La pandemia del COVID-19 ha tenido un impacto enorme en el mundo empresarial.
El sector de la hostelería se ha visto especialmente afectado, y hasta un tercio de las empresas de este sector se considera insolvente. Muchas de estas empresas entrarán en concurso de acreedores porque irán a la quiebra o “go bankrupt” y se declararán en quiebra o, en inglés, “file for bankruptcy”. Necesitarán asesoramiento jurídico y la ayuda de un “insolvency practitioner” (administrador concursal). Un administrador concursal asesora a las entidades insolventes sobre cómo hacer frente a sus dificultades financieras.
Veamos una conversación entre el director de una empresa hotelera en Reino Unido, Peter Emery, que llama a su abogado en España, Fernando Pascual, para hablar sobre la posibilidad de declararse en concurso de acreedores.
Fernando: Hola, Pascual y Vega.
Peter: Hello Fernando, it’s Peter Emery, from Emery Hotels. How are you?
Fernando: Hello Peter, I’m well. I was just reading your email.
Peter: Yes, as I said in my email, I have bad news. I’m afraid the economic situation has forced us to change our plans. We have decided to wind up our business in Spain. I wanted to talk to you about the insolvency process. What are the steps to follow if we want to file for bankruptcy for my company?
Fernando: I’m very sorry to hear about your situation. Let me explain a little, the first step is to carry out Due Diligence, that way we can assess the situation in which the company is in. The administrative body will have to convene to carry out the bankruptcy request.
Peter: What exactly are our responsibilities, as the heads of the company?
Fernando: The company’s heads must request the bankruptcy within a period of two months from the moment you realize that insolvency is necessary. After everything is determined, an insolvency practitioner is appointed.
Peter: What exactly is the role of the insolvency practitioner?
Fernando: They are the specialist appointed by the Judge to advise the insolvent company, or to liquidate the company when necessary. Once the process begins, they will sort out the details and deal with most of the process.
Peter: How will the liquidation work?
Fernando: Once the bankruptcy has been formalized, the liquidation comes into play, that is, the assets will be liquidated, in order to be able to take care of the debts with the creditors. We’ll need to look at your agreements with the banks and other creditors.
Peter: What happens with the liens?
Fernando: These cease to have effect during the bankruptcy process, with the exception of those established by the administration or by the workers prior to the declaration of the bankruptcy and against the assets that had been seized prior to it.
Peter: Ok, thank you Fernando for the explanation. Could you email me a list of everything you need, and we can get operations wound up soon.
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Observamos varios phrasal verbs en la conversación:
| Verbo | Definición |
| to wind (sth) up | concluir algo / dar por terminado a algo |
| to sort out | poner en orden / preparar / planear |
| to deal with | lidiar con / resolver / tratar |
La última pregunta del cliente está relacionada con los «liens«, que son gravámenes o derechos de retención o, en algunos casos, tipos de embargos. En la parte 2 de este artículo, los veremos con más detalle.
