Helena Clarke

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UKCloud – An Addition to the ‘Avanti’ and ‘Spectrum’ Trilogy on Fixed and Floating Charges

Earlier this year ICC Judge Baister handed down judgment in the case of UKCloud Ltd, building on the decision in Avanti[1] by providing further analysis around the distinction between fixed and floating charges – following a dearth of caselaw on the point since Spectrum.[2] This blog pulls together some of the key messages and practical … Continue Reading

UK Litigation Funding post PACCAR – Tying up Loose Ends

Last year we discussed the impact of funding insolvency litigation following the Supreme Court decision in PACCAR where the court found that litigation funding agreements (LFAs) were damaged based agreements.  This meant that unless LFAs complied with the Damages Based Agreements Regulations 2013 (DBA Regulations), they were unenforceable.  Although concluding that the outcome of the … Continue Reading

Changes to the UK Water Special Administration Regime – Do Pension Trustees of Water Industry Schemes Need to Care?

Changes are afoot to the statutory regime governing special administrations for regulated water companies (the SAR) following the publication of a suite of new legislation. Impact of the changes on pension trustees Further details of the changes are set out below, but perhaps the most significant change for creditors generally, and pension trustees in particular, … Continue Reading

Restructuring Plans given a Shake-up after the Adler Plan is Overturned (UK)

The Court of Appeal has, today, overturned the High Court’s decision to sanction the Part 26A restructuring plan put forward by the Adler Group (the “Plan”). Following the Plan’s sanction by Judge Leech in the High Court in April 2023, dissenting creditors lodged an appeal, which was heard before the Court of Appeal in late … Continue Reading

(UK) HMRC and Restructuring Plans: The Next Chapter

A thorny question facing a company when considering a Restructuring Plan is how to deal with HMRC particularly following HMRC’s opposition to recent plans. Creditors now have some assistance in these deliberations thanks to guidance published by HMRC setting out how they will approach discussions with companies considering a Restructuring Plan. The guidance reflects the … Continue Reading

(UK) Litigation Funding in Insolvency – Where Does PACAAR leave us?

Although a non-insolvency case the recent case of PACCAR Inc & Ors v Competition Appeal Tribunal & Ors (“PACCAR”) has caused waves in the litigation market (including insolvency litigation market) following the Supreme Court finding that litigation funding agreements (LFAs) where funders recover a percentage of the amount awarded to a claimant are damaged based … Continue Reading

(UK) Avanti: The Evolution of a Spectrum – from Fixed to Floating Charge, who Needs Control?

In a decision likely to be welcomed by both debtors and lenders, the High Court has held that a charge granted by Avanti Communications Limited (“Avanti”) was properly characterised as a fixed charge (rather than a floating charge) notwithstanding that the chargor retained an element of control over the charged assets. A key plank of … Continue Reading

Restructuring Plans: A Final Lifeline for the UK Care Sector?

The challenges facing the care sector are not news to anyone. However, as we enter 2023, a sector which has historically operated on thin margins may be about to hit breaking point, with the number of insolvencies involving residential care businesses having increased by 59% in the last year alone. Is it possible to identify … Continue Reading

Cross Border Recognition, 25 years on: the view from each side of the Pond

The recent decision in Re Astora Women’s Health LLC illustrates the importance of cross-border recognition of insolvency processes, highlighting the benefits of a joined-up global approach which recognises that modern business do not stop for international borders. With Astora hot off the presses and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the UNCITRAL Model Law on the horizon … Continue Reading
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