Ipso Facto Clauses: What You Should Be Aware Of Before Entering Into a Contract
An Ipso Facto Clause, also referred to as a termination clause, establishes a contractual right for one party to terminate or amend the contract when an insolvency-related trigger event occurs.
Many people with regular business contracts may not be aware of this, but the event that often activates certain provisions is when an administrator, liquidator, receiver, or controller is appointed.
It has been debated over many years that the operation of Ipso Facto Clauses can deprive a company of any prospect of economic recovery and can be viewed as inconsistent with the main objective of entering into voluntary administration.
The Ipso Facto Regime
In 2018, a significant legal development took place in Australia with the introduction of the ipso facto regime.
Under the regime, a party’s right to terminate or amend the contract, under the Ipso Facto Clause, is ‘stayed’ for a specific period.
The new regime only applies to contracts entered into after July 2018.
Any contracts entered into before July 2018 that contain Ipso Facto Clauses (insolvency-related termination clauses) are still enforceable.
However, it should be noted that the new regime does not prevent the parties from terminating the contract in other circumstances, for example, a breach of contract for non-payment of rent.
The other party remains liable under the contract.
The courts have the power, under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) to override the stay, if it is in the interest of justice to do so.
Length of Stay
The length of the stay is dependent upon the type of insolvency event.
Voluntary Administration
The stay begins when the company elects to enter into administration and appoints an administrator and ends when the administration has concluded because the company has been wound up.
The purpose of this stay is to assist in the restoration of the troubled company and enables it to continue trading.
Receivership/Appointment of Managing Controller
The stay begins when the receiver/managing controller is appointed and ends when their control over the company’s property is no longer required.
The purpose of this stay is to allow the company time to restructure if required.
Compromise or Scheme of Arrangement
The stay begins when the company publicly announces the scheme proposal or when a scheme application is made and ends three months after the announcement, when the application is unsuccessful or dismissed, or when the company is wound up.
The purpose of this stay is also to allow the company time to restructure.
Ipso Facto Clauses: Additional Considerations
In light of the new regime, you ought to ensure that you conduct comprehensive reviews of your existing contracts entered into after July 2018 and clearly understand the impact of Ipso Facto Clauses.
If you continue to include Ipso Facto Clauses in your new contracts, you must be careful when issuing a termination notice to the other party, if the termination is passed on an insolvency-related trigger event.
In some circumstances, this may be viewed as a repudiation of the contract and the other party may be entitled to sue you for damages.
Before entering into a contract, you should also consider Ipso Facto Clauses at the beginning of each transaction you enter into and conduct adequate due diligence on any party to the transaction concerning its financial position, and ensure appropriate Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth) registrations are in place, if applicable.
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For more information about Ipso Facto Clauses, contact us at Bambrick Legal today. We offer a free, no-obligation 15-min consultation for all enquiries.
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