From 6 April 2021, a new regime for witness statements in the Business and Property Courts will come into force. Practice Direction 57AC will introduce significantly tighter requirements that will apply to all trial witness statements signed on or after 6 April 2021, including those in claims that have already been issued.
Purpose of the new regime
“What is clear is that the selection of creditors for the class composition cannot be arbitrary or capricious. If there is evidence of a calculated and dishonest move to remove or to place certain creditors in certain class with the purpose of ensuring that the class is constituted in such a way that certain creditors would not be able to vote or that their votes would be rendered ineffective, this will be considered as class manipulation or gerrymandering.”
per Judicial Commissioner Ong Chee Kwan.
The Grand Court of the Cayman Islands (the "Grand Court") recently considered the statutory moratorium against commencing proceedings against a Cayman Islands company which has been placed into liquidation. In the case of BDO Cayman Ltd. and BDO Trinity Ltd. v Ardent Harmony Fund Inc.
State of New York: New York Court of Appeals Rules Voluntary Discontinuance Revokes Prior Acceleration
With an increase in airline restructuring activity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, aircraft financiers, lessors and their lawyers around the world have been analysing whether a restructuring plan under Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006 (a ‘Plan’) can be used by debtors to modify, without the creditors’ consent, their obligations under certain leases and security agreements to which the Cape Town Convention applies.
This week’s TGIF considers the decision of the Supreme Court In the matter of IW4U Pty Limited (In Liquidation) [2021] NSWSC 40, where the liquidators failed to recover compensation despite establishing contraventions of directors’ duties following an apparent phoenix.
Key takeaways
Overview
In a January 2021 decision issued in the re-opened United Refining Company1 bankruptcy case, Judge Lopez of the Southern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court addressed when a tort claim is deemed to arise for purposes
The UK’s new “restructuring plan” was enacted in June 2020.1 This highly-anticipated regime introduced (for the first time into English law) a tongue twisting “cross-class cram down” (CCCD) mechanism by which a restructuring plan can (at the court’s discretion) be imposed on an entire class of dissenting creditors or members.
Until recently, only two companies had successfully used the restructuring plan regime.2 In both instances, CCCD was not considered as the required voting thresholds (i.e. 75%) were met.