debt/equity instruments. When managed appropriately, a Scheme can reshape a business' debt and equity profile, setting it up for an improved go-forward operating platform. Below we set out an outline of the Scheme process in Australia and consider some key features that are unique to Australian schemes.

Reid-Roberts & Anor v Mei-Lin & Anor (Re Audun Mar Gudmundsson (a Bankrupt) [2024] EWHC 759 (Ch) was an unusual case resulting in an unusual application of the exceptional circumstances rule in the context of an application by the joint trustees in bankruptcy of Audun Mar Gudmundson for declarations as to the beneficial ownership of his and his ex-wife’s former matrimonial home and orders under s 335A Insolvency Act 1986 for possession and sale.

The European Commission has published a new proposal for a Directive that would harmonise certain aspects of insolvency law across the EU. This proposal, following the enactment of Directive (EU) 2019/1023, illustrates a strong desire to facilitate the free movement of capital within Europe. A significant part of the proposed Directive is designed to make laws governing avoidance actions uniform across the EU.