What is a Deed of Company Arrangement?

A Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA) is a formal framework for a company in voluntary administration to restructure its affairs, repay its debts, and potentially continue operations, offering an alternative to immediate liquidation.

What is the purpose of a Deed of Company Arrangement?

The purpose of a DOCA is to:

The English Court of Appeal has widened the scope of transactions defrauding creditors under section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986 in a recent case, Invest Bank PSC v El-Husseini and others (Invest Bank).

Under s.423, the court will only make an order if it is satisfied that a transaction at an undervalue was entered into by a debtor for the purpose of putting assets beyond the reach of a person who may make a claim against them or otherwise prejudicing their interests in relation to such claim.

In a landmark decision, the BVI Commercial Court has confirmed that ultimate beneficial interest holders of notes are 'creditors' under the BVI Insolvency Act and so have standing to issue liquidation applications against defaulting note issuers.

Mourant Ozannes, working alongside Ashurst (Hong Kong) and Counsel, Peter Burgess of South Square, has secured a landmark decision in the matter of Cithara Global Multi-Strategy SPC (Cithara) v Haimen Zhongnan Investment Development (International) Co Ltd (the Company).

Companies are under increasing pressure to examine their ESG policies, particularly after the recent COP26 conference. The UK's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 has intensified the ESG focus.

What is ESG?

ESG, or Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance, is a term used to describe a set of standards that measures a business' environmental and social impact.

Why is ESG important in a distressed restructuring?

In a recent case involving PT Garuda, the national airline of Indonesia, the New South Wales Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by two creditors seeking to wind-up the airline, concluding that PT Garuda enjoyed immunity under the Foreign States Immunities Act 1985 (Cth).

Key takeaways

Der BGH festigt und erweitert seine Rechtsprechung zum Kleinbeteiligtenprivileg im Kontext der insolvenzrechtlichen Anfechtung nach § 135 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 InsO.

It’s now level pegging for HMRC on cram down – twice it has been crammed down, and twice it has not.

In the most recent restructuring plan proposed by Prezzo, the court sanctioned the company’s restructuring plan and crammed down HMRC as both preferential and unsecured creditor. Unlike Houst’s restructuring plan, where HMRC was also crammed down, HMRC fiercely contested the plan proposed by Prezzo.

前言

众所周知，近年来全球经济形势在新冠疫情的阴影下日趋严峻，各行各业均受到了不同程度的负面影响。这种影响传导至PE/VC行业，就演变成“退出难” 问题。被投企业无法上市、业绩低迷、没人接盘……不得已，投资机构们开始打起了“清算”的主意，趁着投资本金还没亏完，能捞回来一点是一点。于是，机构们纷纷向被投企业主张“优先清算权”。关于优先清算权的法律效力，此前的主流观点曾认为《公司法》第186条第二款并不允许有限责任公司自由约定清算剩余财产分配事项，但随着《民法典》的立法进程以及颁布、实施，近年来的司法判例却大多认为《公司法》第186条第二款并非效力性强制性规定，因而支持优先清算权的法律效力。本文拟对几个典型判例进行介绍，以此给PE/VC行业人士提供有益参考。

如系争投资协议项下的“优先清算权”条款约定目标公司在分别支付法定的优于股东之间分配的款项后，部分股东优先于其他股东取得优先分配的，则该股 东内部对于分配顺序进行的约定并不违反《公司法》规定。

案例1

林宇与北京北科创新投资中心（有限合伙）股权转让纠纷案

【(2019)京03民终6335号】

基本事实

The Court of Appeal has upheld the High Court decision of Mr Justice Fancourt in Denaxe Limited v Cooper & Anor [2022] EWHC 764 (Ch) striking out a substantial damages claim brought against court appointed receivers concerning the 2019 sale of Blackpool Football Club.

Summary of Purdue Pharma, L.P. v, City of Grand Prairie (In re Purdue Pharma, L.P.), No. 22–110 – Bk (2d Cir. May 30, 2023)