Cross-border and international

UK insolvency review – “better outcomes from insolvency and increased returns to creditors”?

The first and rather glowing report on the operation of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 has been issued

Small business insolvency advice via the Ombudsman

The federal government’s current focus on personal insolvency law reform coincides with Small Business Month in NSW and the Small

Deregistered / dissolved companies – let them be?

The UK Insolvency Service has been granted new investigative and disqualification powers to regulate directors who ‘dissolve’ (in Australian terms,

Deregistered/dissolved companies – let them be?

The UK Insolvency Service has been granted new investigative and disqualification powers to regulate directors who ‘dissolve’ (in Australian terms,

Insolvent insolvency practitioners?

An Australian insolvency industry body – ARITA – has suggested that the law should be changed to allow insolvency practitioners

UK’s proposed single insolvency regulator – beware Australian comparisons [revised]

After some long period of deliberation, the UK government has decided to itself take a direct role in the regulation
Silos

Is it relevant outside Canberra whether a law is within or without Treasury’s portfolio?

With the government’s Treasury department busily introducing changes to the law to allow virtual meeting technology (VMT) for corporate liquidations,

Australian bankruptcy statistics 2019-2021

Numbers of Australia’s 3 year long bankruptcies were down 46.7% in 2020-2021, producing an average dividend of only 1.63c/$.  The

Australian MSME insolvency law reform

Australian lawyers are presently represented at an international gathering of experts to address the need for particular insolvency laws for

Unconscionable and immoral corporate conduct – nothing personal

In imposing a $153 million penalty on the Australian Institute of Professional Education, already in liquidation, for its “deliberate and

Any insolvency remuneration review as sought by ASIC “would be unprincipled and ultimately, wholly pointless”

From the opening paragraphs, one can foresee the outcome of this decision, about ASIC’s “unprincipled and pointless” intervention to deny

Do our insolvency laws suit small business failures?

In shopping for a suit recently, I noticed that the Big Store displayed its suits according to brand, which apparently

High level of business bankruptcies in construction and retail

Latest figures show that nearly 60% of personal bankruptcies in the construction industry were involved in a business, with those

An insolvency law reform inquiry? first things first….

The prospect of an inquiry into insolvency law was raised in a recent speech by the chair of the Australian

Insolvency Law Bulletin – October 2021 – Halifax, Arrium, MSME insolvency, letters of comfort, and (discretionary) trusts

The latest Insolvency Law Bulletin is out with a range of articles covering current and on-going issues in insolvency law

Proposed New Zealand law restricting investigating accountants taking insolvency appointments

A bill introduced into the New Zealand parliament would mean that if ABC Insolvency Firm took a role as investigating

Rethinking insolvency law – a follow up

We are pleased to see some further responses to our early ideas on reform of the structure of the insolvency

Sole traders and insolvency

A report on the financial business health of Australian small business takes the novel approach of looking at sole traders.

Trust law and insolvency – views of the NSW Chief Justice; law reform prospects

A paper given by the NSW Chief Justice, Tom Bathurst – ‘Commercial trusts and the liability of beneficiaries: are commercial

High Court confirms principles of judicial independence

The High Court of Australia has found that social communications between a judge and a lawyer for a litigant in

Electronic delivery of documents in bankruptcy and liquidation – continued

In my earlier comments trying to work out why we now have unharmonized drafting approaches and rules for electronic service

Corporate Collective Investment Vehicles

The government is consulting on a Bill in line with what it says is its commitment “to establishing a commercially viable

UK insolvency practitioners – “evidence of intimidation, deception, dishonesty and even misappropriation of assets”?

A very critical report on the insolvency profession in the UK – Resolving-Insolvency-APPG-on-Fair-Business-Banking-and-Humphries-Kerstetter.pdf (appgbanking.org.uk)  has come from the All Party

Reinventing the Australian Insolvency System

At a seminar on 4 August 2021, Jason Harris and I presented our ideas on reform of the insolvency system