Introduction

Last September we reported on the Court’s decision on the landlords’ challenge to the Debenhams CVA on grounds of unfair prejudice and material irregularity, in respect of which the landlords have now successfully obtained permission to appeal on various grounds (see below).

A recent English case has considered for the first time whether and if so to what extent the general duties of a director survive a company’s entry into an insolvency process.

Actions taken to seize control of a securitisation structure and the underlying loan portfolio declared void and of no effect.

Two recent High Court cases, Business Mortgage Finance 6 Plc v Greencoat Investments Limited and others [2019] EWHC 2128 (Ch) (the Greencoat Case) and Business Mortgage Finance 6 Plc v Roundstone Technologies Ltd [2019] EWHC 2917 (Ch) (the Roundstone Case) (together, the Business Mortgage Cases), have affirmed a number of principles relating to securities held through the clearing systems and the powersof receivers, including the following:

The recent case of 365 Business Finance Ltd v Bellagio Hospitality WB Ltd is a reminder of the need to act quickly when enforcing a Judgment.

Construction litigation is no stranger to insolvency, including insolvent claimants. This is also the case for adjudication, a fast and commercially driven form of dispute resolution for the construction industry. However, there has been considerable uncertainty as to the enforceability of adjudicators’ awards where a claimant is insolvent and receives a favourable decision. Recent cases have shed some light on this issue and have started to untangle the statutory difficulties when insolvency meets adjudication.

Insolvency in the construction industry is unfortunately never too far away and it would be surprising if anyone, at least indirectly, who is reading this article has not been affected.

This article was first published in The Commercial Litigation Journal.

The Chancellor of the High Court has published guidance on how the courts will deal with the e-filing of a “notice of appointment of an administrator” when the court is closed.

The creditor, Tall Trade Limited, claimed the first two quarterly repayments due under a loan facility agreement made in 2019 concluded with the debtor, Capital WW Investment Limited. The loan was for €17 million over a two year term. Both companies were incorporated in the BVI.