January 2021

BUSINESS REORGANIZATION & RESTRUCTURING YEAR IN REVIEW

In this publication, we take a look back at some notable restructuring transactions of 2020 and identify key legal issues and trends that will be relevant in 2021 and beyond.

Contents

3 UNITED KINGDOM

Recapitalisation of the Lecta Group

5 UNITED STATES

Debt Restructuring of Ligado Networks

7 UNITED STATES

Pre-Packaged Restructuring of Northwest Hardwoods Inc.

8 FRANCE

Air France-KLM Group's 7 Billion Aid

10 ITALY

In Hung Yip (HK) Engineering Company Limited v. Kinli Civil Engineering Limited [2021] HKCFI 153, the Honourable Mr Justice Harris reiterated the test governing when the court will restrain the presentation of a winding-up petition. This is a timely reminder amidst the COVID-19 crisis, which has sparked disputes between companies and their creditors.

On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021 (the “CAA”) was enacted to provide additional coronavirus stimulus and relief for businesses challenged by the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. In doing so, the CAA includes several targeted, but temporary, changes to the Bankruptcy Code (the “Code”) designed to provide certain debtors with greater flexibility with respect to their leases (which may negatively affect landlords) while ensuring that creditors are not penalized under the preference law for renegotiating their lease terms (which should benefit landlords).

The Supreme Court has lowered (but not eliminated) the risk that a creditor violates the automatic stay by retaining a debtor’s property post-petition. On January 14, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled 8-0 (Justice Barrett abstaining) that the “mere retention” of a debtor’s property does not violate section 362(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code. Chicago v. Fulton, 2021 WL 125106 (Jan. 14, 2021).

The bankruptcy trustee of a bank holding company was not entitled to a consolidated corporate tax refund when a bank subsidiary had incurred losses generating the refund, held the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on May 26, 2020. Rodriguez v. FDIC (In re United Western Bancorp, Inc.), 2020 WL 2702425(10th Cir May 26, 2020). On remand from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Tenth Circuit, as directed, applied "Colorado law to resolve" the question of "who owns the federal tax refund." Id., at 2.

A recent bankruptcy case now on appeal is being closely watched for the significant economic repercussions it could have on debtors and creditors alike. On October 26, 2020, in In re Ultra Petroleum Corp., the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas held that the debtor must pay (1) the make-whole premium owed under its debt documents and (2) post-petition interest at the contractual default rate.

Apperley Investments Limited & Others v Monsoon Accessorize Limited [2020] IEHC 523

The Commercial Court has refused to apply the provisions of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (“CVA”), negotiated pursuant to the Insolvency Act 1986 in the UK, to Irish landlords as it would be “manifestly contrary to the public policy of the State”.

These proceedings were taken by Irish landlords over properties in Dublin and Cork leased to the fashion retailer Monsoon.

In Uralkali v Rowley and another [2020] EWHC 3442 (Ch), the High Court confirmed that it is unlikely that an officeholder would be found to owe a duty of care to participants in a sale process out of an insolvent estate. This is an important decision which will give officeholder’s considerable comfort that operating an administration or liquidation sale in the ordinary course is unlikely to expose them to risk of liability to a bidder for the way the process is run.

On January 14, 2021, the Supreme Court unanimously held in City of Chicago v. Fulton that a creditor’s passive retention of a debtor’s property does not violate section 362(a)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code. The Court’s 8-0 decision (Justice Barrett did not participate in the consideration or decision of the case) may have the unintended effect of increasing bankruptcy costs and making it more difficult for individual debtors to achieve a “fresh start”.

Recognition of UK insolvencies in Europe after Brexit[1] is navigating uncertain waters. Following the completion of Brexit, the UK has left parts of the EU's private international law realm, including the application of Regulation (EC) 1346/2000 on Insolvency proceedings (the EU Insolvency Regulation). Therefore, since January this year, any reciprocal statutory cooperation in insolvency law matters between the UK and the EU has ceased.