LAW & TAX Swiss Restructuring & Insolvency in a nutshell loyensloeff.com LAW & TAX Introduction Ever-changing market conditions require businesses to continuously monitor their earnings and liquidity situation as well as their debt structure. In addition, the overall economic situation remains uncertain and asks for continued operational flexibility and resilience. Thus, it is not surprising that companies need to rethink their organisational obligations in restructuring and insolvency situations.
In the second part of our coverage of the Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020 (the Act), we consider amendments made to certain insolvency provisions of the Companies Act 2014 (the 2014 Act). All of these measures apply for an "interim period", expiring on 31 December 2020 (unless extended by Government).
Dividends
On 21 July 2020 the Irish High Court approved a scheme of arrangement for the world's largest regional aircraft lessor Nordic Aviation Capital DAC (Nordic).
The scheme, which included a 12-month standstill and deferral of c. US$5 billion of secured and unsecured debt, was a market-first for the aircraft leasing industry and has been watched closely by others in the sector.
The Irish scheme had a number of innovative features:
On 21 July 2020, the Irish High Court approved a scheme of arrangement for the world’s largest regional aircraft lessor Nordic Aviation Capital DAC (NAC).
The scheme, which included a 12-month standstill and deferral of c. US$5bn of secured and unsecured debt, is a market-first for the aircraft leasing industry in Ireland whose customer base has been seriously impacted by COVID-19. We look at the NAC scheme of arrangement and consider whether it is a viable restructuring option for the aviation sector more generally.
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has published the general scheme of proposed legislation amending the Companies Act 2014.
Recent werden twee koninklijke besluiten (KB nr. 45 en nr. 46) gepubliceerd waarin enkele bijkomende steunmaatregelen voorzien worden in het kader van de COVID-19-uitbraak. Deze voorzien enerzijds de mogelijkheid voor de opname van voltijds corona-ouderschapsverlof en anderzijds enkele nuttige maatregelen tot herverdelen van de arbeid, waaronder het corona-tijdskrediet, voor ondernemingen in herstructurering of moeilijkheden.
Uitbreiding corona-ouderschapsverlof
On 17 April 2020 the Supreme Court handed down an important interim judgment concerning the pre-pack bankruptcy of Heiploeg. In this judgment, the Supreme Court holds that the rules on the Transfer of Undertakings (as explained further below) do not apply to a restart following bankruptcy. In addition, the Supreme Court holds that the rules on the Transfer of Undertakings do not always apply in the case of a restart that has been prepared by means of a pre-pack. The Supreme Court takes the view that in the pre-pack bankruptcy of Heiploeg these rules do not apply.
The restructuring & insolvency Q&A series provides a comprehensive overview of some of the key points of law and practice of the regulatory environment in Luxembourg. Today's chapter focuses on tips and traps.
What are your top tips for a smooth restructuring and what potential sticking points would you highlight?
Where Luxembourg holding or bond issuing companies are key to a distressed group, the following points are often misunderstood or considered too late, thus jeopardising a smooth restructuring;
On 19 June 2020, following the consultation, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the partial revision of the Swiss Federal Banking Act (Bundesgesetz über die Banken und Sparkassen, Bankengesetz). The legislative amendment intends to strengthen customer and depositor protection and promote system stability.
The partial revision focuses on three main areas: (i) the restructuring proceedings for banks, (ii) deposit insurances and (iii) intermediated securities.
Foreign bankruptcy and insolvency decrees generally remain without legal effect in Switzerland. A foreign bankruptcy or insolvency decree must first be recognized by the competent Swiss court. In a newly published decision, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court further clarified the recently revised provisions governing the recognition and the following procedure.
Introduction and background