The UK Jurisdiction Taskforce has published a comprehensive Legal Statement on Digital Assets and English Insolvency Law.

In this article we review the key aspects relevant to Cayman Islands Insolvency Practitioners.

Introduction

In the case of Sian Participation Corp (In Liquidation) v Halimeda International Ltd (on appeal from the BVI), the Privy Council has found that Salford Estates (No.2) Limited v Altomart Limited was incorrectly decided.

This case is not only important for BVI lawyers, as the Privy Council has directed pursuant to Willers v Joyce (No 2) [2016] UKSC 44 that the decision in the present case in respect of Salford Estates now represents the law of England and Wales.

Background

ACT WHICH ENHANCES PROTECTION FOR EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY INSOLVENCY NOW LAW

An important decision on the “boundary issue” between arbitration and insolvency came out this week. One that has troubled me in the past.

Question: Can you wind up a company for a debt due under a contract containing an arbitration agreement or do you have to go through arbitration first? Up until now, you had to get an arbitral award first, regardless of whether the debt was disputed.

But now, unless the debt is disputed on genuine and substantial grounds, you can press ahead with applying for a winder. So said the Privy Council today.

The economic picture has started to improve, with modest GDP growth in the first half of 2024. However, the enormous strains on business finances over the past four years have caused insolvency rates to rise sharply this year.

According to The Insolvency Service’s latest figures, company insolvencies in June 2024 were the third highest since monthly records started in 2020. Administrations in June 2024 were 22% higher than in June 2023, and the number of CVAs was 64% higher in June 2024 than June 2023.

Dissolving a Cyprus company can be a complicated or a straightforward process however it is a procedure that requires careful planning and execution. In Cyprus, this process is governed by the Companies Law, Cap 113, and involves various legal, financial, and administrative steps.

The Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2024Opens in new window (the “Act”) was signed into law by the President on 9 May 2024 and will commence with effect from 1 July 2024.

On Wednesday 19 June 2024, the Irish Corporate Enforcement Authority ("CEA") published its first-ever annual report. The Annual Report covers the 18-month period from July 2022 (when it replaced and assumed the responsibilities of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement) to 31 December 2023.

Supervision of corporate insolvency

The CEA has a statutory role in supervising the liquidation of insolvent companies and taking enforcement actions in respect of struck off insolvent companies.

In Sian Participation Corp v Halimedia International Ltd [2024] UKPC 16, Lords Briggs and Hamblen considered the issue of whether insolvency proceedings should be stayed where the underlying debt was covered by an arbitration agreement.

This note updates a series of Tanner De Witt articles on the interaction between dispute resolution clauses and the Court’s insolvency jurisdiction. The previous articles are: