The Institute's diploma in insolvency programme 2009/2010, commencing on 5 September 2009, is now open for enrolment. 

This is a one-year, part-time programme, which is designed to be an in-depth, practical study of the different aspects of insolvency administration, covering liquidation, corporate rescue and restructuring and personal insolvency. Successful completion of the programme is recognized by the Official Receiver's Office as the equivalent of 50 hours of insolvency work under the ORO's various schemes for contracting out insolvency cases. 

Click here for the programme details and application form.

The deadline for registration is 14 August 2009. 

UNCITRAL Practice Guide on Cross-border Insolvency Cooperation

On 1 July 2009, the UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) formally adopted the UNCITRAL Practice Guide on Cross-border Insolvency Cooperation. The guide contains detailed guidance to judges on court to court cooperation, including the appointments of persons to act at the direction of the court; the communication of information between courts; the coordination of administration and supervision of the debtor's assets and the approval of agreements (protocols) concerning the coordination of proceedings. It also includes detailed consideration of the form, negotiation and contents of cross-border protocols.
 
The guide is an authoritative document on the subject of court cooperation and cross-border protocols and it will be expected to be applied by lawyers and practitioners working in this field. It will shortly be published on the UNCITRAL website and will be transmitted by the United Nations to all governments with a request that it be made available to all of their commercial courts.

The Inter-Pacific Bar Association ("IPBA") will be holding a seminar entitled, “Asia - the Eye of the Financial Storm? A Case Study on Parallel Insolvency Proceedings, and Successful Asset Recovery”, on 2 November 2009, in Hong Kong. The focus of the seminar is on cross-border insolvency issues of relevance to practitioners and their clients, especially at a time when many businesses have fallen or may still fall victim to the current global economic downturn, or are dealing with counterparts that are or may be in distress.

RIF members who are interested may click here to view the event flyer for details and here for the registration form. Early bird discount applies to registration on or before 20 August 2009.

Article: When a winding up needs a hero

The June 2009 issue of the Institute’s journal, A Plus, features an article on how liquidators deal with emotional workers and suppliers who sometimes resort to militant tactics to get what they want.

INSOL International board meetings

The board of INSOL International met on 30 and 31 January 2009 in Singapore and had a further conference call on 27 March 2009. Click here to view a report of the key issues discussed/considered.

The board met most recently in June 2009 and will next meet in November 2009. Further information on the June meeting will be provided when available.

Borrelli Walsh Limited has moved its office to Level 17, Tower 1, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong. Its telephone and fax number remain unchanged.

Your RIF Needs You!

Do you have news that may be of interest to other members? Do you have personnel updates, new appointments that you wish to announce, or have you just set up a new firm in the insolvency field? If so, don't keep it to yourself, let other RIF members in on the news. The RIF Editorial sub-committee also needs contributions of articles from members – a recent legal judgment or, perhaps, details of an interesting work assignment. Remember The IP's Voice is your newsletter and the voice of insolvency professionals in Hong Kong.

If you would like to contribute an article or newsworthy item to The IP's Voice, see "Contact us" below.