Upcoming Courses
26 April 2023
[WEBINAR] Holistic turnaround via combined operational and financial restructuring (2.5hrs)
About The Course
- What does it look like – involves making material changes to the operations of the company, not just to its capital structure.
- Why do it – fixing the capital structure on its own is rarely enough, as the company has become distressed with its current operations.
- How to approach it building a plan
- “Find where it’s bleeding” quickly – typically by region, product line or business unit.
- “Stem the bleeding” within a timescale that makes sense – what levers to consider and why.
- Model the options and choose the preferred plan based on iterations with items 4 and 5.
- Minimise cash bleed in the current situation
- Figure out how big the “cash hole” is – how much new money is needed, and a timeline and process for
- New money to enter
- Operational changes to be implemented
- Consensual or court process to take effect
- Cases from a few different industries will be used (with sanitised data) to illustrate the above approaches.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
To register, please click here.
Past Courses
16 February 2023
[WEBINAR] Cryptoassets, a primer on insolvency and asset recovery (2hrs)
About The Course
The past year has been a watershed year for the cryptocurrency space, where numerous cryptocurrency-related entities have sought insolvency protection and freezing injunctions in Singapore and other jurisdictions as they scramble to fend off mass withdrawals and recover lost assets. In fact, since issuing its first freezing injunction of cryptoassets against persons unknown in 2021, the Singapore Court has adjudicated on multiple insolvency-related applications by cryptocurrency entities in the likes of Torque, Vauld, Zipmex, 3 Arrows Capital and Hodlnaut.
In this course, Ivan Chong of Kroll, Jansen Chow and Stanley Tan of Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP will consider some of the common legal and practical challenges relating to insolvency and asset recovery in the cryptocurrency space, before proffering possible solutions to overcoming them.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
6 December 2022
[WEBINAR] A clash of regimes: Navigating the intersection between insolvency and arbitration (2hrs)
About The Course
This webinar will explore:
- The differing approaches that the English, Hong Kong and Singapore Courts have taken in winding-up petitions where the debt is disputed and subject to arbitration;
- The lower standard of review in disputed winding-up petitions and the abuse of process safeguard put in place by the Court of Appeal in AnAn Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd v VTB Bank (Public Joint Stock Company) [2020] SGCA 33
- The practical difficulties faced by the petitioning creditor where the debt is disputed and subject to arbitration;
- A recent case study which engages the issues above.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
30 November 2022
[WEBINAR] Contemporary Issues in Judicial Management (2hrs)
About The Course
First introduced in 1987, the regime of judicial management has undergone recent facelifts in the new Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act (“IRDA”). As the framework now settles into its respectable middle age, some critical reflection may be due. How has judicial management fared as a rehabilitative regime, alongside more modern innovations? Are the recent updates sufficient to address some longstanding issues with judicial management, and if not, what more can be done?
This seminar will critically assess the modern constraints and opportunities facing judicial managers, in both law and practice. Can judicial management be deployed as a distributive regime, with dividends to creditors prior to liquidation or a scheme? Has there been a shift in the test for appointing judicial managers, and how far can the public interest exception be relied on? How should judicial managers respond to challenges against their decisions? What are the subtle changes brought about by IRDA and its subsidiary legislation, which may require judicial managers to rethink practical issues such as priorities, fees and funding?
This seminar is aimed at practitioners and students keen on a deeper dive into the judicial management regime.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
16 November 2022
[WEBINAR] Principles of Financial Restructuring (3hrs)
About The Course
In this course targeted at beginner to intermediate practitioners, participants will learn about components of a financial restructuring, approaches taken in debt and equity restructurings and see how these have been applied in real-life case studies.
Intended For
This Beginner to Intermediate level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
20 September 2022
[WEBINAR] Common forms of set-off – Tips and tricks relating to the (somewhat) ‘insolvency proof’ remedy (2hrs)
About The Course
This session will attempt to demystify the different and sometimes contradictory rules relating to the most common forms of set-off, and how and when it can be invoked to get relief from the consequences of counterparty insolvency.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
18 July 2022
[WEBINAR] Going to Court: An Insolvency Practitioner’s Guide to Suing and Being Sued (3hrs)
About The Course
Through this seminar, we hope to provide an understanding of
(a) some of the typical applications that an insolvency practitioner may find himself bringing to Court, or defending in Court; and
(b) what to expect when an insolvency practitioner decides to go to Court to bring a claim in the company’s name, or to defend a claim on behalf of the Company.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
15 July 2022
[WEBINAR] Rescue Financing (2hrs)
About The Course
The course will cover:
• Introduction to the rescue financing regime under sections 64 and 101 of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (“Insolvency Act”).
