On 6 May 2014, the Ministry of Law ("MinLaw") issued its response to the feedback received from the public consultation on the final report (the "final report") of the Insolvency Law Review Committee (the "Committee") in relation to proposed recommendations affecting Singapore's personal and corporate insolvency regimes.

The Singapore High Court in Re Lehman Brothers Finance Asia Pte Ltd (in creditors' voluntary liquidation) [2012] SGHC 190 was confronted with the issue of whether debts of a company in a currency other than Singapore Dollars which are admitted in proof by its liquidators should be converted at the exchange rate prevailing on the date on which the company's statutory declaration was lodged, or on the date of the passing of the resolution placing the company in liquidation.

The recent Singapore case of Re Lehman Brothers Finance Asia Pte Ltd (in creditors' voluntary liquidation) determined that the debts of a company in foreign currency, which had been admitted in proof by the liquidators, were to be converted at the exchange rate prevailing at the "resolution date". In this context, resolution date means the day the resolution was passed placing the company into liquidation.

Introduction

The Singapore High Court has confirmed that it will recognize the status and powers of a foreign liquidator in the liquidation of an unregistered foreign company in Singapore.

Life cycle of a company

Statistics from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority ("ACRA") of Singapore reveal that the increasing number of companies formed in Singapore (2004:17,151; 2009:26,414) is matched by a corresponding increase in the number of companies ceasing operations (2004:5,882; 2009:22,388).

In Larsen Oil and Gas Pte Ltd (in official liquidation in the Cayman Islands and in compulsory liquidation in Singapore) [2011] SGCA 21, the Singapore Court of Appeal endorsed, and elaborated on, the stance taken by the High Court concerning the relationship between arbitration and insolvency

In Larsen Oil and Gas Pte Ltd v Petroprod Ltd (in official liquidation in the Cayman Islands and in compulsory liquidation in Singapore) [2011] SGCA 21, the Singapore Court of Appeal endorsed, and elaborated on, the stance taken by the High Court concerning the relationship between arbitration and insolvency.

Where a contract contains a non-assignment clause, a liquidator may not, as part of his liquidation of an insolvent company's assets, assign the contract to a third party without first seeking the consent of the contracting counterparty:

-- Owners of Strata Plan 5290 v CGS & Co Pty Ltd (Australia, New South Wales, Court of Appeal, 30 June 2011)

A winding up application may be resisted by reason of a cross-claim against the petitioning creditor.

In Petroprod Ltd (in official liquidation in the Cayman Islands and in compulsory liquidation in Singapore) v Larsen Oil and Gas Pte Ltd [2010] SGHC 186 the Singapore High Court considered whether an action brought to avoid transactions that allegedly violated insolvency laws should be stayed in favour of arbitration.

The case of Petroprod Ltd (in official liquidation in the Cayman Islands and in compulsory liquidation in Singapore) v Larsen Oil and Gas Pte Ltd [2010] SGHC 186 (“Petroprod Ltd”) is significant as the Singapore High Court decided that claims which arise from avoidance provisions in Singapore insolvency laws are non-arbitrable as they exist for the benefit of the general body of creditors as a whole.