Approaching its 20-year anniversary, chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code has proven to be an invaluable tool for facilitating cross-border bankruptcy and insolvency cases. As foreign debtors have increasingly relied on chapter...more
In Re Fullerton Capital Limited (in liquidation) [2025] SGCA 11, the Singapore Court of Appeal has affirmed the importance of a debtor’s registered office (in this case in the BVI) as its centre of main interests (“COMI”)....more
Determining a foreign debtor's "center of main interests" ("COMI") for purposes of recognizing a foreign bankruptcy proceeding in the United States under chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code can be problematic in cases...more
While the timing of competing English and German insolvency applications in Re Galapagos1 allowed for clear determination of jurisdiction under the UK Insolvency Regulation, there remains potential uncertainty as to how...more
In Re Zipmex Co Ltd (2022), the Singapore High Court held that Thai, Indonesian and Australian subsidiaries of the Zipmex Group had their Centre of Main Interest in Singapore. It noted that it would have been evident to...more
Where a company’s liquidation is necessary, deciding who or where is best placed to administer an orderly wind down for the benefit of creditors can be difficult: the shortfall of assets in an insolvency will highlight...more
Cayman Islands companies have dominated the restructuring news cycle of late for a variety of reasons, including recent judicial commentary as to the effect of obtaining recognition under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy...more
The Hong Kong court has confirmed that – going forward – the court is ready to recognize and assist a foreign insolvency process conducted in the company’s center of main interests (COMI) and that it will no longer be...more
“Virgin Active is a global gym and leisure business with operations in England, Italy, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa. The group was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and…amassed an...more
Despite the absence of any explicit directive in the Bankruptcy Code, it is well understood that a debtor must file a chapter 11 petition in good faith. The bankruptcy court can dismiss a bad faith filing "for cause," which...more
The decision raises new questions about whether cross-border insolvency recognition and assistance between mainland China and Hong Kong will be a two-way street. The Hong Kong court has for the first time recognised the...more
Prior to the introduction of the Preventive Restructuring Framework by the StaRUG out-of-court restructurings in Germany other than the restructuring of German law-governed bonds generally required unanimous approval by all...more
In In re O’Reilly, 598 B.R. 784 (Bankr. W.D. Pa. 2019), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania denied the petition of a foreign bankruptcy trustee for recognition under chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy...more
Two recent bankruptcy court decisions - In re Serviços de Petróleo Constellation SA1 and In re Agrokor d.d.2 - demonstrate the increasing complexity of applying basic chapter 15 principles of “universalism” to global...more
In Re Zetta Jet Pte Ltd (2019), the Singapore High Court held that the Centre of Main Interest (COMI) of a Singapore-incorporated company was the US. It noted that a company’s jurisdiction of incorporation could be displaced...more
In a March 19, 2019 summary order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of a purported shareholder’s appeal challenging the chapter 15 recognition of a Cayman Islands...more
With the significant increase in cross-border bankruptcy and insolvency filings in the 43 nations or territories that have adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (the "Model Law"), including the U.S., the...more
The bankruptcy court in In re Ocean Rig UDW Inc., 17-10736 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Aug. 24, 2017) determined that a decision by an offshore drilling company from the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to shift its Center of...more
The regime for dealing with insolvency proceedings within the European Union (EU) is about to become more coordinated. The timing is ironic given that the change will take place in the period leading up to the March 2019 exit...more
Liability management exercises (“LMEs”) are increasing in the bond and capital market and are often used in relatively benign situations. They are certainly not always a precursor to a full-scale restructuring or insolvency....more
Recent EU Insolvency Regulation - The EC Regulations on Insolvency Proceedings (the "EIR") came into force throughout the European Union (the "EU") (except Denmark) on May 31, 2002 with the purpose of setting out the...more