The tragically unforeseen current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to all aspects of Hong Kong society including the health of its citizens, the economy and the business community. Economic activities across most sectors globally are being devastated. The dire economic situation in Hong Kong has been exacerbated by the trade war between Washington and Beijing and the new national security law.
The Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (the "IRDA") came into force on 30 July 2020. The consolidation of all personal and corporate insolvency and debt restructuring legislation into a single statute, along with other legislative changes, seeks to further strengthen Singapore's position as an international debt restructuring hub. This note highlights the new restrictions on ipso facto provisions effected by the IRDA, which will be of particular interest to loan market participants.
Restrictions on ipso facto clauses
On 30 July 2020, the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (IRDA) came into operation. The IRDA is an omnibus legislation housing all of Singapore’s insolvency and restructuring laws in one single piece of legislation.
The general framework of the IRDA has been discussed in the first article in our series of articles covering the various aspects of IRDA and can be found here.
The landmark decision in Design Studio1 introduces the US rescue financing concept of "roll-ups" to Singapore. This is the first case to consider the appropriateness of the roll-up feature in Singapore and is a pragmatic decision that is guided by a careful balance between the protection of creditors' interests and the rehabilitation of the debtor. This case also clarifies that super priority is not solely for new money financings.
The Design Studio case and the super priority regime
On 30 July 2020, the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (IRDA) came into operation. The IRDA is an omnibus legislation housing all of Singapore’s insolvency and restructuring laws in one single piece of legislation.
The general framework of the IRDA has been discussed in the first article in our series of articles covering the various aspects of IRDA and can be found here.
The Singapore High Court has recently granted recognition to Hong Kong liquidation proceedings and liquidators for the first time under Singapore's enactment of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Model Law on Cross Border Insolvency (the model law).
Nearly two years after it was first passed in Parliament on 1 October 2018, the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act (“IRDA”) has now come into operation on 30 July 2020. The IRDA not only unifies Singapore’s legislation in relation to personal and corporate insolvency and debt restructuring, but also introduces significant changes to the present regime.
In this update, we will highlight nine key changes of the new provisions of the IRDA.
1. Restriction of Ipso Facto Clauses in Insolvency/Restructuring Proceedings
In Re PT MNC Investama TBK [2020] SGHC 149 (“Re PT MNC”), the Singapore High Court (per Justice Aedit Abdullah) addressed, for the first time in a written grounds of decision (“GD”), the question of whether a foreign company has the requisite standing to apply for a Section 211B moratorium under the Companies Act (the “Act”).
On 23 July 2020, the Ministry of Law announced that the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act (the “IRDA”), together with its 48 related pieces of subsidiary legislation, will come into force on 30 July 2020.
No one could have predicted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and economies worldwide. It has crippled companies all over the world with household names such as Macy’s in the US filing for bankruptcy and closer to home, the collapse of commodities trading giant Hin Leong Trading. Unfortunately, analysts speculate the worst is yet to come.