The Bankruptcy Protector

“It’s expensive to be me / Looking this good don’t come for free.” —Erika Jayne, “XXpen$ive”

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member Erika Girardi, more commonly known as Erika Jayne, is the latest example of just how powerful (and expensive) an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding can be.

When a company is in danger of becoming insolvent or has entered voluntary administration, a Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA) may be put into place. A DOCA is a binding agreement between a company and its creditors setting out how the affairs and assets of the company will be dealt with.

However, if the DOCA is subsequently terminated or the company enters liquidation, can a payment made during the course of a DOCA be recovered as an unfair preference?

Amicus Finance PLC

After a somewhat stop/start convening hearing concluded earlier this month, Amicus Finance PLC (in administration) was the first company given the opportunity to convene creditor meetings for a restructuring plan whilst in administration.

Executive Summary

On June 17, 2021, McCarthy Tétrault virtually hosted A Panel Discussion about the CCAA with Partners Heather Meredith, Jacques Rousse, and Awanish Sinha. The discussion focused on the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”), reasons why organizations use the CCAA, and particular insights about the Laurentian University CCAA proceeding.

The following are some key takeaways from the panel:

Liquidators have wide-ranging powers under the Companies Act 1993 (Companies Act), including the power to request directors, shareholders or any other relevant person to assist in the liquidation of a company.

Companies House temporarily paused their strike off processes in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of this was to stay all strike off action. The stay was lifted on 10 October 2020 but stayed for a second time on 21 January 2021.

The second stay was lifted on 8 March 2021 and, absent further significant disruption caused by COVID-19, is unlikely to be subject to a further stay.

Each week, Crowell & Moring’s State Attorneys General team highlights significant actions that State AGs have taken. Here are this week’s updates.

Monday, July 19, 2021 

Bankruptcy

The reforms, which are the result of the transposition of the EU’s Restructuring Directive, should come into force in October.

Key Points:

In Sarjanda Ltd (in liquidation) v Aluminium Eco Solutions Ltd and another [2021] EWHC 210 (Ch), an application to rescind a winding up order was refused where the application had been made over two years outside of the five-day time limit. That level of delay, allegedly caused by the company negotiating payment of its debts, was not a good enough reason for the breach of the time limit.