2023 marked the highest annual number of corporate insolvencies since 1993, according to figures released by The Insolvency Service this week. While creditors’ voluntary liquidations remained by far the most commonly used process, 2023 saw increases across all processes tracked by the Insolvency Service.

First, the not-so-great news in figures:

How can an enterprise withdraw from the market through liquidation?

What is liquidation?

Enterprise liquidation aims to terminate the existence and related rights and obligations of an enterprise. It can occur by a decision of the owner or it may occur when an enterprise is no longer qualified to exist and is forced to liquidate at the request of the appropriate state agency. We only discuss liquidation by the owner.

Voluntary liquidation:

Looking into the crystal ball at the start of the year to forecast future trends isn’t possible, but one common theme that we expect will continue to impact upon both directors and officers and insolvency practitioners (IP) is the increasing rise of corporate insolvencies.

Since the implementation of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (the IRDA), liquidators and judicial managers in Singapore have been statutorily authorised to use third-party funding for a range of claw-back actions. They are also able to transfer company assets to funders; to assign the fruits of legal actions to funders; and to grant super-priority to funders.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (“IBC”) is silent on the treatment of a disputed or contingent claim, which is pending adjudication before a judicial or quasi-judicial body, giving rise to a contentious issue. The decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Committee of Creditors of Essar Steel Limited v.

In the intricate tapestry of corporate insolvency, the year 2023 unfurled a saga of legal intricacies that left an indelible mark on the evolving insolvency landscape in India. This blog, the first of a five-part series, will be exploring the cases that not only shaped the insolvency regime but also defined pivotal aspects of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). From the sectors affected to the geographical intricacies, we'll dissect the diverse facets that contributed to the evolution of insolvency laws. Additionally, we'll analyze two significant cases – RPS Infrastructure Ltd. v.

Insolvency litigation witnessed intriguing developments across multiple aspects in Hong Kong in 2023, ranging from the court’s updated Practice Direction on Bankruptcy and Winding-Up Proceedings to on-going debate surrounding the interplay between insolvency proceedings and arbitration clauses. In this Legal Update, we examine major developments that unfolded. The key takeaways are: 1.

Introduction

New statutory provisions have come into effect that will modernise the way documents are filed with the Official Receiver in Hong Kong. The changes, which took place on the last working day of 2023, pave the way for the electronic submission of certain documents to the Official Receiver's Office (ORO) and dispense with the mandatory newspaper advertising of some statements and notices, which going forward will only require publication in the Gazette or other specified means.