The tax treatment of financial restructuring measures can significantly impact a company’s financial position.
Introductory remarks
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is currently causing concern and uncertainty and poses challenges to companies and individuals alike. A number of legal issues are also emerging, whether in relation to contractual obligations, labour law matters or corporate law aspects. This article aims to highlight the most important points from a Swiss law perspective and to clarify legal issues in the elaboration of possible courses of action.
1. Commercial contracts
1.1 Force majeure
Um was geht es?
Dieser Artikel beschreibt in Kürze das freiwillige Liquidationsverfahren einer Gesellschaft aufgrund eines Sonderbeschlusses seiner Aktionäre.
Was muss ich tun?
Beschlussfassung der Gesellschafter
As Switzerland maintains a quite strict legal regime governing the director’s liability, it is immanent for each person holding a board function to know the rules and risks as well the legal consequences in this respect. During the last couple of years Switzerland has introduced various new rules influencing the director’s liability (new transparency rules for management compensations in listed companies, a comprehensive revision of the audit legislation and new statutory rules governing financial accounting), which are mainly applicable for listed companies.
Kommt ein Schuldner seinen Verpflichtungen nicht nach, so muss der Gläubiger ein Zwangsvollstreckungsverfahren in die Wege leiten. Dies geschieht in der Regel mit der Einreichung eines Betreibungsbegehrens beim zuständigen Betreibungs- und Konkursamt. Obschon das Stellen eines Betreibungsbegehrens trivial erscheint, führt dies in der Praxis immer wieder zu Rechtsstreitigkeiten, im Rahmen welcher ein - gestützt auf ein fehlerhaft formuliertes Betreibungsbegehren erlassener - Zahlungsbefehl aufgehoben oder gar dessen Nichtigkeit festgestellt wird.
The general view in Switzerland is that cryptocurrencies are intangible assets sui generis and as such can be subject to regular debt enforcement and insolvency proceedings in Switzerland (provided that these cryptocurrencies have a financial value).
This article highlights the particularities to be considered when cryptocurrencies are the target of an attachment procedure (ie, a freezing order) in Switzerland.
Attachment
The following must be established to obtain an attachment in Switzerland:
On 8 March 2019 the consultation on the partial revision of the banking act was initiated by the Federal Council. The amendments have an impact on bank restructurings, deposit insurance and intermediated securities. The consultation period will close on 14 June 2019.
Insolvency and restructuring measures
On March 8, 2019, the Swiss Federal Council instructed the Federal Department of Finance to initiate the consultation process on proposed amendments to the Banking Act.
The proposed amendments aim at increasing the effectiveness, and legal basis, of certain bank resolution measures and related topics.
Interested parties can comment on the draft proposal until June 14, 2019.
Restructuring procedure for banks