1. Background and Overview

As described in our Client Alert "The new German business stabilization and restructuring regime ("German Scheme")" dated 12 October 2020, the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection had presented a draft bill (the "Original Bill") to introduce a new business stabilization and restructuring framework - the new "German Scheme" - into German law.

Die für Geschäftspartner (Gläubiger) eines bankrotten Kaufmanns oder Unternehmens (Schuldner) bereits an sich schlechte Situation wird durch das Recht des Insolvenzverwalters zur Insolvenzanfechtung nach §§ 129 ff InsO vielfach erst richtig ärgerlich. Insolvenzanfechtung bedeutet, dass derjenige, der vorinsolvenzlich noch Leistungen oder auch nur Sicherheiten vom Schuldner erhalten hat, gezwungen sein kann, diese zur Befriedigung der Gläubigergesamtheit wieder herausgeben zu müssen.

Wenn Insolvenz droht

Government draft of law implements EU Restructuring Framework, and introduces new restructuring instruments.

COVID-19 and real estate: Germany’s economic situation and the legal framework from a real estate and restructuring perspective.

Auswirkungen für Vermieter und Verpächter

In Germany, the duty to file for insolvency if there is illiquidity (Zahlungsunfähigkeit) and/or over-indebtedness (Überschuldung) was suspended under certain circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of September 2020.

The German Federal Government has passed a limited extension of the suspension period regarding over-indebtedness. We summarise the new legislation and outline the key takeaway for your business below.

What does the new legislation say?

The German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection has recently presented the longawaited draft bill to introduce a new pre-insolvency business stabilization and restructuring regime into German law.1 The availability of this ground-breaking new "German Scheme" will significantly change the German restructuring landscape and elevate it to an internationally competitive level.

In a recent decision, the German Federal Supreme Court addressed the applicability of the Business Judgement Rule to insolvency administrators in Germany and rejected the applicability of the rule in the specific case that was argued before it.

Last month, the German Federal Ministry of Justice published draft legislation that could fundamentally change the restructuring landscape in Germany.

An essential part of the law is the introduction of a corporate stabilisation and restructuring regime, which establishes a comprehensive legal framework for non-consensual out-of-court restructurings in Germany on the basis of the EU's 2019 restructuring directive.

Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection submits draft bill on preventive restructuring