This article appeared in Gulf Business on 22 June 2019
In a region where there has traditionally been an inherent stigma attached to business failure, the inevitable by-product is a decreased appetite for risk.
However, as the UAE’s economy has matured and become more global in its outlook, a more sophisticated and less risk-averse insolvency regime is required - one that can deal with volatile economic cycles and at the same time promote an entrepreneurial business environment.
An attempt to reform and rationalize the Belgian Bankruptcy Act of 8 August 1997 and the Continuity of Enterprises Act of 31 January 2009 included the introduction of a "silent bankruptcy" that offered distressed companies the opportunity to prepare for a real bankruptcy discreetly and without any publicity, along the lines of the UK's pre-pack procedures.
While the bill was adopted in mid-July 2017 and will apply to insolvency proceedings opened on or after 1 May 2018, the attempt to include pre-pack procedures in the reform has failed.
This spring
On the Horizon
Welcome to the second edition of the On the Horizon newsletter - a regular update on upcoming cases and anticipated regulatory developments by the DLA Piper Banking and Finance Litigation team.
AUTUMN 2016
Cases to watch
Mr Justice Hildyard has handed down his first instance decision on the second set of schemes of arrangement proposed by the Apcoa group.
A Creditor did not register his claim against a debtor in insolvency proceedings due to missing information concerning the publication of the debtor's bankruptcy in the Insolvency Register. The creditor regularly searched for information regarding the debtor´s potential bankruptcy in the insolvency register and was always informed that a resolution on the debtor´s bankruptcy had not been made.
When one party can unilaterally prevent a bankruptcy filing – action steps and best practices
Commodities Alert
Restructuring Alert
Scottish landlords enjoy a preferential right of security known as “landlord’s hypothec” in respect of any unpaid rent arrears due in the event that their tenants enters administration or liquidation. The landlord's right of hypothec is unique to Scots Law and is not available to landlords in respect of properties south of the border. For reasons we will go on to discuss, the current legal framework on landlord’s hypothec is not particularly well developed and is widely criticised as being unsatisfactory.
On 19 June 2020, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted law (draft law No. 2284) aimed at introducing sweeping new changes to regulation of financial instruments (the Law). The Law has also paved the way for a wide range of new financial instruments such as derivatives, green bonds, loan notes, and other structured finance products.
In a world of multinational businesses, ever-changing consumer trends and political uncertainties, insolvencies and financial restructurings of a cross-border nature are a common occurrence. Officeholders therefore frequently need to consider options that allow, at the very least, recognition of their appointment in the jurisdictions where the insolvent debtor has (or had) operations, assets or other relevant connections.
The INSOL International Channel Islands Seminar took place on 13 September 2017 in Guernsey, where tensions rose high as jurisdictions battled it out for the crown of the "go-to" jurisdiction for cross border restructurings.