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Debt Restructuring Part 1 – Introduction, Eligibility & the Restructuring Practitioner

This is the first part in a series of blogs discussing the new debt restructuring regime, which commences on 1 January 2021. The regime will be implemented through substantial amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (“the Act”) and the Corporations Regulations 2001 (Cth). Relevant links are:

The amendments will include a new Part to the Act – Part 5.3B, titled “Restructuring of a company”. The Part sets out the regime (referred to as a ‘restructuring’) for directors of insolvent companies to propose and enter into a ‘restructuring plan’ with creditors. The process is overseen by a ‘restructuring practitioner’, who must be a registered liquidator (s 456B of the Act). The focus on this process is that it allows directors to retain some control of the company, reducing the costs of having an insolvency practitioner involved in day-to-day operations. [...]  READ MORE →

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Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls – COVID-19 Safe Harbour is (still) not Safe

The temporary safe harbour protection from director liability for insolvent trading expires on 31 December 2020. However the Government has not corrected a critical timing issue which exists in the COVD-19 safe harbour legislation. This means directors must appoint an external administrator to their company on or before 31 December 2020, if they wish to take advantage of the COVID-19 safe harbour protection from insolvent trading .

The temporary protection is found in section 588GAAA of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). There has been some recent debate about whether the words “before any appointment during that period” of an external administrator, mean what they appear to say, namely that any appointment must take place “during that period” of the temporary safe harbour expires. [...]  READ MORE →

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SME Debt Restructuring Legislation Passed

By Andrew Hack, Solicitor, and Stephen Mullette, Principal, of Matthews Folbigg Lawyers, in our Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group.

The Corporations Amendment (Corporate Insolvency Reforms) Bill 2020 has been passed in the Senate as of yesterday. The legislation will take effect from 1 January 2021.

The centrepiece of the legislation is the introduction of a new restructuring mechanism for SME’s, called ‘Debt Restructuring’. The process allows insolvent SME’s to put forward a proposal to creditors to resolve unsecured debts and allow the company to continue trading. The process is similar to Part IX debt agreements available to insolvent individuals under the bankruptcy legislation. [...]  READ MORE →

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To Extend, or Not to Extend: That is the Question

By Darrin Mitchell, Senior Associate at Matthews Folbigg in the Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group

Part 5.7B of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)(“the Act”) contains provisions that allow a liquidator to seek orders that void certain transactions undertaken by a company whilst it is insolvent, or that are not in the company’s interests. The kinds of transactions that will be investigated by a liquidator include:

  • Preferential payment – see section 588FA of the Act;
  • Uncommercial transactions – see section 588FB of the Act;
  • Insolvent transactions – see section 588FC of the Act;
  • Insolvent transactions – see section 588FD of the Act;
  • Unreasonable director-related transactions – see section 588FDA of the Act; and
  • Creditor-defeating dispositions – see section 588FDB of the Act.

The period of scrutiny of the company’s transactions prior to liquidation for each category of voidable transaction is set out in section 588FE of the Act. [...]  READ MORE →

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Debt Restructuring legislation proposed for SMEs

By Andrew Hack, Solicitor, and Stephen Mullette, Principal, of Matthews Folbigg Lawyers, in our Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group.

The Treasury has today announced its Draft Bill designed to create a new, affordable restructuring mechanism for distressed small to medium businesses. The legislation seeks to resolve problems SMEs face in affording the costs of expensive Voluntary Administration processes. The Australian Government’s “Debt Restructuring” solution is a new process similar to a Part IX debt agreement available to insolvent individuals under bankruptcy legislation, as well as Chapter 11 arrangements available to companies in the US. [...]  READ MORE →

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It’s not your money: director refused access to company’s frozen funds

By Andrew Hack, Solicitor, and Stephen Mullette, Principal, of Matthews Folbigg Lawyers, in our Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group.

