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Personal Guarantors under IBC

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–Resolution Division

(resolution@vinodkothari.com)

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, vide notification dated 15.11.2019, notified sections 94-187 , read with section 60 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, along with rules & regulations dealing with insolvency resolution and bankruptcy process for non-corporate insolvency, insofar as they relate to personal guarantors to corporate debtors.

Our presentation on insolvency and bankruptcy process of personal guarantors to corporate debtors is here- http://vinodkothari.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Personal-Guarantors.pdf

 

 

Sectoral regulators empowered to petition insolvency of financial services providers: Central Govt notifies insolvency rules

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–Vinod Kothari

(resolution@vinodkothari.com) 

The Central Govt on 15th November notified rules of procedure for insolvency proceedings for financial services providers, thereby indicating that the resolution and liquidation process for financial services entities has been taken out from the proposed enactment dealing with distress of financial entities. Notably, the actions in case of distress of financial services firms is not limited to insolvency – regulators take prompt corrective action, depending on the severity of the distress.

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Group Insolvency: Moving from “Entity” to “Enterprise”

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-Sikha Bansal (resolution@vinodkothari.com)

 

Recently, the Working Group led by Shri U.K. Sinha, submitted its Report on group insolvency, recommending a complete framework to facilitate insolvency resolution and liquidation of corporate debtors in a “group”. The Report was submitted by the working group on 23.09.2019.

See our presentation here on various aspects of group insolvency proceedings as suggested by the Working Group, and includes discussion on procedural coordination versus substantive consolidation along with case laws and case studies.

Timely Realisation of Assets by Secured Creditors- IBBI’s Discussion Paper on Liquidation Process Regulations

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-Megha Mittal

(resolution@vinodkothari.com) 

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (“IBBI”/ “Board”) has invited comments on its Discussion Paper on Corporate Liquidation Process[1], dated 03.11.2019 (“Discussion Paper”), which essentially deals with two issues which have been the focal point of contrasting opinions as well as judicial interpretation at various instances, i.e. (a) Relinquishment of Security Interest in Corporate Liquidation Process; and (b) Applicability of section 29A of the Code to Compromise and Arrangement.

In this article, the author has delved into the said issues based on the problem statement presented by the Board, and has also attempted to analyse the propose amendments in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (“Code”) w.r.t. relinquishment of security interest in corporate liquidation.

We shall discuss the applicability of section 29A of the Code to Compromise and Arrangement in a separate article.

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Schemes under Section 230 with a pinch of section 29A – Is it the final recipe?

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-Sikha Bansal (resolution@vinodkothari.com)

Note: This article is in continuation of/an addition to our earlier article wherein the author discussed various aspects pertaining to schemes of arrangement in liquidation under section 230 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with various provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The author has described various factors and principles which the judiciary may consider while sanctioning a scheme of arrangement for companies in liquidation, how a scheme is different from a resolution plan or a going concern sale, what constitutes ‘class’ in the context, whether the waterfall under section 53 will apply to such schemes, etc. The author also pointed out the lack of clarity as to applicability or inapplicability of section 29A on such schemes. However, very recently, NCLAT has clarified that persons ineligible under section 29A are not qualified to propose a scheme during liquidation. This Part discusses this ruling and ponders upon some questions which still remain open-ended/unanswered.

The conundrum as to whether section 29A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (‘Code’) will apply to schemes under section 230 of the Companies Act, 2013 (‘Companies Act’) has been put to rest, at least for the time being, by a recent ruling of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (‘NCLAT’). In  Jindal Steel and Power Limited v. Arun Kumar Jagatramka & Gujarat NRE Coke Limited (Company Appeal (AT) No. 221 of 2018), vide order dated 24.10.2019, NCLAT held, while a scheme under section 230 is maintainable for companies in liquidation under the Code, the same is not maintainable at the instance of a person ineligible under section 29A of the Code. The NCLAT relied on the observation of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Swiss Ribbons Pvt. Ltd. & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors., WP No. 99 of 2018, that the primary focus of the legislation is to ensure revival and continuation of the corporate debtor by protecting the corporate debtor from its own management and from a corporate death by liquidation.

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