We find ourselves in a year of transition, with (whisper it) the economy stabilising and an election tipped for the second half of 2024. Surely only a fool, in times such as these, would seek to anticipate what change could unfold in the legal landscape over the next 12 months. Challenge accepted! For 2024 we have dusted off our crystal ball and we set out below our (educated) guesses of what to expect for the year (or two) ahead…
Implementation of UNCITRAL model law on Enterprise Group Insolvency
There will also be continued consequences arising out of the ongoing downturn in the economy. In the four quarters ending Q3 2023, the construction industry reported 4,276 cases of insolvency to the Insolvency Service, equating to 18% of all insolvencies reported (when an industry was recorded) during this period.
For many manufacturers, protecting your company from unpaid invoices could help you stay in business.
It remains an uncertain time for the sector, with manufacturing firms among the five industries most affected by insolvencies.
With a rise in the number of businesses collapsing, construction companies need to be aware of how to protect themselves against risks.
According to UK Government data, construction firms in England and Wales topped the list of industries that experienced the highest number of insolvencies in the 12 months ending 30 September 2023.
SUMMARY
UK Restructuring A YEAR IN RETROSPECT 2 Contents Introduction Our people UK team Matter Highlights UK Restructuring Employment UK Restructuring Section Header Section Header Contents 3 Robert Russell UK Head of Restructuring +44 (0)161 235 4147 [email protected] 2023 – Continued instability Casting our minds back to January last year, the economic outlook was fraught with uncertainty.
In the final statistics release of this year, the Insolvency Service confirmed that there were 2,466 registered company insolvencies in November 2023 (the December figures will be released early in 2024). Not only was this 21% higher than in the previous November, but 7% higher than the figures in October 2023.
The company insolvencies in November 2023 included:
The Supreme Court’s judgment in BTI 2014 LLC v Sequana SA and ors[1] (“Sequana”) is a key decision on the law surrounding directors’ duties.
The High Court was required to consider the Supreme Court’s Sequana judgment in Hunt v Singh (below).
What did we learn from Sequana?
Recent news reports have highlighted that the number of corporate insolvencies has continued to rise during 2022 and 2023, with the retail sector being particularly affected. Many companies are struggling to meet the demands of repaying government support provided during lockdown, increased running costs and high wages coupled with lower demand due to the cost of living crisis.