Nick Angel, Nicole Stephansen and Kate Colman, Milbank LLP
This is an extract from the second edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.
Introduction
David Wallace and Hugo Bowkett, Latham & Watkins LLP
This is an extract from the second edition of GRR's The Art of the Ad Hoc. The whole publication is available here.
Introduction
JMW Solicitors have recently obtained an Order made pursuant to Section 234 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (the “Act”), which includes a term that allows the office-holder to recover possession of a residential property, without the need for separate possession proceedings being issued pursuant to Part 55 of the Civil Procedure Rules (“CPR”), which sets out the usual Court procedure for obtaining an order for possession of land.
Company directors have a number of duties imposed on them under the Companies Act 2006 as well as under common and other laws. Failure to carry out directors’ duties can result in substantial penalties, including personal liability for any losses suffered by the company, its shareholders and its creditors.
With the news that the Arcadia Group has entered administration, suppliers of goods and services are left with a number of questions: what happens next, and can they still get paid? The answers to such issues have recently been drastically altered by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act (CIGA) 2020. Its impact is discussed in the eight key points considered below.
What would happen in ‘normal’ circumstances? A manageable problem
A floating charge will usually set out the rights exercisable by the floating charge holder after the point at which that floating charge has become "enforceable". The floating charge might also contain language clarifying when the charge is deemed to be enforceable - typically after the occurrence of an event of default set out in the underlying facility agreement which is secured by that charge
The case of Arlington Infrastructure Ltd (In Administration) v Woolrych [2020] EWHC 3123 (Ch) is a cautionary reminder to qualifying floating charge holders (and their advisors) to review the terms of all security documents, before seeking to appoint an administrator.
The UK Government has reintroduced the temporary suspension of wrongful trading measures from 26 November 2020 until 30 April 2021 pursuant to The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (Coronavirus) (Suspension of Liability for Wrongful Trading and Extension of the Relevant Period) Regulations. The suspension was originally introduced in March 2020 under section 12 of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 and expired on 30 September 2020.
The Insolvency Act 1986 (HMRC Debts: Priority on Insolvency) Regulations 2020 will apply to all business insolvencies that commence on or after 1 December 2020. They provide for certain debts owed to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to become preferential debts in the event of a business entering a formal insolvency. It is important that creditors understand whether they are affected by these changes so that they can decide whether they need to take steps to protect their position.
The relevant debts
In brief
The Federal Court has ordered that an insolvency professional be appointed to act as a referee and to decide questions of insolvency in relation to a series of alleged unfair preferences, rather than have the judge undertake that task.
Key takeaways