Litigation funding can play an important role in allowing liquidators to recover debts on behalf of liquidated companies, where there may be a real prospect of success in recovery proceedings but where obstacles such as funding or security for costs may present themselves.
Good evening.
Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of March 7, 2022.
In Ernst & Young Inc. v. Aquino, the court upheld the application judge’s decision to grant the orders the Bondfield monitor and trustee in bankruptcy requiring payments made at undervalue to be repaid. In coming to its decision, the Court applied the corporate attribution doctrine.
OVERVIEW
Jeremy Richmond QC and Benjamin Joseph contributed to the R3 Members' Magazine for their Case Summaries section. This was first published in the Winter 2021 edition of Recovery.
Andrew v. Kingsway Asset Finance
The UK High Court has excluded 'out of the money' creditors and shareholders from voting on Smile Telecoms Holdings Limited’s (Smile) restructuring plan because they did not have a genuine economic interest in the company.
Background
ASIC v King [2021] FCA 1610
Background
Under German insolvency law, a company is over-indebted when its existing assets do not fully cover its debts and there is no positive going concern prognosis. A positive going concern prognosis is assumed if the company has sufficient liquid funds available for a certain period to satisfy all liabilities at maturity and its profitability will be restored in accordance with a business plan.
Recent court decisions and legislative clarification
Over-indebtedness remains a ground for insolvency
In the landmark decision in case (2021)粤03认港破1号(2021) Yue 03 Ren Gang Po No. 1 (Shenzhen Court Decision), the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court (Shenzhen Court) ordered formal recognition in Mainland China of liquidators appointed by the Hong Kong Court of First Instance (Hong Kong Court) over Samson Paper Company Limited (Company) to permit the liquidators to exercise powers over the Company’s assets located in Mainland China.
Claims are “impaired,” unless the plan “leaves” their rights “unaltered.”§ 1124(1).
This rule is not as simple and unequivocal as it seems, according to an In re Hertz opinion. [Fn. 1] Here’s why.
Plan Treatment of Unsecured Claims
Claims of unsecured creditors in the Hertz bankruptcy are treated, under its Chapter 11 Plan, as follows:
As Canada prepares to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, factors such as the elimination of government pandemic support and rising interest rates may significantly affect lenders’ decisions in 2022. Many expect that withdrawal of government funding will create a wave of insolvency filings in Canada. Although there remains significant uncertainty, secured lenders may be comforted by recent court decisions across Canada that have affirmed lenders’ rights and remedies in cases of default. This article summarizes these recent decisions and offers implications for lenders going forward.
Imagine this: a U.S. District Court enters judgment in a case that’s “related to” a bankruptcy, and we want to file a motion for new trial or to amend the judgment.
So, which deadline applies to the motion: