An unfortunate but inevitable consequence of the economic downturn induced by COVID-19 is that an increasing number of construction companies will enter into insolvency. In Bresco Electrical Services Ltd (in liquidation) v. Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd [2020] UKSC 25, the Supreme Court has provided some respite to contractors in liquidation by finally confirming their unfettered right to refer construction disputes for resolution by adjudication.

The Supreme Court has handed down its decision in Bresco Electrical Services Ltd v Michael J Lonsdale [2020] UKSC 25. It has returned the law to where it was before the first instance judgment and has made a firm statement that there is jurisdiction for insolvent construction companies to refer a dispute to adjudication. In the unanimous decision of the Court, Lord Briggs concluded that the operation of insolvency set off and the adjudication of construction disputes are not only compatible, but they are to be encouraged.

Bresco Electrical Services Ltd (In Liquidation) -v- Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd [2020] UKSC 25

A Supreme Court judgment issued yesterday has overturned a Court of Appeal decision heavily limiting the ability of insolvency practitioners to commence and enforce adjudication proceedings against their creditors. The court’s decision allows much greater flexibility in the use of adjudication for the administration of construction insolvencies, however some uncertainty remains over the basis on which decisions obtained in such adjudications will be permitted to be enforced against creditors.

In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling that an insolvent company can adjudicate, the TCC have confirmed that there remain high hurdles to the insolvent party enforcing any adjudication decision.

You must have been in isolation if you haven’t heard or read about the Supreme Court’s decision in Bresco v Lonsdale. It has been hailed by some as opening the floodgates to adjudications by insolvent companies. But as a series of recent judgments show, there remain a number of obstacles that will need to be overcome by insolvent entities seeking to enforce an adjudication award.

The background

A creditor with assets in England should refrain from involvement in a foreign insolvency proceeding if it is at risk of being sued in the foreign court.

Before the recent decision in Rubin and another v Eurofinance SA and others and New Cap Reinsurance Corporation (In liq) and another v AE Grant [2012] UKSC 46 (the joint appeal of two earlier cases) (the Rubin/New Cap Appeal), an insolvency judgment obtained in an Australian court could be enforced in the UK despite falling outside of the traditional common law enforceability rules.

The Rubin/New Cap Appeal has now removed this special treatment afforded to foreign insolvency judgments and the old common law rules once again apply.

Last week, one of the largest tour operators and package tour operators in the world shut down – Thomas Cook. On September 23, 2019, the UK Supreme Court appointed an Official Receiver, a figure similar to the insolvency receiver in Bulgaria, who takes over the “management” of dozens of Thomas Cook Group companies and appoints consulting firms AlixPartners and KPMG to support the process.

If 2016 ended with more questions than answers as to how Brexit would take shape, 2017 began with at least a little more clarity.