Current economic conditions and market instability are likely to see more Australian companies fall into distress in 2023 — creating both opportunities for proactive restructuring as well as distressed asset sales.

That's one of the predictions in this year's edition of From Red to Black, Clayton Utz's annual review of the dynamics of Australia's Restructuring and Insolvency (R&I) market.

Facts:

On 17 February 2023, Justice Ball of the New South Wales Supreme Court handed down his decision in Kennedy Civil Contracting Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) v Richard Crookes Construction Pty Ltd; In the matter of Kennedy Civil Contracting Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 99.

Facts

Introduction

With insolvencies expected to increase in the UK’s construction industry this year, as higher interest rates, inflation and an anticipated domestic recession dampen demand for housing and new commercial projects, we are often asked what protections an Employer can put in place in their contract to assist in the event of their contractor going into insolvency.

These issues should be considered at the time of entering into contracts and we have set out below some useful provisions which may assist should an insolvency occur during a project. These are:

The so-called crypto-winter and associated high profile insolvencies of major players such as FTX, Three Arrows Capital and Genesis may have dampened enthusiasm for this new asset class in some quarters. However, while volatility is likely to be an ongoing characteristic in the short and medium term, it is probably better to view recent events as a period of market correction rather than the "beginning of the end" of crypto assets.

The future for a new class of digital assets

Restructuring proceedings in Hungary provide a more flexible solution than bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings and potentially an effective alternative for companies in financial difficulties.

Key benefits

Commencement pre-insolvency

When can a municipality declare bankruptcy under chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code? An issue explored the headline-grabbing chapter 9 case of Detroit, that’s the question illuminated by a decision dealing with the travails of Chester, Pennsylvania, issued by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (“Bankruptcy Court”) on March 14, 2023.

Chester’s Long Road to Insolvency

Background

Like debtors, bankruptcy trustees, official committees, examiners, and estate-compensated professionals, foreign representatives in chapter 15 cases have statutory reporting obligations to the bankruptcy court and other stakeholders as required by the plain language of the Bankruptcy Code. Such duties include the obligation to keep the U.S. bankruptcy court promptly informed of changes in either the status of the debtor's foreign bankruptcy case or the status of the foreign representative's appointment in that case. Furthermore, chapter 15 provides a U.S.

Introducción

En este mes comienzan a publicarse algunas resoluciones interesantes en aplicación de la Ley 16/2022 en relación a planes de restructuración y nombramientos de experto. En este campo preconcursal tan de moda son especialmente reseñables: