Welcome to The Week That Was, a round-up of key events in the financial services sector over the last seven days.
The fifth episode of Season 4 of our podcast, Money Covered - The Month That Was, where the team looks at the Financial Conduct Authority's Vehicle Finance Redress Scheme Consultation, is now available.
To listen to this and all previous episodes, please click here.
Headline development
The second major worldwide economic shock in half a decade: too soon?
Several significant judicial decisions were released in 2025 that remain relevant to businesses, commercial lenders and restructuring professionals. This bulletin summarizes the key developments of 2025 and highlights areas of significance for restructuring professionals and market participants to monitor in 2026.
1. Hudson’s Bay Company and Assignment of Contracts
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India released the Report of the Committee on Framing Guidelines for Insolvency Proceedings in the Real Estate Sector, pursuant to directions of the Supreme Court of India in the case of Mansi Brar Fernandes v. Shubha Sharma & Ors., (December 12, 2025). The Court emphasized the need to prioritise project completion and protect homebuyer interests, consistent with broader constitutional principles, including the right to shelter under Article 21.
The decision confirms that ranking depends on when the claim arises not when it is assigned
The Spanish Supreme Court, in its ruling 22/2026, has addressed a frequently contested question in Spanish insolvency law: whether the subordination of a claim based on the creditor being a related party should be determined at the time the claim originates or at the time it is later acquired by assignment.
April 2026 - Until last week, an investor assessing a distressed exposure in another EU member state had to navigate up to 27 different insolvency regimes, each with its own rules on look-back periods, directors' obligations, asset recovery, and creditor rights. Recovery timelines ranged from seven months to seven years.
This Legal Update explores the considerations that a warehouse lender should bear in mind when deciding whether to provide borrowing base credit for participation interests and defining eligible participation interests.
Example of Eligibility Criterion:
Such Collateral Loan is not a participation in a debt obligation or a loan unless it is an Eligible Participation Interest.
Why Do Lenders Care if an Underlying Asset is a Participation Interest?
This week’s TGIF considers the recent decision of the New South Wales Court of Appeal in Ample Skill Ltd v Reidy[2025] NSWCA 32, in which rule 75-250 of the Insolvency Practice Rules (Corporations) 2016 (Cth)(the Insolvency Rules) was construed by an appellate court for the first time.
Key takeaways