Our regular round-up of recent developments and topics for your radar, news on training and networking events for in-house counsel, and an update on our legal tech initiatives.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 was passed on 25 June 2020. The legislation has been in contemplation for a number of years, and has implemented a significant reform to the UK's restructuring and insolvency framework. It has also implemented certain temporary measures that are designed to protect and support businesses, protect jobs and, in doing so, attempt to preserve the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What have we been up to?

The days and nights may well be getting noticeably cooler, but as a team we remain very much at simmer point in terms of the demands of newlyacquired business support and insolvency work and staying on top of recent legislative changes.

Amongst this month's work highlights have been:

Op 26 mei 2020 heeft de Tweede Kamer het wetsvoorstel Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord (WHOA) aangenomen. Als de Eerste Kamer dit voorstel eveneens goedkeurt, is de WHOA een feit en kunnen huurder-schuldenaars die in financiële nood verkeren onder voorwaarden wijzigingen laten aanbrengen in lopende huurovereenkomsten, of deze zelfs geheel doen eindigen. De verwachting is dat de WHOA op 1 januari 2021 in werking zal treden.

The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act received Royal Assent on 25 June 2020. It implements the measures announced by the UK government on 23 April 2020 to safeguard against aggressive rent collection tactics. It follows the ban on forfeiture for non-payment of rent contained in the Coronavirus Act 2020 which came into effect on 25 March 2020. In this article, DLA Piper’s experienced Real Estate and Restructuring lawyers assess the debt collection restrictions contained in both Acts.

Dans l’affaire de la Loi sur les arrangements avec les créanciers des compagnies (la « Lacc ») relative à Groupe Dynamite, le juge Kalichman de la Cour supérieure du Québec prononce un jugement au sujet de l’obligation d’un débiteur de payer un loyer post-dépôt dans un contexte où il ne peut pas utiliser les lieux loués.

Along with tightening social controls, the months ahead will be defined by various critical relationships and the rules that govern them. Of course they all interlock: material change in any of them impacts each of the others. Which causes multiple complexities in decision-making and risk assessment processes, both within a business and when looking at critical suppliers and customers:

Landlords and Tenants:

IN BRIEF

In this edition of Gilbert + Tobin's Corporate Advisory Update, we focus on key legal developments over the last month which are particularly relevant to in-house counsel.

Temporary COVID-19 Corporations Act relief to allow virtual company meetings and electronic and split execution extended to 22 March 2021

The government has confirmed that restrictions on commercial landlords on presenting a winding-up petition against tenants that have not paid rent are to be extended to the end of 2020.

The announcement follows confirmation last week that it has extended its moratorium preventing the eviction of commercial tenants for non-payment of rent until the end of 2020.

Whilst the announcement will be welcomed by tenants supporting them into the important Christmas trading period, landlords will undoubtedly feel that their own financial position is being ignored.