In a recent decision, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has clarified equitable subordination risks in connection with shareholder loans. The key takeaways are as follows:

On 28 June 2021, the Minister of Justice presented a draft temporary bill on transparency of expedited liquidations (de tijdelijke wet transparantie turboliquidatie). As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister expects that there will be an increase in the number of businesses that will need to be liquidated. Under Dutch law, the most efficient way to do this is through expedited liquidation (turboliquidatie). However, as the expedited liquidation barely provides for safeguards to creditors, it is often considered a mechanism that is open for abuse.

As mentioned in our earlier blog, the Dutch legislator has prepared a bill – the Act on confirmation of private restructuring plans (Wet homologatie onderhands akkoord) – which introduces a framework allowing debtors to restructure their debts outside formal insolvency proceedings (the “Dutch Scheme“).

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