• Who can apply for rescue financing.
• Definition of rescue financing under the Insolvency Act.
• Different levels of super-priority that may be afforded under the rescue financing regime.
• Requirements for obtaining rescue financing order.
• Key considerations for rescue lenders.
• Strategies for rescue lenders.
• Process for implementing a rescue financing deal.
• Case study of the rescue financing deal in the restructuring of the Design Studio Group
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
14 July 2022
[WEBINAR] Cross-Border Insolvency: Selected Issues and Practical Tips (3hrs)
About The Course
In this session, we will explore how the Model Law has been specifically drafted and developed in Singapore, as well as current issues that have arisen in the practice of cross-border insolvency in Singapore. In doing so, we will examine the issues and solutions that have arisen in recent high-profile cross-border restructurings involving teams in Singapore. From there, we distill practical tips and best practices for your consideration in future matters.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
13 July 2022
[WEBINAR] Strategic points in a contested scheme of arrangement (2hrs)
About The Course
The course will cover the following aspects:
- Brief overview of the process of a scheme of arrangement.
- Identification of the key pressure points in a contested or potentially contested scheme of arrangement.
- Possible strategies at each of these key pressure points.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
8 July 2022
[WEBINAR] Adjudication of Claims in Insolvency Administration (3hr 30mins)
About The Course
The course will cover the following aspects:
- Brief overview: Types of insolvency administration.
- Creditors’ rights, why and how to file a claim with insolvency practitioners.
- Adjudicating a filed claim – admission, additional information, rejection (and appeal).
- Statutory regime for distribution of assets and Dividend distribution(s).
- Pari-passu principle and its exceptions.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
7 July 2022
[WEBINAR] Rules of Court 2021: Navigating the new civil procedure rules (2hrs)
About The Course
This seminar will provide practitioners with an introduction to the newly enacted Rules of Court 2021, which came into force on 1 April 2022. We will explore the major structural changes which have been introduced, including the “Single Application Pending Trial” and the power of the Court to order Affidavits of Evidence-in-Chief to be filed before discovery. The seminar also aims to look into some of the innovations which have been introduced, and with reference to the practice in other jurisdictions, explore how these innovations will likely be implemented in Singapore. In order to benefit insolvency practitioners in particular, we will explore how these new Rules of Court will impact particular applications which are made in the insolvency context, for instance an application for clawback where there is unfair preference or undervalue transactions.
The main topics to be covered are:
- Introduction to the Rules of Court 2021
- Ideals of the Rules of Court 2021 and New Terminology
- Pre-action Protocol – Duty to Consider Amicable Resolution
- Originating Claims
- Originating Applications
- Case Conferences and Interlocutory Matters
- Disclosure and Production of Documents
- Expert Evidence
- Trial and Appeals
- Application of Rules of Court 2021 to Insolvency & Restructuring Practice
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
26 March 2022 to 4 June 2022
SMU-IPAS Graduate Certificate in Insolvency and Restructuring
About The Course
The SMU-IPAS Graduate Certificate in Insolvency and Restructuring, developed in collaboration with the SMU Academy, is a post-graduate course developed and taught by leading insolvency practitioners. The course provides participants with the fundamental/ foundational knowledge of insolvency and restructuring that is practical and relevant for recently qualified accountants, lawyers and financial professionals who choose to specialise in insolvency and restructuring.
The course comprises of eleven (11) modules covering the various core skills and knowledge of insolvency and restructuring. Participants who complete all eleven modules and pass the associated assessment for each module will receive the Graduate Certificate in Insolvency and Restructuring issued by the Singapore Management University. Each module may also be taken individually to fulfil continuing professional training requirements.
The inaugural course will take place from 26 March to 4 June. There are limited spaces still available on a first-come-first-serve basis so please register as soon as possible. Please note the registration deadline for the course is 17 March 2022. Participants who wish to attend only certain individual modules must register for that specific module nine (9) days before the commencement of the module.
Please visit the SMU Academy website for more information on the course and individual modules at https://academy.smu.edu.sg/smu-ipas-graduate-certificate-insolvency-and-restructuring-6696.
You may also contact Gilbert Ong at gilbertong@smu.edu.sg or the IPAS Secretariat at secretariat@ipas.org.sg if you require further clarification.
