Following the insolvency of Monarch Airlines Limited (in administration) (Monarch), a large number of employees of Monarch were made redundant. An employment tribunal has recently found of favour of a claimant who brought a claim against Monarch for its failure to comply with its employment law obligations to consult with employees before making a mass … Continue Reading
Re Stronghold Insurance Company Limited [2018] EWHC 2909 (Ch) Mr Justice Hildyard, who continues to amass expertise on schemes of arrangements, recently ruled against convening a single meeting of creditors on a scheme of arrangement proposed by Stronghold Insurance Company Limited (Stronghold) (the Scheme). Hildyard J found that where the appropriate comparator to the scheme … Continue Reading
Evans v Jones [2016] EWCA Civ 660 Executive Summary The Court of Appeal recently considered an appeal from the liquidators of a property development company which went into creditors’ voluntary liquidation. The company had made an unlawful dividend to its shareholders and the Court of Appeal considered whether the unlawful dividend should be treated as … Continue Reading
Rowntree Ventures Ltd v Oak Property Partners Ltd [2016] EWHC 1523 (Ch) Executive Summary The High Court recently re-affirmed the discretionary nature of its right to grant an administration order. In this case, the court refused to grant an administration order even when it determined that the companies were insolvent and the statutory purpose of … Continue Reading
In February 2016, Mr Justice Snowden handed down his judgment in the High Court proceedings concerning Ralls Builders Limited (in liquidation) [2016] EWHC 243 (Ch). This matter concerned an application by the liquidators of Ralls Builders Limited (in liquidation) (the company) for a declaration regarding the alleged wrongful trading of the company by its directors, … Continue Reading
OGX Petroleo E Gas S.A., Re [2016] EWHC 25 (Ch) In a recent judgment, Mr Justice Snowden sounded a cautionary note for applicants seeking recognition of a foreign insolvency proceeding under the UNCITRAL Model Law, advising applicants to make full and frank disclosure to the court in relation to the effect that such recognition might … Continue Reading
This appeal arose out of the litigation fallout from the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme. In the appeal, the Privy Council considered whether, at common law, an agreement to submit to jurisdiction must be express or whether it could be implied or inferred. The Board of the Privy Council found that an agreement to submit to … Continue Reading
In October we issued an article on the criminal charges that had been brought against the former directors of City Link Limited (in administration) for their failure to notify the Secretary of State of proposals for collective redundancies under section 193 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. This section applies where an … Continue Reading
Re Omni Trustees Ltd (In Liquidation) [2015] EWHC 2697 (Ch) In an interesting judgment, the High Court in Manchester has decided not to follow the ruling from earlier this year of Mr Justice Richards in Re MF Global (UK) Ltd[1], deciding instead that section 236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (the “Act”) does indeed have … Continue Reading
The fallout from the OW Bunker bankruptcy in November last year continues with a number of claims being heard in the English courts. Last month the owners of the vessel “Res Cogitans” appealed to the Court of Appeal against the decision that a contract for the supply of bunker fuel was not a contract of … Continue Reading
The recent criminal charges being brought against the former directors of City Link Limited (in administration) are a timely reminder for insolvency practitioners and directors to be mindful of their employment law obligations when initiating and carrying out collective redundancies.… Continue Reading
We published a blog update in May informing readers of the staggered implementation of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (the “SBEEA”). The SBEEA received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015 and a previous client alert, published in March, which detailed certain provisions of the SBEEA can be found here.… Continue Reading
Many businesses assign or charge their receivables in order to obtain finance, and in many cases, to improve cashflow. Following the financial crisis of 2008, alternatives to bank-led finance have been sought by businesses, with the government making efforts to facilitate access to alternative finance. Commercial contracts often contain provisions prohibiting the assignment of payment … Continue Reading
The Municipality of Sao Paulo and the Republic of Brazil successfully defeated an appeal from two BVI registered companies to the Privy Council which considered what the circumstances are, if any, where backward tracing would be permitted. Background The two appellants, “Durant” and “Kildare” are BVI registered companies, which were controlled by Mr Paulo Maluf … Continue Reading
The English High Court rejects an application by the Joint Special Administrators of MF Global UK Limited (“MF Global”) for an order seeking the production of documents pursuant to section 236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (the “Act”). In doing so, Mr Justice David Richards rules that section 236 of the Act does not have … Continue Reading
Van Gansewinkel Groep BV, Re [2015] EWHC 2151 (Ch) In what appears to be a growing trend, the High Court in England has sanctioned another scheme of arrangement involving non-English companies. Last week’s judgment from Mr Justice Snowden joins an ever growing number of decisions by the English courts to sanction schemes where debtors do … Continue Reading
We published a client alert in March, confirming that the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (the “Act”) received Royal Assent on 26 March 2015 and summarising the provisions which will amend insolvency legislation. The provisions of the Act will come into force in stages over the next year, but a number of provisions, including … Continue Reading
DTEK Finance B.V., Re [2015] EWHC 1164 (Ch) Following upon the November judgment in Re APCOA Parking Holdings GmbH, last week Mrs. Justice Rose sanctioned a scheme of arrangement between DTEK Finance B.V. (“DTEK“), a Dutch company, and holders of notes issued by DTEK in 2010 (the “Notes“). Notably, this case reinforces the finding in … Continue Reading
Trustees of Olympic Airlines SA Pension and Life Assurance Scheme v Olympic Airlines SA [2015] UKSC 27 The Supreme Court was unanimous in its brief judgment, found here, that for the purpose of establishing secondary proceedings, Olympic Airlines did not have their place of “establishment” in the United Kingdom. Facts Olympic Airlines SA, the respondent, … Continue Reading
Singularis Holdings Limited v PricewaterhouseCoopers [2014] UKPC 36 PricewaterhouseCoopers v Saad Investments Company Limited [2014] UKPC 35 The Privy Council gives credence to the concept of “modified universalism” (being the court’s common law power to assist foreign winding up proceedings) and notes some of the circumstances which would permit a “stranger” to a winding up … Continue Reading
