GOVERNANCE & SECURITIES LAW FOCUS
JULY 2020/EUROPE EDITION
Below is a summary of the main developments in U.S., EU, U.K. and Italian corporate governance and securities law since our last update in April 2020.
See our page dedicated to the latest financial regulatory developments.
IN THIS ISSUE
O QUE É CHAPTER 11?
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Arizona banks and their borrowers are facing economic uncertainty. Bankruptcy filings are on the rise, and many eligible borrowers are opting to file under the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA), a new fast-track bankruptcy option that alters lenders’ and other creditors’ rights in certain Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases.
The SBRA is quickly becoming an important tool for debtors in bankruptcy as the effects of COVID-19 are felt across the country.
UPDATED 3 AUGUST 2020
Updates marked with *
Updated: Ireland, Israel
We take a look at some of the recent emergency legislation and measures implemented by various nations around the world in response to COVID-19. As this is a rapidly developing crisis, please ensure you keep a close eye on the Lexology Coronavirus hub page for the most up-to-date information.
On June 22, U.S. Circuit Judge Judge Jerry Smith issued a short, three-page opinion in the case Hidalgo County Emergency Service Foundation v. Carranza that appeared, at first blush, to be a death blow to many debtors' ability to obtain Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.
The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has ruled that proceeds from property that was fraudulently transferred cannot be recovered under Section 550 of the Bankruptcy Code.[1] This decision limits a subsequent recipient’s exposure where the initial transferee of the property had altered the form of the property that was initially received prior to transferring it to that subsequent recipient.
Section 550 of the Bankruptcy Code provides that, when a transfer is avoided under one of several other sections of the Code, a trustee may recover “the property transferred, or, if the court so orders, the value of such property” from “the initial transferee of such transfer,” “the entity for whose benefit such transfer was made,” or “any immediate or mediate transferee of such initial transferee.” 11 U.S.C. § 550(a).
A troubled company may use Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure its debts or to sell its assets. The assets of a troubled company can often be sold or otherwise liquidated relatively quickly and efficiently in a bankruptcy proceeding and leave far fewer loose ends afterward than most any other sale method.
In our next segment of Bankruptcy Bytes, Liam O’Connor provides an introduction to how creditors can navigate Adversary Proceedings in Bankruptcy Court.