8 December 2021
[WEBINAR] Overview of Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act (3hr 30mins)
About The Course
This course provides an overview of the new Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 and the implications of the changes to various stakeholders.
Intended For
This Beginners to Intermediate level course is intended for all who need to reference the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 in the course of their debt restructuring and insolvency work in Singapore and CFOs.
7 December 2021
[WEBINAR] Unravelling Fraud in Insolvency (1hr 15mins)
About The Course
What should and can an Insolvency Officeholder do when presented with suspicions of fraud?
In this session, the discussions will cover:
• the role and responsibilities of the judicial manager or liquidator when presented with suspicions of fraud;
• the practical and legal considerations before deciding to commence investigations;
• practical tips and considerations when conducting an investigation; and
• the legal tools available to the judicial manager or liquidator to aid the investigations
Intended For
This course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
30 November 2021
[WEBINAR] Adjudication of claims in insolvency administration (3hr 30mins)
About The Course
The course will cover the following aspects:
- Brief overview: Types of insolvency administration.
- Creditors’ rights, why and how to file a claim with insolvency practitioners.
- Adjudicating a filed claim – admission, additional information, rejection (and appeal).
- Statutory regime for distribution of assets and Dividend distribution(s).
- Pari-passu principle and its exceptions.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
29 November 2021
[WEBINAR] The Critical First 100 Days of Debt Restructuring (1hr 15mins)
About The Course
The first 100 days of a debt restructuring exercise for a distressed company is always closely scrutinised as it sets out the priorities to be dealt with. In the context of a restructuring mandate, what is the insolvency practitioner expected to accomplish in the first 100 days? What pressing legal, financial and operational issues should be dealt with, and how should these be prioritised? Join us in examining how the first 100 days of a restructuring will (or should) unfold.
Intended For
This foundation level course is intended for litigators and those starting out in restructuring and insolvency practice.
22 November 2021
[WEBINAR] The Ten Issues Every Insolvency Practitioner Knows (2hr 30mins)
About The Course
This course provides a framework of 10 issues that guide experienced insolvency practitioners case after case. The 10 issues are framed following largely how the life cycle of restructuring and liquidation processes typically unfolds.
Part I: Companies in distress
- When is a company insolvent? Two tests.
- Pitfalls when a company is insolvent – insolvent trading, directors’ duties, preferential transactions.
Part II: Restructuring a distressed company
- Consensual restructuring vs formal restructuring
What kind of restructuring would be more appropriate
- The life cycle of a successful formal restructuring
Moratorium under s 211B – scheme of arrangement – exit and implementation of scheme / judicial management – exit
Judicial management (or interim judicial management) – exit
- Creditors outreach – the importance of managing creditors and their expectations (especially in a restructuring context)
- Dealing with different stakeholders – shareholders, management, employees, banks, trade creditors, insurers, etc
- Ipso facto clauses – s 440 IRDA
Part III: End of a company’s life cycle
- Types of liquidation – Voluntary (by Creditors or Members) vs Court-ordered liquidation
- Third-party funding for dispute resolution proceedings
Professional Fees
- Securing professional adviser’s fees from a distressed company, taxation of professional fees in Court.
Intended For
This foundation level course is intended for litigators and those starting out in restructuring and insolvency practice.
9 June 2021
[WEBINAR] Unravelling Fraud in Insolvency (1hr 15mins)
About The Course
What should and can an Insolvency Officeholder do when presented with suspicions of fraud?
In this session, the discussions will cover:
• the role and responsibilities of the judicial manager or liquidator when presented with suspicions of fraud;
• the practical and legal considerations before deciding to commence investigations;
• practical tips and considerations when conducting an investigation; and
• the legal tools available to the judicial manager or liquidator to aid the investigations
Intended For
This course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
3 June 2021
[WEBINAR] The Ten Issues Every Insolvency Practitioner Knows (2hr 30mins)
About The Course
This course provides a framework of 10 issues that guide experienced insolvency practitioners case after case. The 10 issues are framed following largely how the life cycle of restructuring and liquidation processes typically unfolds.
Part I: Companies in distress
- When is a company insolvent? Two tests.
- Pitfalls when a company is insolvent – insolvent trading, directors’ duties, preferential transactions.
