Feature

Loans involving companies limited by guarantee: key issues for consideration

This article summarises key issues relevant to lenders and borrowers in loan financings that involve companies limited by guarantee as a borrower, guarantor and/or security provider.

The asset sales covenant: sometimes when it’s there it’s barely there at all!

In this article Michelle Gilmore-Parry explains how the asset sales covenant in top-tier European leveraged financings has evolved and discusses the key considerations for lenders when reviewing the asset sales covenant and related definitions in leveraged finance documentation.

Crypto exchanges: an update on D’Aloia

In this article Nik Yeo discusses how the recent detailed judgment in D’Aloia v Persons Unknown & Bitkup  clarifies and extends some previously established contractual and proprietary principles in relation to liability of crypto exchanges to victims of crypto fraud.

The Financial Conduct Authority, the court and the Financial Ombudsman Service: who is in charge?

There has never been a more uncertain time for consumer and motor finance firms. There are more and more challenges to the ways in which this multi-billion-pound market operates. These come from consumers, the Financial Conduct Authority, the court and the Financial Ombudsman Service. Firms could be forgiven for feeling they are in a never-ending game of Russian roulette with each actor taking their respective spin of the revolver. So, it begs the question, who is going to come out on top and, ultimately, who is in charge?

Forewarned is forearmed: thoughts on the impact of an IT systems outage on security registrations at Companies House

The registration of charges granted by UK Companies and LLPs at Companies House is a crucial step in securing their validity and the priority of security interests over the assets of a chargor. However, the strict 21-day filing deadline under the Companies Act 2006 leaves little room for error or delay, including in the event of an IT systems outage affecting the electronic filing services provided by Companies House of third-party portals.
In this article, the authors examine some of the recent incidents that have highlighted the potential vulnerabilities of electronic filing and offer some practical tips and considerations for parties with an interest in a charge in the event there is an IT outage during the period allowed for the registration of a charge.

How do investors make returns on preferred equity?

In this article, we look at the key features of preferred equity, the fundamental question of how investors make returns and its relationship with Holdco debt.

Knowing is half the battle: the economic torts and lender liability

Lenders’ decisions will often prejudice third parties that have dealt with their borrowers. The third parties might then seek redress from the lenders, in a claim under one or more of the economic torts of: (i) inducing a breach of contract; and (ii) unlawful means conspiracy. This article summarises the key requirements for liability under each of the torts, together with the potential risks that lenders should be aware of in relation to each tort. It then considers the potential steps that lenders can take to mitigate their risk.

Marshalling by apportionment: a developing doctrine

Marshalling as an equitable doctrine got into its stride as long ago as the 1700s, and the concept is one that has been developed throughout the common law. The doctrine (or sub-doctrine) of marshalling by apportionment demonstrates that marshalling still holds great potential for further development where there is a first-ranking secured creditor with security over multiple assets and, below it, two or more equally ranking secured creditors with respective interests in one or other of those assets. This article considers marshalling by apportionment in light of the Australian case Callisi Pty Ltd v Sterling & Freeman Advisory Pty Ltd [2023] VSC 300. 

Sanctions defences after Celestial Aviation: when does s 44 of SAMLA 2018 help?

In this article Tom Leary considers the scope of sanctions-based defences under s 44 of the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 for banks and financial institutions faced with debt claims, following the Court of Appeal’s decision in Celestial Aviation Services Limited v Unicredit Bank GmbH, London Branch  [2024] EWCA Civ 628.

Two continents separated by a common language? Harmonising US and European loans

Loan terms that were once predominantly a feature of US loan agreements have over the last decade been more frequently imported into European loan agreement. It has now become common in the European syndicated term loan B (TLB) marker to include "blended" terms, where English law loan agreements incorporate terms and concepts more typical of US loans. Differences do remain across the two markets, and  we will conduct a comparison exercise at the end of this article to show how key terms vary. 

In addition, the contrasting legal and insolvency backdrop in the US versus European jurisdictions necessarily dictates structural differences in credit support and intercreditor frameworks. Drafting complexities can therefore arise if, for commercial reasons, a deal is documented using US terms for a European group, or vice versa, using European terms for a US-dominant group. Here, parties need to be alive to protections you may need to transplant from one set of market norms to another.