A company in financial distress has three main rehabilitation and debt arrangement channels. Each of these channels entails advantages and disadvantages. Applying to the court for relief during the rehabilitation of a company in insolvency offers numerous advantages. However, it also entails a major disadvantage that many people are unaware of. Namely, the application is a one-way street.

On March 19, 2023, it was announced that UBS plans to acquire Credit Suisse in an allshares transaction, valuing Credit Suisse at CHF 0.76 per share / CHF 3 billion. The Swiss Federal Council, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA and the Swiss National Bank expressed their support for the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in Q2/23 following approvals by relevant authorities. AT1 capital instruments issued by Credit Suisse of appr. CHF 16 billion in aggregate have been written-down in full.

Introduction

Tijdens het Stibbe Annual Debt Finance seminar dat in februari 2023 op het Stibbe kantoor in Amsterdam werd gehouden, werd onder andere gesproken over de tegenwind op de financiële markten en de gevolgen daarvan voor financieringstransacties. Na een schets van de stand van de financiële markten en de vooruitzichten voor 2023 door Marieke Driesen, sprak Niek Groenendijk over de mogelijkheden voor een kredietnemer om zich te wapenen tegen onvoorziene omstandigheden, de belangen van financiële convenanten en andere valkuilen in de financieringsdocumentatie.

With the passage of several years since the outbreak of COVID-19 and additional external factors such as the soaring prices of various goods and services and the sharp depreciation of the Japanese yen, companies' financial conditions have deteriorated, while others are considering filing for restructuring proceedings, which is why the reduction of excessive debt has become a major issue as of late.

Tradition Financial Services Ltd v Bilta (UK) Ltd and others [2023] EWCA Civ 112

Key Takeaways:

March, 2023 For Private Circulation - Educational & Informational Purpose Only A BRIEFING ON LEGAL MATTERS OF CURRENT INTEREST KEY HIGHLIGHTS ⁎ Delhi High Court: Arbitrator has no jurisdiction to set aside sale notice issued by secured creditor under Section 13(4) of the SARFAESI Act. ⁎ NCLAT: Majority shareholders of a company have the locus to challenge an admission of CIRP against the corporate debtor where the admission took place on account of collusion amongst the creditors. ⁎ NCLAT: The nature and character of financial debt does not change upon breach of consent terms.

SVB Financial Group, the corporate parent of Silicon Valley Bank, filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on March 17. According to a press release issued by SVB Financial Group, its related entities SVB Securities and SVB Capital are not included in the Chapter 11 filing. This bankruptcy filing comes a week after regulators took control of the failed Silicon Valley Bank.

Background

Last Friday in California, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was shut down by its local regulator and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was appointed as receiver. Urgent regulatory action to prevent systemic risk in the USA and UK has followed.

Bank Asset Auction: Bids for Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A. (“SVB”) and its subsidiary Silicon Valley Private Bank, together or separately, in whole or in part, are due by Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 8 p.m. and Friday, March 24, 2023 at 8 p.m. We’ve previously reported that SVB is open for operations for a minimum of ninety days until it is sold or liquidated.

There has always been a matter of contention for a Committee of Creditors, Resolution Professionals, legal fraternity during Corporate Resolution Insolvency Process (CIRP), whether the dues of the Government like Income-Tax, Sales Tax, Value Added Tax etc. are secured debt and whether the Government is a secured creditor.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal has answered this question in affirmative in its recent𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗯., 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹 (𝗔𝗧) (𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆) 𝗡𝗼. 𝟮𝟰𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 (𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 & 𝗔𝗻𝗿. 𝘃𝘀. 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗟𝘁𝗱).