Introduction
When a company is being wound up, its liquidators have powers to investigate into the company's affairs and dealings. Such powers are for the purpose of discharging their duties as officers of the court to steward the estate in liquidation.
On 23 January 2024, the English Court of Appeal set aside the April 2023 order of the High Court sanctioning the English Part 26A restructuring plan (the “Plan”) proposed by AGPS BondCo plc (the “Plan Company”), a subsidiary of Adler Group SA (Adler Group SA and its subsidiaries being the "Adler Group"). The successful appeal was brought by an ad hoc group of holders of the Adler Group's 2029 notes (the "AHG"). The practical consequences of this decision for the Adler Group's restructuring remain to be seen.
The High Court (Court) recently dismissed a petition seeking the winding up of a biofuel company (Company).
The ex tempore judgment is of note because it considers the standing of the Petitioner to bring the application and the consequences of a relevant witness not being cross-examined by the Petitioner on his affidavit evidence regarding the solvency of the Company.
Background
2018年以来，选择以庭外重组方式化解债务风险的大型民营企业逐渐变多，同时在实践中，为了固化庭外债务重组协议之效力，越来越多企业根据自身需要，寻求以庭外重组与庭内重组相结合的、综合性化解债务危机的路径。在这样的现实背景下，对庭外债务重组与庭内重组程序的衔接及组合运用进行研究便显得十分必要了。本文将结合我国相关政策规定和案例实践，探讨庭外债务重组与庭内重组程序衔接的合理性、可行性以及两者进行衔接的模式。
一、庭外重组与庭内重组程序的现实需求
庭外重组与庭内重组（包括破产重整和破产和解）均为化解债务风险的路径。庭内重组通过破产法规定及司法权力介入等形式，赋予了重整计划或和解协议“多数决”的强制约束力，以及解封解押等的强制执行力。但庭外重组实质是债务人与主要债权人私下自愿协商，或者在中立第三人主持下达成债务调整合意的过程，达成的合意不具有司法强制执行力。
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the previous decision of the High Court to sanction a restructuring plan ("Plan") that had been proposed by the Adler Group ("Adler") should be set aside. The decision marks the first appeal in relation to a restructuring plan under Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006 ("Companies Act") and the decision offers clarity on the approach to restructuring plans, particularly when considering issues of "fairness".
Weiß ein Forderungsverkäufer von der Zahlungsunfähigkeit seines Schuldners, muss sich der Factor diese Kenntnis im Rahmen eines echten Factorings nicht allein deshalb zurechnen lassen, weil der Factoringvertrag Informations- und Unterstützungspflichten des Forderungsverkäufers vorsieht.
Überblick
The English Court of Appeal has today overturned the restructuring plan sanction order made by the High Court in April 2023.
The keenly awaited judgment raises some difficult issues for Adler in the context of its restructuring, but more broadly clarifies a number of points in relation to restructuring plans.
How the court uses its discretion to sanction a plan
Looking into the crystal ball at the start of the year to forecast future trends isn’t possible, but one common theme that we expect will continue to impact upon both directors and officers and insolvency practitioners (IP) is the increasing rise of corporate insolvencies.
Звернення до суду із заявою про відкриття провадження у справі про банкрутство — це комплексне і складне завдання. Заявникам у таких справах необхідно не лише враховувати положення законодавства, а й зважати на значну кількість суперечливих позицій, викладених у постановах Верховного Суду. Бар’єром, зокрема, може стати наявний підхід до категорії «спір про право» у справах про банкрутство.