Introduction

On December 22, 2011, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware inIn re JER/Jameson Mezz Borrower II LLC ¹ dismissed with prejudice a mezzanine borrower’s bankruptcy case for bad faith under Section 1112(b) of the Bankruptcy Code. In doing so, the court clarified that the standard in the Third Circuit to evaluate the good faith of a debtor seeking shelter under the umbrella of Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code is an objective one and does not consider the subjective good faith of a debtor as do courts within the Secon d Circuit.

 The CBI has responded to CRD4 publication saying it believes the Basel III reforms are "an important piece of the jigsaw to strengthen the global banking system", but that benefits from greater financial stability must be proportionate to the cost businesses will bear. In the CBI's opinion, the new rules:

In a recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Re Smurfit-Stone Container Canada Inc., Justice Pepall examined the conflicting interests that arise where companies within a group of restructuring companies have made intercompany loans to one another, and where the board of directors mirror each other in each subsidiary.

On October 13, 2009, Arclin Canada Ltd./Arclin Canada Ltee. (“Arclin”), who is restructuring under CCAA proceedings and whose American affiliates are restructuring under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, sought the approval of key employee retention program (“KERP”) agreements with its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, and sought sealing orders with respect of the agreements. The KERP was approved by Justice Hoy. The following are some noteworthy points from this case.

Recently, in Re Eddie Bauer of Canada Inc., Justice Morawetz ordered a debtor was entitled to pay amounts owing for goods and services actually supplied prior to the filing date.

In Re ScoZinc Ltd., 2009 NSSC 136 the monitor appointed under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”) brought a motion for directions on whether it had the authority to allow the revision of a claim after the claim’s bar date, but before the date set for the monitor to complete its assessment of claims.

In Re Farmpure Seeds Inc. (2008 CarswellSask. 639) the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench considered the proposal of a debtor which was conditional upon the Court approving DIP financing and a super priority charge.

The debtor company had an active business, however became insolvent as a result of rapid expansion and some improvident contracts. The debtor could not meet its immediate obligations such as payroll, and the need to pay its suppliers upon receipt of their seed product. As a result, the debtor could not maintain its business without immediate interim financing.

In our December 2012 insolvency update we reported on CP Asset Management Ltd v Grant, in which the High Court upheld a creditors' resolution to appoint new liquidators.  The High Court found that a resolution should only be set aside when it was found that the prejudice to creditors was unreasonable.  In the High Court, the minority of creditors who voted against the resolution were unable to e

InThe Commissioner of Inland Revenue v Blackmore Trust Ltd, Blackmore tried to stave off liquidation for the sum of $1.4 million owed to the IRD.  After six or seven adjournments, Blackmore finally put evidence before the Court (albeit through its lawyer, rather than by affidavit) claiming that its liabilities totalled $15.6 million, and its sole asset, the James Smith building in the Wellington CBD, was valued at $21.5 million as a going concern, or $11 million - $13 million in a "fire sale".