UTTAM HATHI (Mr)
Practising Partner
BSc, PGDMMT., LL.B., LL.M
Advocate Bombay High Court
E : uttam@bruschambers.com
T : +91-22-67470228
M : +91-97-57282670
OFFICE : Mumbai, INDIA
PRACTISING SINCE 1992
EXPERTISE
+ Insolvency
+ Restructuring
+ NCLT & NCLAT Litigation
+ Corporate & Commercial
+ Banking & Finance
Restructuring and Insolvency at Brus Chambers is headed by Uttam Hathi and the team have a reputation of getting to the root of the most complex issues, focusing on strategy, structuring and minimising execution risk. Our focused strategy of developing our restructuring practice has given us the opportunity to work on some of the simple to most complex transactions in India and being recognised as fast growing leader in this practice.
We have a dedicated restructuring practice within corporate and have been involved in various high value and complex corporate and debt restructurings. We leverage our experience across practice areas, and are able to quickly identify key issues arising in restructurings across sectors and provide solutions addressing concerns of all interested parties.
Our dedicated team of lawyers has significant experience in restructuring, having had the opportunity to work on many challenging transactions in India. Our early cautionary advice has helped maximize results for various creditors and shareholders and has in the process, established our law firm as a trustworthy partner to its clients. Our detailed and comprehensive solutions address a wide range of issues that are faced during restructuring by under-performing or distressed companies in the private and public sector.
We leverage our capabilities in our dispute resolution, finance and corporate practices to deliver comprehensive and seamless legal services to our clients. We are recognized by our clients for being thorough in our approach to investigations and pragmatic in our strategy towards litigation and asset recovery. Our advice includes not only formal restructuring under statutes and regulations but also informal restructuring driven by lenders. Our clients include investors, lenders, banks as well as corporate directors and trustees.
Our Restructuring & Insolvency practice includes Formal Restructuring; Advice and assistance in implementing restructuring through the formal court or tribunal process, including the formulation of strategies in line with the prevalent legal, regulatory and policy framework, preparation of schemes, and legal representation in courts and tribunals; Advice on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 including the restructuring and insolvency process contemplated therein; Advice in structuring and the legal and regulatory options and potential benefits of restructuring; Advice and assistance in drafting, negotiating and finalizing relevant transaction documents, including applications, petitions and resolutions; Informal Restructuring; Advice on informal restructuring driven by lenders under the regulatory framework of the Reserve Bank of India, including Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR), Joint Lenders Forum (JLF), Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR), Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Assets (S4A) etc; Drafting, negotiating and finalizing restructuring plans and transaction documents, including Master Restructuring Agreements, Debtor Creditor Agreements and Inter-Creditor Agreements; Exit Strategy; Advice and assistance in structuring and implementing an exit strategy for investors from stressed assets, including under a strategic sale, demerger, slump sale and auction; Structuring a divestment and exit strategy; Drafting, negotiating and finalizing relevant transaction documents; Advice to Directors and Key Managerial Personnel; Advice and assistance to directors and key managerial personnel on their liabilities and obligations arising out of a restructuring and formal and informal insolvency processes; Enforcement of Security; Advice and assistance in enforcing and implementing security mechanisms available to lenders under the legal, regulatory and policy framework, including the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993, the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016; Strategy and advice on various modes of security enforcement, including enforcement action(s) as per the requirements of the client; Liquidation; Advice and assistance in the liquidation process available to debtors under the legal, regulatory and policy framework, including the Companies Act, 2013 and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016; Dispute Resolution; Representing clients before various courts, tribunals and judicial and quasi-judicial authorities; Advice and assistance in formulating and structuring strategies for litigation and dispute resolution; Advice and assistance in strategizing, drafting, negotiating and finalizing documents for litigations and dispute resolutions, including applications, petitions, settlements and compromises.
Our team also provides legal advice on issues relating to Banking & Finance, Corporate & Commercial, Employment, Infrastructure & Project Finance, Litigation & Arbitration, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate, Shipping, Tax and Transaction Support.
Uttam Hathi specialises in Insolvency within Corporate which includes litigation before the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) and NCLAT (National Company Appellate Tribunal); corporate, commercial; property matters representing the builders/ developers also specialising on RERA; intellectual property; banking and finance.
Uttam Hathi analysis the dispute proceedings and identifies the strong and the weak points within the dispute before the NCLT; entire gamut of corporate and commercial. .
Dispute under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code - The Supreme Court of India
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (the I&B Code) provides for insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals. Under the I&B Code, an application for the commencement of insolvency resolution process by an operational creditor can be rejected on a mere ground that a notice of dispute has been received by the operational creditor from the corporate debtor.
