Three bills are being read in Parliament proposing new insolvency-related legislation and amendments:
Just before going into summer recess Maltese Parliament held the first reading of three Acts which, once adopted, are bound to start changing the Maltese insolvency law landscape. These Acts will be amending the Commercial Code and will be introducing a new Insolvency Practitioners Act and a Pre-Restructuring Act.
Insights
In its judgement delivered on 25 February 2021, in the names “Dr. Antoine Naudi as special attorney on behalf of the foreign company UR s.r.l vs. Talocan Ltd of Malta”, the Civil Court (Commercial Section), presided over by Hon. Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon, analysed the requirements necessary to uphold a dissolution and consequential winding up request in terms of Article 214 (2) (a) (ii) of the Companies Act, Chapter 386 of the Laws of Malta.
Facts of the Case
In a decision delivered on the 13th March 2022, case no. 246/2018 ISB, the Civil Court (Commercial Section) placed the defendant company into liquidation on the ground that it was unable to pay its debts, after considering and concluding that the circumstances that had previously led the Court in the same case to determine the existence of a bona fide dispute and consequently suspend the hearing of the liquidation proceedings, no longer existed.
In its recent decision Xuereb v Weber Construction Limited Et (decided 18 March 2021) the Civil Court (Commercial Section) weighed in once more on the appropriate tests to be applied when assessing a company's inability to pay its debts under Maltese corporate insolvency law. One of Weber Construction Limited's ("Weber") shareholders filed an application in court requesting the company's dissolution and consequential winding up on the grounds inter alia that it was unable to continue to pay its debts.
On 15th September 2020, the Companies Act (Suspension of Filing for Dissolution and Winding Up) Regulations (the ‘Regulations’) were introduced as part of several other measures intended to protect local businesses from the adverse economic impact brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. They became applicable retrospectively as from 16th March 2020.
IMPACT ON CREDITORS AND SHAREHOLDERS
Prior to 1st January, 2021, the cross-border recognition and enforcement of insolvency proceedings and judgements between the European Union ("EU") and the United Kingdom ("UK") was largely consolidated within the framework of the European Insolvency (Recast) Regulation (the "EIR") which generally attributed automatic recognition to such proceedings and/or judgements. Following the end of the Brexit transitional period on the 31st December 2020, the EIR no longer applies to the UK.
When a company is on the brink of insolvency or has reached an insolvent state, the interests of the company’s creditors immediately take precedence. At this stage, the directors’ conduct is brought under scrutiny, consequently exposing the directors to the extremely real threat of personal liability. Directors should therefore be aware of their responsibilities at law in an insolvency scenario so as to avoid potentially incurring personal liability for their actions or possibly their inaction
This is the second part of a two-part article.
Legal Notice 192 of 2020 entitled Companies Act (Company Reconstructions Fund) Regulations, 2020 (the “Regulations”) has been published to create and regulate the administration of a fund known as the Company Recovery Fund (the “Fund”). This Fund is intended to facilitate company recovery procedures instituted in accordance with article 329B of the Companies Act (the “Act”).
The stark reality of the COVID-19 pandemic on companies, like natural persons, is not a merry one. Akin to natural persons, while some companies will recover, others will not be so fortunate. While companies can indeed use this time to foster innovative business strategies, they need to have the funds to do so. If they don’t? Insolvency (as bleak as it may sound) might be the inevitable route for some, despite their best intentions. Company directors cannot simply abandon ship when things go south.