While the number of corporate insolvencies in Germany has declined over the last couple of years, the general market perception is that the number of insolvencies may increase again in 2017. Also, as more larger companies are facing distressed situations, the overall value of distressed debt is therefore expected to rise as well.

The legal framework for restructuring & insolvency in Germany will also change in 2017, not only based on domestic legislation, but also because of developments on the EU level.

German insolvency law contains provisions that allow for the challenge of payments/securitisation of certain shareholder loans in insolvency proceedings. The reason for this is that under German insolvency law, a loan repayment claim of a shareholder against ‘his’ corporation is subordinated by law (sec. 39 para. 1 no. 5 German Insolvency Code).

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the council on preventive restructuring frameworks, second chance and measures to increase the efficiency of restructuring, insolvency and discharge procedures and amending Directive 2012/30/EU

1

Inhalt

I. Brexit what does it involve and when could it happen?............................................................ 3

II. Legal areas affected................................................................................................................... 5

1. Choice of law clauses in existing legal relationships and the law applicable to non-contractual

obligations........................................................................................................................... 5

Cross-border insolvency proceedings involving the UK

The question of which law is applicable to cross-border insolvency proceedings within the EU and which court has jurisdiction over the opening, monitoring or conducting of the insolvency proceedings, is regulated by Council Regulation (EC) No. 1346/2000 on Insolvency Proceedings (Insolvency Regulation) that is directly applicable in all EU member states, with the exception of Denmark.

Der britische Wähler hat gesprochen und sich mit knapper Mehrheit für den Austritt des Vereinigten Königreichs aus dem „Projekt Europa“ entschieden.

Obwohl noch nicht feststeht, wann die Briten Artikel 50 des EU-Vertrags aktivieren werden, lohnt es sich bereits jetzt, über die rechtlichen Konsequenzen eines Austritts nachzudenken. Denn sollte es hierzu kommen, bleibt dieser – gerade im sensitiven Bereich des grenzüberschreitenden Rechtsverkehrs - nicht folgenlos:

1.Mögliche Unwirksamkeit von Gerichtsstandsvereinbarungen zugunsten britischer Gerichte

Mit seinem Urteil vom 10. Dezember 2015, Az. C-594 / 14, hat der EuGH entschieden, dass die Haftung eines Geschäftsführers für verbotene Aus- zahlungen nach Insolvenzreife nach §64 GmbHG eine insolvenzrechtliche Regelung darstellt und deshalb dem Anwendungsbereich der EuInsVO unterliegt.

In its ruling dated 10 December 2015, case ref. C-594 / 14, the ECJ decided that the liability of a managing director for prohibited payments following insolvency under section 64 of the GmbHG is a provision covered by insolvency law and therefore falls within the scope of application of the EU Insolvency Regulation.

The statistics show that over 10,000 English limited companies operate in Germany. The company is registered in the Companies Register in the UK, but has a branch active in Germany, which is registered in German Company registries. On 10 December 2015 the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) decided on the question whether the liability of the director of English registered Kornhaas Montage und Dienstleistung Ltd (‘KMD’), which was subjected to German insolvency proceedings, should be determined by English law or by German law.

The European Court of Justice has held that a director of an English company can be liable for breach of German company law where insolvency proceedings are opened in Germany.