Part II: Restructuring a distressed company
- Consensual restructuring vs formal restructuring
What kind of restructuring would be more appropriate
- The life cycle of a successful formal restructuring
Moratorium under s 211B – scheme of arrangement – exit and implementation of scheme / judicial management – exit
Judicial management (or interim judicial management) – exit
- Creditors outreach – the importance of managing creditors and their expectations (especially in a restructuring context)
- Dealing with different stakeholders – shareholders, management, employees, banks, trade creditors, insurers, etc
- Ipso facto clauses – s 440 IRDA
Part III: End of a company’s life cycle
- Types of liquidation – Voluntary (by Creditors or Members) vs Court-ordered liquidation
- Third-party funding for dispute resolution proceedings
Professional Fees
- Securing professional adviser’s fees from a distressed company, taxation of professional fees in Court.
Intended For
This foundation level course is intended for litigators and those starting out in restructuring and insolvency practice.
1 June 2021
[WEBINAR] Rescue Financing (2hrs)
About The Course
This course introduces the rescue financing regime under the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (“Insolvency Act”).
The course will cover:
- Introduction to the rescue financing regime under sections 64 and 101 of the Insolvency Act.
- Who can apply for rescue financing.
- Definition of rescue financing under the Insolvency Act.
- Different levels of super-priority that may be afforded under the rescue financing regime.
- Requirements for obtaining rescue financing order.
- Key considerations for rescue lenders.
- Strategies for rescue lenders.
- Process for implementing a rescue financing deal.
- Case study of the rescue financing deal in the restructuring of the Design Studio Group
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
24 May 2021
[WEBINAR] Overview of Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act (3hr 30mins)
About The Course
This course provides an overview of the new Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 and the implications of the changes to various stakeholders.
Intended For
This Beginners to Intermediate level course is intended for all who need to reference the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 in the course of their debt restructuring and insolvency work in Singapore and CFOs.
11 May 2021
[WEBINAR] The Critical First 100 Days of Debt Restructuring (1hr 15mins)
About The Course
The first 100 days of a debt restructuring exercise for a distressed company is always closely scrutinised as it sets out the priorities to be dealt with. In the context of a restructuring mandate, what is the insolvency practitioner expected to accomplish in the first 100 days? What pressing legal, financial and operational issues should be dealt with, and how should these be prioritised? Join us in examining how the first 100 days of a restructuring will (or should) unfold.
Intended For
This foundation level course is intended for litigators and those starting out in restructuring and insolvency practice.
15 December 2020
[Webinar] Schemes of Arrangement
About The Course
This course provides a focused study of Schemes of Arrangement, eligibility considerations, governing laws, Court procedures, pros and cons, impact on various stakeholders.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
8 December 2020
[Webinar] Adjudication of claims in insolvency administration
About The Course
The course will cover the following aspects:
- The creditors and their rights in the context of a company in liquidation.
- The statutory regime for distribution of assets of a company in liquidation.
- The pari passu principle and its exceptions.
- The process of filing a claim.
- The process of dealing with a filed claim – admission, rejection and the appeal
- The dividend – what is it in essence
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
1 December 2020
[Webinar] Investigations in insolvency assignments
About The Course
This course focuses on the need for, and aspects of conducting investigations in liquidation assignments and areas to look out for by a liquidator.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
26 November 2020
An Introduction to Judicial Management
The first half of 2020 has seen a spate of judicial management applications by bank creditors, financial institutions as well as by borrowers themselves. Why judicial management and what advantages does judicial management have over other corporate rescue regimes, and is judicial management suitable in all cases? This course will introduce you to the legal framework and key principles behind judicial management, and will include a discussion on:
- The aims and purposes of judicial management,
- Key differences between judicial management, liquidation and schemes of arrangement,
- How creditors can place a company into judicial management,
- The substantive effects of a judicial management order,
- Latest updates to the judicial management framework under the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act, which came into force on 30 July 2020,
- Practical insights from a practitioners’ viewpoint, and
- Selected highlights from recent judicial management cases.
Intended For
This Foundation level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
19 November 2020
Overview of Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act
About The Course
This course provides an overview of the new Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 and the implications of the changes to various stakeholders.
Intended For
This Beginners to Intermediate level course is intended for all who need to reference the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 in the course of their debt restructuring and insolvency work in Singapore and CFOs.
6 November 2020
Rescue Financing
About The Course
This course introduces the rescue financing regime under the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (“Insolvency Act”).
The course will cover:
- Introduction to the rescue financing regime under sections 64 and 101 of the Insolvency Act.
- Who can apply for rescue financing.
- Definition of rescue financing under the Insolvency Act.
- Different levels of super-priority that may be afforded under the rescue financing regime.
