Resolving Insolvency New Funding and Business Survival
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Doing Business 2016 Resolving insolvency New funding and business survival hen Kodak filed for bankruptcy insolvent company will need access to New funding provided to an insolvent in January 2012, few were additional funds.3 It is unlikely to be able company after the start of insolvency Wsurprised. The company had to rely on internal sources to finance its proceedings—known as post- dominated the U.S. photographic film costs—including payments for the goods commencement finance—can enable industry for decades, but technology in the and services needed to continue the busi- the business to continue operating form of digital photography and camera- ness. So the company may need to seek during insolvency. equipped smartphones had advanced fast- external funding (figure 11.1). The authorization of post- er than its ability to adapt. Yet 20 months commencement finance and later Kodak emerged from a successful New funding provided to an insolvent the treatment of the claims of reorganization with a new business focus. company after the start of insol- post-commencement creditors are In between, Kodak had received $950 vency proceedings is known as post- two important areas that need to be million in new loans that were crucial for commencement finance.4 It can become addressed in insolvency law. But half paying vendors and suppliers and running necessary at different stages of insolvency the 189 economies covered by Doing its day-to-day business operations while it proceedings—immediately after the appli- Business have no provisions in these underwent reorganization.1 cation for insolvency, during the prepara- areas. tion and approval of a reorganization plan Clear and effective regulations on post- As the Kodak example shows, businesses or before the sale of assets in a liquidation. commencement finance may improve in financial distress may need new money Besides paying for goods and services the availability and terms of new to survive. Yet lending to companies that essential to continued operation, new funds funding for viable firms undergoing are finding it difficult to honor promises are often used to cover labor costs, insur- insolvency proceedings—funding made to existing creditors hardly seems ance, rent and other expenses necessary that can support their successful a profitable venture. A framework is to maintain the value of the assets.5 But reorganization or enable their sale as a needed that allows access to new funds it is important that post-commencement going concern in liquidation. for financially distressed but potentially finance mechanisms be used judiciously. To Financially distressed businesses are viable businesses while ensuring a high avoid restricting the availability of credit in more likely to pursue reorganization— probability of repayment. Creating such a regular commercial transactions, the use of and more likely to emerge from framework can be a challenge. post-commencement finance should be insolvency proceedings as a going limited to supporting the reorganization of concern—in economies that have When a company becomes insolvent— viable firms or enabling the sale of busi- provisions on post-commencement when it cannot pay its debts as they fall nesses as a going concern in liquidation— finance. due—either the company itself or its and only if new credit would lead to higher Many economies are introducing creditors may start insolvency proceedings. returns to existing stakeholders in the provisions on post-commencement In an efficient insolvency system these pro- distressed business (box 11.1). finance as part of an overall effort to ceedings will result in the reorganization of strengthen mechanisms for business the insolvent company if it is viable or in its rescue. liquidation if it is not. Continued operation of WHAT ARE SOME GOOD the debtor’s business during the insolvency PRACTICES? proceedings is imperative for successful reorganization. It can also be important in Insolvency law can create a predictable liquidation, where the goal is to maintain and enforceable framework for lending and maximize the value of the debtor’s to companies in insolvency proceedings assets.2 But to continue operating, the through provisions explicitly allowing 100 DOING BUSINESS 2016 will be paid. These concerns can be FIGURE 11.1 Post-commencement finance can be critical in helping a business go from insolvency to recovery addressed through provisions in two areas: explicit authorization of post- commencement finance and treatment of the claims of post-commencement creditors. Good practices in these areas have been recommended by a range of international institutions, including Business suffers Business or creditors Business attempts to the United Nations Commission on financial difficulties start insolvency restructure proceedings International Trade Law, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank. $ $ $ As a first step, insolvency law needs to include clear provisions authorizing post-commencement finance as well as efficient mechanisms for obtaining such finance.7 The law can grant the power to In exchange, claims of Creditors offer Business needs new obtain new loans either to the debtor or to post-commencement post-commencement funds to continue creditors are given finance operating the insolvency representative managing priority the debtor’s assets. The law can address the form of the new money—loans and other forms of finance from new or exist- ing lenders. And to ensure that the power to take on new loans is used prudently, $ the law may require that the court or the creditors approve all new borrowing.8 Thanks to new funds, Business restructuring Business is rescued, business continues to is successful jobs are saved, In Serbia the law gives bankruptcy operate creditors get paid administrators the power to obtain new loans during insolvency proceedings.9 In Finland a debtor can take on new debt post-commencement borrowing and Several competing interests come without the approval of the insolvency providing some assurance of payment. into play: the insolvent debtor aims to representative as long as the debt is Without such provisions, lenders are continue its operations or maximize connected with the debtor’s regular unlikely to make new funds available the value of its assets (or both); exist- activities and the amount and terms are on acceptable terms—or indeed on any ing creditors want to have their rights not unusual; all other loans require the terms at all.6 recognized and preserved; and potential approval of the insolvency representa- new creditors need assurance that they tive.10 In Japan debtors in reorganization BOX 11.1 New funding comes to the rescue Marvel Entertainment Group—the company behind the Avengers, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four—went through a tumultu- ous time in the late 1990s. A failed investment strategy and shrinking comic book market had left the company reeling, and its main investors could not agree on the best way forward. Unable to resolve its problems out of court, Marvel filed for reorganiza- tion in 1996. The proposed reorganization plan included large infusions of equity and credit to finance a new strategic invest- ment program. But the company needed immediate assistance to pay its suppliers and employees and to meet its operating and investment needs during reorganization. The court approved a $100 million loan from a bank group led by Chase Manhattan. This loan helped keep the company operating during the several months of negotiations that followed. Marvel proved that it was worth the investment: its latest film, Avengers: Age of Ultron, had pulled in more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office only 24 days after its release in May 2015. Sources: Marvel Entertainment Group 1996; Lambie 2015; Variety 1997; Pedersen 2015. RESOLVING INSOLVENCY 101 proceedings can seek the permission of the priority of existing secured creditors availability of credit for the debtor during the court to borrow money.11 In liquida- without these creditors receiving alterna- the reorganization proceedings. tion proceedings the power to request tive protection—or at least notice of the the court’s approval rests with the bank- change and an opportunity to be heard. ruptcy trustee.12 Second, the law needs to enable debtors CHANCES OF BUSINESS to obtain new funding without security. SURVIVAL Besides explicitly authorizing post- For this unsecured post-commencement commencement finance, insolvency finance, the law needs to grant the Economies around the world have law needs to establish clear rules for claims of post-commencement creditors undertaken reforms aimed at improv- ranking the claims of existing and post- priority over those of existing unsecured ing their insolvency systems (box 11.2). commencement creditors.13 Ranking creditors.16 As a general rule, granting The majority of those recorded by Doing rules determine which creditors get paid post-commencement finance “super- Business in the past five years focused on first, second or last from the proceeds priority” over all existing claims (secured introducing or strengthening reorganiza- received from the sale of the debtor’s and unsecured) is not recommended, tion mechanisms.21 Providing an effective assets. The higher a creditor’s ranking because this approach risks disrupting and efficient framework for saving viable priority, the greater the likelihood that the the extension of secured credit in regular businesses is at the heart of internation- creditor will be paid. So