German insolvency laws are very strict. The management of an insolvent company is under strict obligations to file for insolvency, and failure to comply with such obligation may result in civil and criminal liability. Other stakeholders, like financing banks or suppliers, who are dealing with a distressed company, require documentation that their contract partner can be restructured, in order to avoid potential liability and claw back risk in case of a future insolvency.
Summary
In May 2017, the German Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof), Az. XI ZR 571/15, has given its views for the first time on bridging loans (Überbrückungskredite) and their validity in a restructuring scenario.
Beseitigung eines steuerlichen Liquidationshindernisses durch die Verfügung der OFD Frankfurt a.M. vom 30. Juni 2017?!
Air Berlin, one of Europe’s largest airlines, filed for insolvency on 15 August 2017. The airline, which is Germany’s second-largest carrier after Lufthansa, filed following the decision by Etihad Airways to pull financial support. Etihad owns 29% of Air Berlin and had been pumping money into the struggling airline for the past 6 years.
In der Insolvenz eines Unternehmens sehen sich auch dessen Arbeitnehmer Anfechtungsklagen des Insolvenzverwalters ausgesetzt. Ist die Anfechtungsklage erfolgreich, muss der Arbeitnehmer regelmäßig den Arbeitslohn der letzten drei Monate vor Antrag auf Eröffnung des Insolvenzverfahrens an die Insolvenzmasse zurückzahlen.
In the context of German restructuring, bridge loans (Überbrückungskredite) are loans that are granted to financially distressed companies until a restructuring plan is formulated in order to avoid the company’s insolvency. In most cases, such loans are granted for a limited timeframe. After the restructuring plan has been finalized, renegotiations are usually required, in particular between the company, the lender and the company’s other creditors.
Masseunzulänglichkeit führt zu erneuter Zäsur: Privilegierung als Neumasseverbindlichkeit gilt nur für anteiligen Zeitraum ab Masseunzulänglichkeit
Consensual restructuring continues to gain ground as the “go to process” for over leveraged and distressed business.
When the reforms come into force, they will supplement and complement the Recast European Union Insolvency Regulation that became effective on June 26, 2017.
