Season’s Greetings from the ABI International Committee leadership. It is hard to believe how quickly pumpkin spice and caramel apples have turned into peppermint mocha and eggnog. The weather is turning colder, and the holidays are quickly approaching. We hope that the end of 2023 brings you time with family and friends, and maybe even a little bit of international travel.
Committees
On October 24, 2023, the ABI International Committee hosted the 2023 Cross-Border Insolvency Program at Blank Rome LLP’s Conference Center in Midtown Manhattan. This annual day-long program featured four educational panels and a networking happy hour.
In re Modern Land Receives Honorable Mention
The British Virgin Islands Court has reached a different conclusion to the courts of Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Hong Kong in holding that, in certain circumstances, ultimate beneficial bondholders have standing as contingent creditors to make applications for the appointment of liquidators to bond issuers, without the need to show a direct pre-existing contractual relationship with the issuer.
On October 17, the International Committee hosted the initial webinar in its planned series of “Directors’ Duties Across Borders in the Insolvency Zone.” The first episode focused on Europe, with speakers from France (Alexandre Koenig of Stephenson Harwood), Germany (Bernd Meyer-Loewy of Kirkland & Ellis), Ireland (Gemma Freeman of Dentons)
The International Committee community continues to grow! We welcome the following members to our committee:
It was great seeing many of you at the Annual Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C., and getting to catch up with you in person. It was three amazing days of educational sessions and networking.
In May 2023, the Committee adopted a broad new description and mission statement. That is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas related to the interrelationship between American and foreign insolvency laws, harmonizing American and foreign insolvency laws, the model laws promulgated by UNCITRAL related to insolvency proceedings including Ch.
The Cayman Islands implemented the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (otherwise known as the “New York Convention”) via the Foreign Arbitral Awards Enforcement Act (1997 Revision) (the “Enforcement Act”).
Switzerland is a complex jurisdiction for foreign insolvency practitioners. A strict blocking statute and banking secrecy make it difficult to obtain information and to secure assets prior to the recognition of a foreign insolvency decree.
This is the first in a series of webinars that will cover key jurisdictions around the globe, focusing on developments you and your clients need to consider when thinking about bankruptcy-type proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. What you don’t know may hurt your clients, and you can’t just assume that the same rules apply as in the United States. For this first webinar, the panelists will be examining the situation in France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
This panel of experts will discuss and analyze asset-recovery issues in cross-border insolvency situations.
On February 8, 2023, Evelyn Meltzer and Kyle Ortiz, co-chairs for the International Committee, co-hosted the 2023 Look Ahead with members of the Asset Sales Committee. Evelyn and Kyle discussed what the committee has been up to as well as future events and speaking and writing opportunities for committee members. Additionally, Evelyn and Kyle discussed hot topics in international insolvencies for 2023.
Sponsored by ABI's International Committee. India has emerged as a leading insolvency jurisdiction since it enacted its new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) in late 2016. The IBC heralded a new insolvency process, enabling large corporations to reorganize and maximize value. In the six years since, more than 4000 cases have been filed and scores of important Indian companies have been successfully restructured.
This panel will discuss some of the more interesting aspects of the asset-recovery process as it relates to locating foreign assets (i.e., Russian yachts). The panelists also will focus on post-COVID-19 issues, including situations where banks were not monitoring collateral as closely as they should have been and are now having trouble locating said assets and selling them, particularly in international cases where the bankruptcy is abroad but the parties are seeking recognition in the U.S.
Hosted by the International and Legislation Committees: In recent years, multiple jurisdictions have reformed or modernized their insolvency laws, either through incremental amendments or by entirely replacing the legislation. In this session, attendees will hear from practitioners from various jurisdictions about what motivated the decisions to amend their insolvency laws — and how the process unfolded in practice.
People and Assets on the Move Overseas: What You Need to Know to Hold Everything Still and Seize the Assets
Structuring Cross-Border Deals to Protect Creditor Interests
The Business Reorganization Committee held a free committee wide call on Tuesday, September 23rd, at 4 pm ET. The topic was titled "Looking at International Insolvency/Restructurings Through the Bankruptcy Code and Beyond," and featured key speakers, including: Patrick Mohan (Moderator) of Reorg Research (Columbia, S.C.), Rachel Ehrlich Albanese of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (New York).
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