- Requirements for obtaining rescue financing order.
- Key considerations for rescue lenders.
- Strategies for rescue lenders.
- Process for implementing a rescue financing deal.
- Case study of the rescue financing deal in the restructuring of the Design Studio Group
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
4 September 2020
[WEBINAR] Unravelling Fraud in Insolvency
About The Course
What should and can an Insolvency Officeholder do when presented with suspicions of fraud?
In this session, the discussions will cover:
• the role and responsibilities of the judicial manager or liquidator when presented with suspicions of fraud;
• the practical and legal considerations before deciding to commence investigations;
• practical tips and considerations when conducting an investigation; and
• the legal tools available to the judicial manager or liquidator to aid the investigations
Intended For
This course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
31 August 2020
[WEBINAR] The Ten Issues Every Insolvency Practitioner Knows
About The Course
This course provides a framework of 10 issues that guide experienced insolvency practitioners case after case. The 10 issues are framed following largely how the life cycle of restructuring and liquidation processes typically unfolds.
Part I: Companies in distress
- When is a company insolvent? Two tests.
- Pitfalls when a company is insolvent – insolvent trading, directors’ duties, preferential transactions.
Part II: Restructuring a distressed company
- Consensual restructuring vs formal restructuring
What kind of restructuring would be more appropriate
- The life cycle of a successful formal restructuring
Moratorium under s 211B – scheme of arrangement – exit and implementation of scheme / judicial management – exit
Judicial management (or interim judicial management) – exit
- Creditors outreach – the importance of managing creditors and their expectations (especially in a restructuring context)
- Dealing with different stakeholders – shareholders, management, employees, banks, trade creditors, insurers, etc
- Ipso facto clauses – s 440 IRDA
Part III: End of a company’s life cycle
- Types of liquidation – Voluntary (by Creditors or Members) vs Court-ordered liquidation
- Third-party funding for dispute resolution proceedings
Professional Fees
- Securing professional adviser’s fees from a distressed company, taxation of professional fees in Court.
Intended For
This foundation level course is intended for litigators and those starting out in restructuring and insolvency practice.
21 August 2020
[WEBINAR] The Critical First 100 Days of Debt Restructuring
About The Course
The first 100 days of a debt restructuring exercise for a distressed company is always closely scrutinised as it sets out the priorities to be dealt with. In the context of a restructuring mandate, what is the insolvency practitioner expected to accomplish in the first 100 days? What pressing legal, financial and operational issues should be dealt with, and how should these be prioritised? Join us in examining how the first 100 days of a restructuring will (or should) unfold.
Intended For
This foundation level course is intended for litigators and those starting out in restructuring and insolvency practice.
13 December 2019
Business Valuation in Distressed Environments
About The Course
This customised seminar course links the theory and practical aspects of business valuation and will provide participants with first-hand knowledge of how valuation is to be carried out in a distressed environment. The seminar will provide an insight into the valuation context and cover areas pertaining to corporate valuation incorporating the fundamental concepts and principles of valuation. It will then include in depth discussions on the valuation process to be adopted, the standard and premise of value as well as the various valuation approaches/methodologies commonly applied. In particular, issues relating to distressed valuation will be discussed and the seminar will be conducted via an interactive manner utilising appropriate case studies.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced Level course is intended for insolvency practitioners and financial analysts.
10 December 2019
Overview of Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act
About The Course
This course provides an overview of the new Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 and the implications of the changes to various stakeholders.
Intended For
This Beginners to Intermediate level course is intended for all who need to reference the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 in the course of their debt restructuring and insolvency work in Singapore and CFOs.
5 December 2019
Schemes of Arrangement
About The Course
This course provides a focused study of Schemes of Arrangement, eligibility considerations, governing laws, Court procedures, pros and cons, impact on various stakeholders.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
3 December 2019
Adjudication of Claims in Insolvency Administration
About The Course
The course will cover the following aspects:
- The creditors and their rights in the context of a company in liquidation.
- The statutory regime for distribution of assets of a company in liquidation.
- The pari passu principle and its exceptions.
- The process of filing a claim.
- The process of dealing with a filed claim – admission, rejection and the appeal
- The dividend – what is it in essence
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.
12 November 2019
Investigations in Insolvency Assignments
About The Course
This course focuses on the need for, and aspects of conducting investigations in liquidation assignments and areas to look out for by a liquidator.
Intended For
This Intermediate to Advanced level course is intended for insolvency practitioners.