A creditor commences winding-up proceedings against a debtor company on the basis that the company is insolvent. The petition debt relates to a dispute within the ambit of the arbitration agreement between the creditor and...more
Arbitration clauses are commonly found in commercial contracts. However, tricky issues arise when a company subsequently seeks an order for winding up, particularly in circumstances where the facts relied on in support of the...more
The decision confirms that an arbitration agreement will be upheld in the face of insolvency proceedings only if it can be shown that the petition debt is genuinely disputed on substantial grounds....more
The Hong Kong Court of Appeal has finally laid to rest the vexed issue of whether an arbitration agreement or a winding-up petition should take precedence in an insolvency situation. In two parallel decisions, the Court of...more
The Singapore Court of Appeal has overturned the High Court decision in the case of Founder Group (Hong Kong) Limited (in liquidation) v Singapore JHC Co Pte Ltd [2023] SGCH 159, in the latest development concerning the...more
On 25 October 2023, the Hong Kong Court of First Instance granted leave to appeal the decision in Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Ltd [2023] HKCFI 2065 to dismiss a winding up petition in favour of arbitration. This opens...more
The Singapore High Court has again confirmed that a winding-up application concerning a disputed debt that is subject to an arbitration agreement will be dismissed if the arbitration agreement is prima facie valid and covers...more
Three recent Hong Kong first instance court decisions have left undecided the question of whether a winding-up petition will trump an agreement to arbitrate when it comes to a winding-up and particularly in the context of...more
A recent ruling shows that an arbitration agreement alone is not necessarily a complete defence to a Hong Kong winding-up petition. The Hong Kong Companies Court recently issued a winding-up order against a debtor company,...more
It is well-established in Hong Kong that the test for determining the validity of an opposition to a winding-up petition is whether the petition debt is disputed in good faith on substantial grounds. In Sun Fung Timber...more
In a recent judgment, the Hong Kong Court reiterated the principles outlined in Kam Leung Sui Kwan v. Kam Kwan Lai [2015] 18 HKCFAR 501 (Yung Kee), the case concerning the famous roast goose restaurant in the heart of Hong...more
In several Commonwealth jurisdictions, the corporate legislation allows creditors to petition a court to order the winding up of a debtor in circumstances where that debtor is unable to pay its debts as they fall due. Such...more
On 2 March 2018, the Hong Kong Court of First Instance (“CFI“) issued a notable decision which signifies a development of Hong Kong law in the contexts of insolvency and arbitration. ...more