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William Willson

William Willson is a barrister at South Square.

williamwillson@southsquare.com

Articles by author

Ipso facto clauses: the international dimension

This article considers the new provisions in the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA) on so-called ipso facto clauses and how those provisions interact with cross-border contracts.

1 FEB 2021

Dovetailing between the Judgments Regulation and the Insolvency Regulation

In recognition of the unique features of insolvency law, the EU developed two distinct jurisdictional and recognition regimes for civil and commercial matters on the one hand, and insolvency on the other. The relationship between the two regimes has been controversial, but it is now widely accepted by national courts and the CJEU that the regimes are intended to dovetail into one another. In theory, dovetailing ensures that the regulations constitute a comprehensive regime for all civil proceedings. In practice, it is often unclear which set of rules applies, and whether particular proceedings are within the scope of both regulations, or neither. This article examines the difficulties of dovetailing, and the continued relevance of dovetailing after the UK’s exit from the EU.

1 NOV 2021

Cryptocurrency and the claim in debt

This article considers, briefly, whether a claim for payment in cryptocurrency can (arguably) be brought as a claim in debt. It also considers the implications of such a characterisation in two specific areas of insolvency law – petitions for bankruptcy, and whether a proof of debt based on a cryptocurrency payment obligation can benefit from the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 (IR 2016) r 14.21, which values the claim in sterling by reference to the exchange rate at the commencement of insolvency. These issues are likely to interest lenders under crypto-loans (which we shall call “crypto-lenders”), insolvency practitioners, and others in the crypto space.

1 JAN 2023