The new Insolvency Practice Direction 2016 has finally been given approval by the Lord Chancellor and came into force yesterday (25 April) bringing with it changes to reflect the new Insolvency Rules 2016 and recent changes to the CPR. The new practice direction replaces that of 2014 with immediate effect. Key changes include:

The recent Court of Appeal decision inLBI EHF v Raiffeisen Bank International AG [2018] EWCA Civ 719 affirms the wide discretion of the non-Defaulting Party to determine "fair market value" in accordance with the close-out mechanism under paragraph 10(e)(ii) of the standard Global Master Repurchase Agreement (2000 version) ("GMRA").

The Facts

Mr Brown was declared bankrupt on 12 May 2016, following possession proceedings and costs order against him which had not been paid. Mr Brown did not accept that the original litigation leading to his bankruptcy was valid, and as a result did not accept that the bankruptcy proceedings were valid either. Mr Brown represented himself at all hearings and refused legal representation or assistance.

The anticipated rise in UK and European corporate insolvencies over the next two years should be prompting both borrowers and lenders to take early advice where they have concerns about businesses' solvency outlook, says Ogier offshore restructuring specialist Simon Felton.

Simon, a partner in Ogier's Banking & Finance team was involved in several post financial crisis restructurings, including the receivables trustee of a £13.5bn portfolio of UK RMBS as well as portfolios of loans in the Irish banking industry and regulatory capital in the Austrian banking sector.

In a year fast becoming dubbed the “year of the CVA” in the retail sector, there was a cautionary tale for insolvency practitioners following the recent High Court judgment in Re SHB Realisations Ltd (formerly BHS ltd (in liquidation).

The timeline of the case

We closed the first quarter of 2018 following a period of intense scrutiny on the restructuring and insolvency profession. The stress in the retail and dining sectors, the increase in CVAs and the various attendances of stakeholders in the profession before Select Committees has been the forerunner to two consultation papers.

At a time when the actions of directors, both collectively and individually, have received considerable attention in both the academic and public press, the need for directors to understand their duties, and the steps that can be taken to fulfill their obligations and minimise potential liabilities, becomes especially important.

This article considers:

Carillion, the UK’s second largest construction company, entered compulsory liquidation on 15 January 2018, with estimated debts of £1.5bn and a pension deficient of c£800m, following three profit warnings in 2017. The company employs 20,000 people in the UK and 43,000 people worldwide. It is thought that some 30,000 companies may be affected by the liquidation.

Administrators are statutorily entitled to require a receiver to vacate office (paragraph 41 Schedule B1 Insolvency Act 1986 (“Schedule B1”)). In Promontoria (Chestnut) Ltd vCraig and another [2017] EWHC 2405 (Ch) they did just that, taking steps to remove existing receivers not long after their appointment, claiming the action to be in the interests of all the creditors. On the facts, that decision was not only unreasonable but costs were also awarded personally against the administrators.

Brief facts and arguments

In the decision in Mohammed Safier and (1) Wendy Jane Wardell & David John Standish (Joint Trustees in Bankruptcy of Mohammed Safier) (2) The Official Receiver the High Court made a potentially far-reaching decision on the payment of Secretary of State fees in certain annulment applications. Sue Austin considers the judgment.