Corporate Restructuring

Articles - What duties and potential liabilities should the directors/managers have regard to when managing a company in financial difficulties? Is there a specific point at which a company must enter a restructuring or insolvency process? What are the criteria for entry into each restructuring procedure? Or, what impact does each restructuring procedure have on existing contracts?

Short Reads - The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant and immediate adverse effect on many companies in different industries. Many PE portfolio companies are particularly vulnerable given the typical high leverage finance structure and inherent need to maintain cash flow. To meet these challenges and mitigate liability risks, management and owners may need to take clear and immediate action (and refrain from certain other actions) in the interest of all stakeholders. The following sets out some key legal guidelines for management and owners when dealing with a Dutch subsidiary in distress.

Short Reads - Door het gemak waarmee krediet kon worden verkregen en de extreem lage kosten ervan, hebben veel bedrijven grote leningen aangetrokken. De schuldenpositie van bedrijven is nog nooit zo groot geweest.

Short Reads - On 5 July 2019 the Minister of Justice submitted a bill to parliament that will add a new powerful tool to the Dutch restructuring toolbox. The bill on the "Act on the Confirmation of a Private Restructuring Plan" is expected to introduce a serious competitor to the UK's Scheme of Arrangement and the USA's Chapter 11.

Short Reads - On 26 May 2020, the Dutch Parliament’s House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) adopted the Act on confirmation of private restructuring plans (Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord (“WHOA”)). The next step will see the WHOA put to vote in the Senate.

Short Reads - Job van Hooff and Daisy Nijkamp, in collaboration with Lexology, will present a webinar on WHOA on 2 April 2020. During the webinar they will look at a new bill prepared by the Dutch legislature - the Act on the Confirmation of Private Restructuring Plans (Wet homologatie onder onderhand akkoord) - which introduces a framework that makes it possible for debtors to restructure their debts outside formal insolvency proceedings.

Short Reads - As mentioned in our earlier blog, the Dutch legislator has prepared a bill – the Act on confirmation of private restructuring plans (Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord) – introducing a framework that allows debtors to restructure their debts outside formal insolvency proceedings (the “Dutch Scheme“). We expect this highly-anticipated bill to enter into force by this summer. The Dutch Scheme combines features from the UK Scheme of Arrangement and the US Chapter 11 proceedings. Below, we summarize certain key aspects of the Dutch Scheme.

Short Reads - The Council of the European Union adopted a proposal for a Directive on restructuring and insolvency (2016/0359 (COD) on 6 June 2019. The Directive will enter into force twenty days after it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union. From that date, Member States will have two years to implement the substantive parts of the Directive in their national legislation, although a one year extension can be granted.