Canadian tech companies have entered uncharted waters, with a range of factors threatening to produce a liquidity crunch for many of them.

For years, the tech sector enjoyed record volumes of venture capital investment fueled by low interest rates, an inflow of foreign and corporate investment, and the collective desire to create a vibrant tech ecosystem in Canada. As the economic tides have changed, with climbing interest rates and a looming recession, tech companies are facing an increasingly tough fundraising environment.

With the current economic difficulties affecting the tech sector, a number of companies who took Future Fund investment during the pandemic have been faced with the following realities:

The latest insolvency statistics in the UK make for grim reading. Per the government’s official assessment, 1,964 corporate insolvencies took place in December 2022, 32% higher than in the same month in the previous year and 76% higher than the number registered three years previously pre-pandemic. With inflation and energy costs remaining high and government support rolling back, companies will be taking whatever steps they can to remain in business.

Introduction

Singapore's bankruptcy and insolvency laws have been undergoing a structured reform in order to modernise the insolvency regime. As part of this reform, the personal bankruptcy regime has been moving towards administration by Private Trustees in Bankruptcy ("PTIBs") instead of by the Official Assignee ("OA").

The first major review of Australia’s corporate insolvency in more than 30 years is underway with public submissions now closed. The review is broad in its scale, considering the entirety of Australia’s corporate insolvency regime and its related practices and procedures.

While the review is relevant to anyone conducting business in Australia, any developments or changes to corporate insolvency laws are particularly important for businesses in financial distress or creditors looking to recoup debts they are owed.

The corporate insolvency review to date

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) Regulations 2016 (CIRP Regulations) on 16 September 2022 (the amendment to the CIRP Regulations, Amendment). The Amendment introduced a slew of changes to the CIRP Regulations. One of the key amendments was the introduction of provisions in respect of the sale of one or more assets of the corporate debtor by way of resolution plans.

Background

The bankruptcy of FTX Trading, a major U.S. crypto assets exchange, is bringing to light the pitfalls of global bankruptcy. The reason for this is that FTX Japan, a Japanese subsidiary of FTX Trading, also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. This differs from the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Group given the Japanese subsidiary of FTX Trading did not file for bankruptcy in Japan due to a significant excess of assets.

A predicted wave of insolvencies on the horizon has been a recurring theme in the UK press since the start of the first Covid-19 lockdown. Most people would have predicted that forced closure of businesses and the restriction on consumers' ability to spend would lead to an increase in business and personal insolvency numbers. In reality, the wave didn't appear - at least not yet. In this blog we discuss the reasons why and whether the trends we are seeing might suggest a wave is coming in 2023.

What stopped the wave?

The Department of Telecommunications is seeking to overhaul the law governing the provision of telecommunication services through the Draft Telecommunication Bill, 2022. The Bill also seeks to govern the provision of telecom services and, or, availability of network during insolvency proceedings in respect of a telecom licensee or assignee. While the DoT’s rationale for this is understandable, the proposed provisions may conflict with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

A draft of a preventive restructuring act is being discussed in the Czech legal environment to implement the EU directive on restructuring and insolvency (directive (EU) 2019/1023). The aim of the new legal regulation is to introduce an out-of-court restructuring model with shorter times to improve operations and the balance sheets of debtors in financial difficulties. Different forms of out-of-court restructuring are common and frequently used in many foreign jurisdictions, e.g. arrangements in England and Wales.