The term dispute under the I&B Code has been contentious since its inception, with considerable deliberations on decoding the meaning of the same by various benches of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Ultimately, the Supreme Court on 21 September 2017 delivered a noteworthy judgment in the matter of Mobilox Innovations Private Limited v. Kirusa Software Private Limited, which is believed to have cleared the cobwebs from the interpretation of the I&B Code in relation to the treatment of operational debts. The main issue before the Supreme Court in the matter related to the interpretation of the words dispute and existence appearing under section 5(6) of the I&B Code.
Brief History of the Case
Kirusa filed a petition in the NCLT, Mumbai against Mobilox for commencement of insolvency resolution process of Mobilox. The NCLT, Mumbai on 27 January 2017 dismissed the application on the ground that section 9(5)(ii) of the I&B Code as it reads, inter alia, requires the adjudicating authority (being the NCLT) to reject an application by an operational creditor (Kirusa) on the mere ground that a notice of dispute was sent by Mobilox upon receipt of the demand notice from Kirusa. The NCLT further held that the adjudicating authority has no option but to dismiss the application if a notice of dispute was received by the operational creditor and the NCLT has no discretion under I&B Code to consider whether the corporate debtor has raised a genuine dispute.
Kirusa filed an appeal, and by judgment dated 24 May 2017 the NCLAT held that the meaning of dispute and existence of dispute under sections 5(6), 8 and 9 of the I&B Code are relatable to the three conditions set out in section 5(6) of the I&B Code, i.e., the dispute including suit or arbitration should relate to the (a) existence of amount of debt, (b) quality of goods or service, or (c) breach of representation or warranty. Further, the NCLAT held that dispute occurring in Part II of the I&B Code is an inclusive definition and not exhaustive. The NCLAT further held the adjudicating authority is to consider the dispute and, if it is not a bona fide dispute, ought to proceed with the process of liquidation. Further, on the facts of the case, the NCLAT held that the dispute raised by Mobilox is not a bona fide dispute and remanded the application to the NCLT, Mumbai for consideration of the application of Kirusa, if the application is complete in all respects.
Mobilox had filed a statutory appeal under the I&B Code before the Supreme Court of India and the appeal was taken up for hearing before a bench of R.F. Nariman, J. and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, J. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal of the corporate debtor and set aside the order of the NCLAT. The Supreme Court felt that the law in relation to I&B Code has to be settled as the issue may occur repeatedly.
Judgment of the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court compared the current provisions of the I&B Code with the laws of the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia to adduce the true intent of the legislature regarding the use of the term dispute in the I&B Code.
Meaning of dispute under the I&B Code
The Supreme Court examined the evolution of the language of the definition of dispute as contained in the draft of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code submitted by the Bankruptcy Law Reform Committee in November 2015 (the BLRC Draft). The BLRC Draft defines dispute as follows:
dispute means a bona fide suit or arbitration proceeding regarding (a) the existence or the amount of a debt; (b) the quality of a good or service; or (c) the breach of a representation or warranty
Under the BLRC Draft, dispute was limited to mean a proceeding of bona fide suit or arbitration which related to the existence or amount of debt, quality of goods supplied or services provided, or the breach of representation or warranty in connection to the above. However, the words means and bona fide did not find any mention in the definition of dispute at the time of promulgation of the I&B Code. The current definition of dispute is inclusive and does not limit itself to suit or arbitration alone. The intention of the legislature, as illustrated by the paradigm shift from the recommendation of the BCLR Draft, was to include all kinds of pre-existing disputes in relation to the debt and default. Importantly, it is to be noted that such a dispute should be pre-existing or pending prior to issue of the notice of demand by the operational creditor under section 8 of the I&B Code. Therefore, the Supreme Court held the definition of dispute to be inclusive and not an exhaustive one.
Emphasising the importance of the term existence occurring before the word dispute under sections 8(2)(a) and 9(5)(ii)(d) of the I&B Code, the Supreme Court laid down a checklist for the adjudicating authority to consider admission or rejection of application under section 9 of the I&B Code for initiation of the insolvency resolution process. The Court stated that if any one of the following conditions is lacking, the application would have to be rejected:
(i) Whether there is an operational debt as defined exceeding Rs.1 lakh? (See Section 4 of the Act)
(ii) Whether the documentary evidence furnished with the application shows that the aforesaid debt is due and payable and has not yet been paid? and
(iii) Whether there is existence of a dispute between the parties or the record of the pendency of a suit or arbitration proceeding filed before the receipt of the demand notice of the unpaid operational debt in relation to such dispute?
