This week’s TGIF considers the process that a liquidator may follow when a director fails to attend at an examination. It considers the appeal in Mensink v Parbery [2018] FCAFC 101, in which the Court set out the relevant differences between arrest warrants issued to require a director to attend an examination, and arrest warrants to answer charges for contempt.
What happened?
What are your responsibilities if there is a change to your company’s registered office?
The Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (the Act) sets out an exhaustive (and even onerous) list of duties for Australian registered companies and their directors. Among these is the duty to notify the Australia Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) of a change to the company’s registered office. This must be done within 28 days of the change in location.
How far do liquidators’ powers to demand documents for public examinations extend? Which documents can they request and from whom can they request them?
In this week’s TGIF, we consider these questions in the context of the recent case of Re Cathro [2018] FCA 1138.
BACKGROUND
Ordinarily, a company entering liquidation is considered the commercial equivalent of “game over”, “checkmate”, “the end”, “K.O” or whatever other synonyms creditors can conjure up. This would be true for the most part because, at the end of the liquidation process, the company is usually deregistered and ceases to exist.
However, in some cases it is possible for the liquidator, a creditor or a “contributory” (member) of the company to apply to the Court for an order terminating the winding up. If made, this would return control of the company to the directors.
This week’s TGIF considers the case of In the matter of Specialist Australian Security Group Pty Ltd (in liq) [2018] VSC 199 in which the Court considered the priority of administrators' right to an indemnity out of company property.
Background
The United Kingdom and Australia have recently implemented legislative changes to permit external administrators to assign or sell causes of action available to them.
Winding up a company – liquidation – applies in circumstances where a company is unable to pay its debts. In that situation, the company's directors, creditors or contributories can present a winding up petition. (This can be found in sections 122, 123 and 124 of the Insolvency Act 1986.)
A company is deemed unable to pay its debts if:
Introduction
合伙型基金退出时,合伙人之间可能因存在争议而无法自行组建清算组或虽然组成清算组却无法顺利完成清算。这便引发合伙型基金可否通过法院程序进行司法清算的问题。我们曾代理过一起非常罕见的合伙型基金司法清算的案件,开创上海市指定第三人担任基金清算组负责人的先例,案件在其他诸多方面都在上海地区乃至全国具有领先地位和创新意义。
所谓司法清算,亦即强制清算,是相对于企业自行清算而言,一般是指法院介入合伙型基金清算程序的制度,可以是法院组建清算组,也可能是法院监督清算程序,亦或当清算出现障碍时请求法院排除妨碍等。针对公司的强制清算,最高人民法院出台了《最高人民法院关于适用中华人民共和国公司法>若干问题的规定(二)》(以下简称“《公司法司法解释(二)》”)及《关于审理公司强制清算案件工作座谈会纪要》(以下简称“《公司强清纪要》”)。但有关合伙型基金的清算尚无较为全面和细致的立法体系,因此,合伙型基金通过司法方式进行强制清算的先例很少,且争议颇多。