A Singaporean construction company in liquidation has successfully sued one of its former directors for failing to act in the best interests of the company, highlighting the importance of directors being aware of, and protecting against, potential personal liability for breach of duty.
Directors’ liability – the risk
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released a consultation paper (Insolvency and Winding-Up Consultation Paper) on 24 July pertaining to the proposed insolvency and winding-up regime (Insolvency Regime) for the Variable Capital Company (VCC) structure. This is the third in a series of consultation papers released since May 2019 pertaining to the VCC regulations, following the passage of the Variable Capital Companies Act on 1 October 2018.
On July 24, 2019, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued the Consultation Paper on the Proposed Framework for Variable Capital Companies Part 3 (the Consultation Paper), which covers the proposed subsidiary legislation relating to the insolvency and winding up of a v
Investment funds in Singapore are typically constituted as companies, unit trusts or limited partnerships. This is set to change with the advent of a new fund vehicle, the Variable Capital Company ("VCC"). The VCC is now an alternative, after the commencement of the Variable Capital Companies Act 2018 ("VCC Act") on 14 January 2020. This update focuses on the considerations a financier may wish to take note of when financing a VCC.
What is a VCC?
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The Ministry of Law in Singapore has announced that it will introduce a bill to the Parliament next week to offer temporary relief to businesses and individuals who are unable to fulfil their contractual obligations because of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
The proposed bill includes:
Re Zetta Jet Pte Ltd ([2019] SGHC 53) is a landmark decision by the Singapore High Court on the recognition of foreign bankruptcy proceedings and the public policy exception under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency, as adopted by Singapore in the Tenth Schedule of the Companies Act (the Singapore Model Law).
This is the first reported decision in Singapore that:
A worldwide moratorium is one of the most important protections and tools available to a debtor in the Singapore cross-border restructuring regime. A recent Singapore High Court case, Re: Zetta Jet Pte Ltd and Others (Asia Aviation Holdings Pte Ltd, intervener) [2019] SGHC 53 ("Re Zetta Jet (2)"), highlighted some important considerations relating to such a worldwide moratorium, in particular dealing with potential conflicts between different jurisdictions.
Singapore's Cross-border Restructuring Regime
At first blush, it may seem counterintuitive for financiers to compete to provide loans to debtor companies that have just filed for protection under an insolvency or restructuring procedure, but they have been proven to do so on a large scale in US Chapter 11 cases and for a variety of reasons, whether to protect an existing loan position or taking an opportunity to garner significant, safe returns as a new lender.