Disjunctive reading of the terms existence of dispute, record of the pendency of the suit or arbitration proceedings
The Supreme Court, in light of the meaning of the term dispute and the intention of the legislature, observed that under section 8(2) of the I&B Code the corporate debtor can bring to the notice of the operational creditor the existence of a dispute or the record of the pendency of a suit or arbitration proceedings. Thus, it went on to say that the word and in section 8(2) of the Code is to be read as an or, i.e., disjunctively. The Court observed: if read as and, disputes would only stave off the bankruptcy process if they are already pending in a suit or arbitration proceedings and not otherwise. This would lead to great hardship; in that a dispute may arise a few days before triggering of the insolvency process, in which case, though a dispute may exist, there is no time to approach either an arbitral tribunal or a court.
A Bona Fide Dispute
Furthermore, in relation to the determination of a dispute as bona fide or not, the Supreme Court, after taking into consideration the erstwhile insolvency regime under the Companies Act, 1956 and the intention of the legislature while drafting of the I&B Code, held that the import of the expression bona fide into section 8(2)(a) of the I&B Code to judge whether a dispute exists or not does not hold ground.
The Supreme Court, taking note of the legislative history of I&B Code, held that for the purpose of I&B Code the dispute need not be a bona fide dispute. therefore the principles laid down in Madhusudan Gordhandas v. Madhu Woollen Industries Pvt. Ltd [(1972) 2 SCR 201] are inapplicable to the I&B Code.
Dispute - Real v. Illusory
Contrasting the old regime with the present one, the Supreme Court has held that the adjudicating authority is required to go into whether a dispute does or does not exist. Additionally, the Supreme Court also dealt with the meaning of the term existence occurring before the word dispute under sections 8(2)(a) and 9(5)(ii)(d) of the I&B Code. The Court also relied on the dictionary meaning of existence meaning reality as opposed to appearance
In this regard, the Supreme Court relied on insolvency laws of the UK and Australia to arrive at a coherent conclusion that complements the current insolvency and bankruptcy regime in India. The Supreme Court, therefore, held that a notice of dispute under sections 8 and 9 of the I&B Code must bring to the notice of the operational creditor the existence of a dispute or the fact that a suit or arbitration relating to a dispute is pending between parties. The main points regarding the test of existence of dispute to be kept in mind by the adjudicating authority while admitting or rejecting an application under Section 9 of the I&B Code, as laid down by the Supreme Court, are as follows:
i. the adjudicating authority is only required to see whether there is a plausible contention which requires further investigation;
ii. the adjudicating authority is only required to see that a dispute truly exists in fact and is not spurious, hypothetical, illusory, mere bluster, plainly frivolous or vexatious;
iii. the adjudicating authority is not required to be satisfied that the defence is likely to succeed or not;
iv. the adjudicating authority is not required to examine the merits of the dispute except to the extent of it being patently feeble legal argument or an assertion of fact unsupported by evidence.
The Supreme Court observed that a dispute raised by the corporate debtor should be in existence, i.e., real as opposed to frivolous and/or illusory.
The Court compared the current provisions of the I&B Code with the laws of UK and Australia to adduce the true intent of the legislature regarding the use of the term dispute in the I&B Code.
Timelines under the I&B Code - Mandatory v. Directory
The Supreme Court held that the timelines fixed under the I&B Code were inherent to the scheme of the legislation and are imperative to its effectiveness. The Court yet again examined the legislative chain of events leading up to enactment of the I&B Code. It pointed out that the timelines mentioned in Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill as introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2015 underwent many changes before the final I&B Code came into existence. The Court emphasized that this change clearly reflects the intention of the legislature.
The Supreme Court, similar to its judgment delivered in Innoventive Industries Ltd. v. ICICI Bank & Anr, has clearly laid down that strict adherence of the timelines is of essence to both the triggering process and the insolvency resolution itself. It also stated that one of the principal reasons why the I&B Code was enacted was because liquidation proceedings went on interminably, thereby damaging the interests of all stakeholders, except a recalcitrant management which would continue to hold on to the company without paying its debts. Therefore, Court directed both the NCLT and the NCLAT to keep in mind this principal objective sought to be achieved by the I&B Code and to strictly adhere to the time frame within which they are to decide matters thereunder.
'Uttam Hathi, advising on entire gamut of law without a flaw to the property industry in India'
- PROPERTY WATCH, Dubai
'Uttam Hathi is a good strategist before the NCLT'
- Durga Engineering
Uttam Hathi is a practical person with analytical mind for real estate legal work'
- Projects Monitor
'Uttam Hathi has solid understanding on enforcement of foreign judgment decree'
- Carrozzeria Boneschi.