Norgate Metals, a Québec-based company specializing in the engineering, manufacturing and installation of steel-based metal products, has received court protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to continue operations and develop a restructuring plan.
Today, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear an appeal of the unanimous decision rendered last April by the Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) in Re Indalex Limited (Indalex). According to many commentators, the Indalex case turns accepted law on the priority of debtor in possession (DIP) and working capital security on its head and introduces new concerns for employers about how to properly discharge their sometimes conflicting duties under corporate law and under pension law.
Summary
On August 18, 2011, Mr. Justice Morawetz, of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, released an important decision in regard to preference actions in the matter of Tucker v. Aero Inventory (UK) Limited (together with Aero Inventory plc, Aero).
Background
Sunrise, sunset. Perhaps a matchmaker would have helped. The saga of the dispute between Ventas, Inc. and Health Care Property Investors, Inc. arose five years ago when Sunrise Senior Living Real Estate Investment Trust’s "board of trustees determined that a strategic sale process of its assets would be beneficial to its unitholders, thus effectively putting Sunrise ‘in play’ on the public markets" (per Blair J.A. for the Ontario Court of Appeal) in Ventas, Inc. v.
Action for return of premiums paid of key man insurance policies dismissed.
[2011] O.J. No. 3387
Ontario Superior Court of Justice
M.A. Penny J.
January 21, 2011
The appellant insurer sought leave to appeal the order of the Chambers Judge who dismissed it’s application to be added as a party or intervener in an underlying liability action in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
[2011] B.C.J. No. 1336
2011 BCCA 326
British Columbia Court of Appeal (In Bankruptcy and Insolvency)
P.A. Kirkpatrick J.A. (In Chambers)
July 8, 2011
A number of commentators have written articles about Part IV of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), which deals with recognizing and enforcing foreign insolvency proceedings, however little has been written about the treatment of corporate groups in this context. Part IV of the CCAA deals with entities on an individual basis, and how to deal with corporate groups is not well addressed in international insolvency legislation.
U.S. bankruptcy courts may be advantageous forums for foreign liquidators to organize large scale lawsuits; however, courts will impose limitations.