The securities safe harbor protection of Bankruptcy Code (“Code”) § 546(e) does not protect allegedly fraudulent “transfers in which financial institutions served as mere conduits,” held the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 27, 2018. Merit Management Group LP v. FTI Consulting Inc., 2018 WL 1054879, *7 (2018). Affirming the Seventh Circuit’s reinstatement of the bankruptcy trustee’s complaint alleging the insolvent debtor’s overpayment for a stock interest, the Court found the payment not covered by §546(e) and thus recoverable. The district court had dismissed the trustee’s claim.

Generally, financial services firms in Germany (Finanzdienstleistungsinstitute) are mandatory members of a protection scheme (Entschädigungseinrichtung der Wertpapierhandelsunternehmen - EdW). Members of this protection scheme are obliged to make regular financial contributions.

In 2005 Phoenix Kapitaldienst GmbH became insolvent and the EdW is due to pay out to Phoenix investors compensation which totals more than 100 million Euros. However, the EdW has insufficient funds to cover the entire amount due.