Kevin John Zych

This decision concerns the approval of a plan of arrangement under section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act for Sherritt International Corporation and 16743714 Canada Inc. The plan involves the exchange and restructuring of certain debt obligations, including Senior Secured Notes and Junior Notes, to stabilize the company’s financial position.

The court reviews the statutory and fairness requirements for approval, considers objections, and ultimately finds the arrangement fair and reasonable, granting the final order.

The applicants, Xplore Inc. and a wholly-owned subsidiary, sought a final order approving a plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA).

The arrangement aimed to implement a comprehensive recapitalization transaction to significantly deleverage the company's secured debt and secure new financing.

A key component of the plan was a reverse vesting order (RVO) to separate uneconomic satellite business obligations from the ongoing operations.

The court found that the arrangement met all statutory requirements, was proposed in good faith, and was fair and reasonable to all stakeholders, including the initially opposing satellite providers who reached a commercial resolution.

The court also confirmed its jurisdiction under s. 192(4) of the CBCA to grant an RVO and approved the inclusion of third-party releases.

This endorsement addresses motions related to a proposed recapitalization transaction of Xplore Inc. and 16029167 Canada Inc. via a plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA).

The applicants sought an Interim Order to facilitate a vote on the arrangement, while certain satellite providers (unsecured creditors) brought 'comeback motions' objecting to the preliminary interim order's stay of remedies and the proposed treatment of their contracts, including non-payment of full contractual rates and the use of a reverse vesting order.

The court granted the Interim Order, finding that the applicants met the statutory requirements and acted in good faith, and that the fairness of the arrangement, including the novel reverse vesting order, warranted a full fairness hearing.

The court upheld the stay, finding the non-disclosure by applicants not material and that the court has broad discretion to impose terms on critical suppliers, drawing analogies to CCAA provisions.

The satellite providers' requests for full contractual payments and security were denied, and their motion to lift the stay for a bankruptcy application was adjourned.

The applicants, Xplore Inc. and 16029167 Canada Inc., sought a preliminary interim order under s. 192(4) of the CBCA to facilitate a comprehensive recapitalization transaction.

The applicants requested a stay of proceedings to prevent unsecured creditors, particularly satellite providers, from taking unilateral actions that could disrupt services to rural customers while definitive agreements were finalized.

The court granted the preliminary interim order, finding that the proposed transaction constituted an arrangement, the solvency requirement was met, and the stay was necessary to provide stability during negotiations.

The applicant, BBB Canada Ltd., sought court approval under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) for an Omnibus Assignment and Assumption of Leases, FF&E and Trade Fixtures Agreement with DKB Capital.

The motion also requested orders for the assignment of certain leases under section 11.3 of the CCAA and a temporary sealing order for the unredacted agreement.

The court found the marketing process comprehensive, the consideration fair and reasonable, and the agreement beneficial to stakeholders.

The assignments were unopposed.

The court applied the Sherman Estate test for the sealing order and found it appropriate given its limited scope and time.

The motion was granted in its entirety.

In the receivership of the Bridging Funds, the Receiver brought a motion to determine whether unitholders with Potential Statutory Rescission Claims (based on misrepresentations in offering memoranda) or Potential Redemption Claims (based on unfulfilled redemption requests) were entitled to priority over General Unitholder Claims.

The court held that Potential Redemption Claims were not entitled to priority because the redemption requests had not been completed prior to the receivership.

However, the court held that Potential Statutory Rescission Claims were entitled to priority, finding that the statutory right of rescission under s. 130.1(1) of the Securities Act creates a de facto priority and justifies the imposition of a constructive trust over the invested funds.

The applicants, Canadian affiliates of Bumble Bee Foods, sought an amended and restated initial order under the CCAA to stabilize their business and facilitate a coordinated restructuring and asset sale alongside US Chapter 11 proceedings.

The court considered the recent amendments to the CCAA, specifically s. 11.001, and found that the requested relief—including an extension of the stay of proceedings, DIP financing, payment of pre-filing obligations, a Key Employee Retention Plan (KEIP), and various court-ordered charges—was reasonably necessary for the continued operation of the business in the ordinary course.

The court granted the amended and restated initial order.

The applicants brought an ex parte motion for a preliminary interim order under section 192(4) of the Canada Business Corporations Act to facilitate a recapitalization transaction.

The proposed arrangement aimed to reduce the company's debt obligations by more than $2 billion.

The court found that the statutory requirements were met, the arrangement was put forward in good faith, and it was impracticable to effect the fundamental change under any other provision.