As an interim measure to recovering a debt, creditors may seek freezing orders against debtors where they feel there is a risk that the defendant will dissipate its assets so as to avoid orders. Litigants will usually be allowed limited access to frozen funds so as to fund the litigation they are involved in as well as pay for their reasonable living expenses. [...]  READ MORE →

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Danger – COVID-19 Safe Harbour STILL Requires Early External Administrator Appointment

The Government has recently extended COVID-19 business protection measures introduced in March, including the temporary safe harbour protection from director liability for insolvent trading. These protections will now expire on 31 December 2020. However the Government has not corrected a critical timing issue which exists in the COVD-19 safe harbour legislation. This means directors must appoint an external administrator to their company on or before 31 December 2020, if they wish to take advantage of the COVID-19 safe harbour protection from insolvent trading. [...]  READ MORE →

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The handcuffs are on debt recovery, but for how long? What you can do in the meantime…

By Jeffrey Brown, Principal at Matthews Folbigg in the Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group

As part of the Federal Government’s response to the COVD-19 crisis, a handbrake has effectively been applied to court proceedings aimed at bankrupting individuals and placing companies into liquidation. This has been achieved by lengthening the time for debtors to respond to formal demands, from 21 days to 6 months, for both bankruptcy notices (in the case of individuals) and statutory demands (for payment of debts incurred by companies). As part of the same reforms, the minimum debt amount that can be the subject of bankruptcy or winding up proceedings has been increased to $20,000.00. [...]  READ MORE →

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Model Behaviour: the Australian version of America’s Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Scheme – Trustees & Creditors

By Jodie Rodrigues, solicitor at Matthews Folbigg in the Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group

On 24 September 2020, the latest instalment in Australia’s insolvency reforms was announced. These reforms have been branded “the most significant reforms to Australia’s insolvency framework in 30 years”.

For information about the proposed insolvency regulations, read Part 1 of this blog here.

 The proposed scheme has been developed to provide relief to small business in light of the economic impact of the coronavirus by way of the additional debt taken on to survive. However, the impact of the proposed mechanisms is wide reaching, and particularly in circumstances where no draft legislation has been released, no consultation has been undertaken, and the plan is to have these amendments in place by 1 January 2021, the reforms may be hazardous for creditors and insolvency practitioners. Read on to find how the insolvency reform will affect you.
 [...]  READ MORE →

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Model Behaviour: the Australian version of America’s Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Scheme – Key Points

By Jodie Rodrigues, solicitor at Matthews Folbigg in the Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group

Part 1: The Key Points

On 24 September 2020, the latest instalment in Australia’s insolvency reforms was announced. These reforms have been branded “the most significant reforms to Australia’s insolvency framework in 30 years”.

And yet the plan, apparently, is to have these reforms in place in 3 months.

Under the Morrison government’s proposal, Australia would adopt a framework modeled on parts of Chapter 11 of America’s Bankruptcy Code. The proposed system would provide two alternative forms of insolvency administration for small businesses with liabilities of up to $1,000,000: [...]  READ MORE →

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Collecting Money? Avoid Going It Alone!

By Ellen Ferris, a Solicitor in Matthews Folbigg’s Insolvency, Restructuring and Debt Recovery Group.

Collecting money, especially from people you know, is always a delicate business.

Collecting money requires you to be persistent, and all too often becomes something that we let slip to the back of our mind to avoid the hassle, inconvenience, and sometimes even embarrassment of chasing valued customers for unpaid debts. Certain debts, even large ones, can be placed in the “too hard basket”, and never followed up on. Certain timelines for recovering debts can then expire, or more simply, debts can be forgotten or ignored. [...]  READ MORE →

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Danger – COVID-19 Safe Harbour Flaw Requires URGENT External Administrator Appointment

A fatal flaw exists in the government’s COVD-19 safe harbour legislation. This means directors must appoint an external administrator to their company on or before 24 September 2020, if they wish to take advantage of the COVID-19 safe harbour protection from insolvent trading.

At the beginning of the global pandemic the Australian Federal Government introduced temporary legislation to protect directors from liability for insolvent trading during the global COVID-19 pandemic. This safe harbour protection from insolvent trading will excuse directors for liabilty in respect of debts incurred in the ‘ordinary course of business’ during the operation of the temporary legislation, presently due to expire at the end of 24 September 2020. [...]  READ MORE →