In this article the authors consider how an English court might view a US-style liability management exercise which: (i) relies on the consent of a majority of creditors within a class to bind a minority within that class; and (ii) treats dissenting creditors less favourably than assenting creditors.
12 January 2025It is critical to the operation of bond markets that ultimate account holders bringing liquidation proceedings against bond issuers are given only limited recourse to issues. One recent BVI decision, in which it was held that accountholders have standing as contingent creditors to present a winding-up petition against the issuer, unexpectedly stretches those limits. This article examines whether that decision is correct.
12 January 2025The volatility of many cryptoassets is such that the date on which they fall to be valued for damages assessment can be critical to the commercial viability of crypto litigation. Yet this is a subject that receives comparatively little focus. This article reviews two recent cases, one from each of the English and Singaporean High Courts, where the question of valuation date for cryptoassets has arisen and, on the basis of those decisions, suggests a practical framework for approaching valuation date issue in typical cryptoasset disputes.
12 January 2025In this article the authors consider the impact on solicitors engaged in banking and finance transactions of the Law Society’s recent Guidance on the Impact of Climate Change on Solicitors . How is growing awareness of the potential risks associated with climate change affecting the nature and content of solicitors’ duties – and potential liabilities – to their clients?
12 January 2025Part 26A, introduced into the Companies Act 2006 by the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA), is an important tool to assist companies in financial difficulties, building on the Pt 26 scheme of arrangement. Part 26A contains a relatively thin set of statutory provisions that leave a great deal to be fleshed out by the courts. Judges have risen to the occasion and have begun to develop a structured approach to Pt 26A cases. There are, however, some difficult issues that are emerging in the process. This article aims to pull together a shopping list of these issues, to promote conversation among scholars, practitioners, and policy makers about the way forward.
25 November 2024Marshalling 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.
24 November 2024Lenders’ 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.
24 November 2024In 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.
24 November 2024The pace of deals in the US “credit risk transfer” (CRT) market through the end of 2023 spurred expectations that the US market would catch up to its European “significant risk transfer” (SRT) counterpart, promising more deal volume, issuers and investors. While investor demand continues unabated and some new issuers have entered the market, the pace of growth is cautious, and many transactions are now executed in the form of bilateral CDS transactions that provide more certainty of execution and timing in comparison to CLNs issued by banks or SPVs sponsored by banks. At the same time, new questions are arising from a regulatory focus on bank-financed leverage to CRT trades and uncertainty about the future direction of the Basel capital framework.
24 November 2024
Following the recommendations of the Hill Review of the UK Listing Regime and certain consequential legislative changes, the FCA has now published its proposed new prospectus rules CP24/12, Appendix1 as part of the UK's new public offers and admissions to the trading regime – the biggest shake-up to the disclosure framework since 2005. While the driver of the rule changes is the desire to attract and retain more listed companies in London, they are likely to have an impact on securities litigation.
In this article, we consider the potential impact of the proposed new prospectus rules on claims brought by shareholders.