The court granted the preliminary interim order, including a broad stay of proceedings, to allow the company to advance the recapitalization transaction.

The moving parties sought leave to appeal a CCAA judge's decision dismissing their motion to reinstate other post-employment benefits (OPEBs) to retirees of U.S. Steel Canada Inc. The CCAA judge had dismissed the motion but ordered a one-time payment of $2.7 million towards benefits.

The Court of Appeal applied the stringent test for leave to appeal in CCAA proceedings and found no prima facie merit to the appeal.

The court emphasized the broad discretion of the CCAA judge and the fact-specific nature of the decision, which did not raise issues of significance to insolvency practice.

Leave to appeal was denied with costs fixed at $2,500.

The applicants sought approval of a sale of substantially all of their assets to a newly incorporated entity owned by their first lien lenders pursuant to a credit bid, effectively wiping out the second lien lenders.

RBC, a first and second lien lender, opposed certain ancillary relief.

The court approved the sale transaction, finding the pre-filing sales process reasonable under the Soundair principles and s. 36(3) of the CCAA.

However, the court declined to grant a broad third-party release by the first lien lenders, refused to bind RBC to a shareholders' agreement, and dismissed RBC's motions for pre-filing interest, fees, and a share of a consent fee.

In CCAA proceedings arising from the liquidation of a multinational telecommunications company, bondholders claimed entitlement to post‑filing interest exceeding US$1.6 billion in addition to principal and pre‑filing interest of approximately US$4.092 billion.

The court considered whether the common law "interest stops rule" applies in CCAA proceedings, particularly in a liquidating CCAA context.

Applying insolvency principles of pari passu distribution and relying on Supreme Court guidance emphasizing the integrated nature of the CCAA and BIA regimes, the court held that post‑filing interest does not accrue against the insolvent estate.

The court rejected arguments that contractual entitlement to interest survives the filing or that distributions require a negotiated plan recognizing such interest.

Accordingly, crossover bondholders were limited to principal and pre‑petition interest claims.

In long‑running insolvency proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the court was asked to determine whether unsecured bondholders were entitled to claim post‑filing interest on crossover bonds after the debtor companies entered CCAA protection.

The court considered the common law “interest stops” rule, the pari passu principle governing distribution to unsecured creditors, and the relationship between the CCAA and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

The court held that the interest stops rule applies in CCAA proceedings and prevents unsecured creditors from claiming post‑filing interest absent a negotiated plan providing for such payments.

Allowing interest to accrue for some creditors during the stay period would undermine the status quo and distort equality among creditors.

The court further held it had jurisdiction to determine the issue even without a proposed plan of arrangement.

Invesco sought leave to appeal orders sanctioning a Plan of Compromise and Reorganization under the CCAA and approving a settlement that released Ernst & Young LLP from claims arising from its auditing of Sino-Forest Corporation.

The Court of Appeal denied leave, finding that the proposed appeals failed to meet the stringent test for leave in CCAA proceedings.

The appeal of the Sanction Order was moot, and the issues regarding the third-party release in the Settlement Order were governed by the court's prior decision in ATB Financial.

The applicant, Sino-Forest Corporation, sought an order sanctioning a plan of compromise and reorganization under the CCAA.

The plan was supported by the vast majority of creditors, including noteholders, auditors, and underwriters, but opposed by certain funds.

The court found that the statutory requirements were met, the creditors were properly classified, and the plan, including its third-party releases, was fair and reasonable.

The motion was granted and the plan was sanctioned.

Institutional investors sought an adjournment of a motion to sanction a restructuring plan under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, arguing that provisions in the proposed plan concerning settlements and releases for third party defendants could improperly affect their ability to pursue claims in related securities class actions.

The court reviewed the plan and concluded that approval of any specific settlement, including a proposed auditor settlement, was not before the court on the sanction motion and would require further court orders and satisfaction of multiple conditions precedent.

The court held that any potential impact on investors’ claims could be addressed in future proceedings where the specific settlements and releases would be considered.

As the objections were premature and the debtor faced time and funding constraints, the request for an adjournment was denied.

The applicant corporation sought relief under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act including an initial order, a stay of proceedings, approval of a sale process, and authorization of administration and directors’ charges.

The court considered whether the corporation qualified as a debtor company and whether the requested restructuring steps were appropriate in the circumstances of significant financial distress and ongoing investigations.

The court accepted that the corporation was insolvent and that a restructuring under the CCAA was necessary to preserve enterprise value and explore a potential sale of business operations.

The court approved the requested charges, authorized the sale process, and granted ancillary relief including recognition proceedings in foreign jurisdictions.