Beluga Chartering GmbH (in liquidation) & Ors v Beluga Projects (Singapore) Pte Ltd (in liquidation) & Anor (deugro (Singapore) Pte Ltd, non-party) [2014] SGCA 14
The theory of universality in insolvency, along with globalisation, has gained much traction across many jurisdictions in recent years. Briefly, the universality theory proposes that an insolvency proceeding has worldwide effect over all the assets of the insolvent company, wherever they may be.
Introduction
When an unregistered foreign company becomes insolvent in both its place of incorporation and in Singapore, should its assets in Singapore be remitted to the foreign liquidator or be held in Singapore to satisfy locally incurred liabilities first? This was the question that the Singapore Court of Appeal faced in Beluga Chartering GmbH (in liquidation) and others v Beluga Projects (Singapore) Pte Ltd (in liquidation) and another (deugro (Singapore) Pte Ltd, non-party) [2014] SGCA 14.
Facts
On 6 May 2014, the Ministry of Law ("MinLaw") issued its response to the feedback received from the public consultation on the final report (the "final report") of the Insolvency Law Review Committee (the "Committee") in relation to proposed recommendations affecting Singapore's personal and corporate insolvency regimes.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill ("MAS Bill") and the Financial Institutions (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill ("FI Bill") were tabled before Parliament on 4 February 2013.
The appellant ("Mdm Cheo") commenced divorce proceedings against her hubsand (the "bankrupt") two weeks after he had been served a statutory demand by a bank to pay around US$8.67 million.
The recent Court of Appeal decision in SAAG Oilfield Engineering (S) Pte Ltd v Shaik Abu Bakar bin Abdul Sukol & Anor [2012] SGCA 7 has important implications as to the scope of creditors under a scheme of arrangement under section 210 of the Companies Act.
The defendant in this case was the liquidator of Kaki Bukit Industrial Park Pte Ltd (“Company”).
On April 1, 2012 Drydocks World LLC (DDW) and its subsidiary Drydocks World — Dubai LLC (DDW Dubai), a Dubai- and Asia-based ship building and repair company that is wholly owned by Dubai World, became the first company to commence a reorganization proceeding in the Special Tribunal1 (the Tribunal) created by Dubai Decree No. 57 for 2009 (Decree 57) and avail itself of Decree 57’s integrated legal framework.
Facts
The plaintiff (“Mdm Cheo”) commenced divorce proceedings against her husband (“the bankrupt”) two weeks after she knew that the latter had been served a statutory demand by a bank to pay around US$8.67 million.