Résultats de recherche pour Governance

Ein Jahr nach der Aktienrechtsrevision

The revised Swiss corporate law came into force on 1 January 2023 and led to major changes covering all sorts of corporate aspects (from capital increases over general meetings of shareholders to financial distress). Many of those aspects must first be put into practice to see how and whether they work as intended by the legislator. This article sheds light mainly on the first season of general…

The double holding foundation model

The double holding foundation model is crucial in laying the groundwork for a sustainable steward-owned business. However, on its own, it is not entirely adequate and needs to be supplemented by diverse shares classes and governance control mechanisms. This entails integrating tailored provisions into the articles of association for both the company and its holding foundation(s), as well as…

Die Meldepflicht nach Art. 29 Abs. 2 FINMAG

This article examines the reporting obligation under article 29 para. 2 of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority Act (FINMASA). The contribution discusses the scope and limits of this reporting obligation, and includes relevant aspects of criminal and data protection law. The authors analyse materials, literature, FINMA practice and apply their experience as practicing attorneys to sharpen…

Klassiker der Banken-AGB: Vertragsänderungsvorbehalts- und Retrozessionsverzichtsklauseln

Zu diesem Beitrag Anlass gab ein Urteil des Handelsgerichts Zürich¹ («referierter Entscheid»), welches verschiedene höchstgerichtlich bis anhin nicht geklärte Fragen im Zusammenhang mit einseitigen Vertragsänderungsvorbehalten und dem Verzicht auf die Herausgabe von Retrozessionen erörtert. Interessant ist das Urteil insbesondere deshalb, weil es sich mit diesen Fragen hauptsächlich im Rahmen…

FIDLEG-Verhaltenspflichten: Umsetzungsfragen und Weiterentwicklung nach der initialen Umsetzungsphase

Since the transitional period of the Financial Services Act (FinSA) expired on 31 December 2021, financial service providers have gained more than two years of experience with the new, cross-sectoral regulation. In practice, as well as through the first audits that have now taken place, it has become clear that many fundamental (interpretation) questions relating to the conduct duties of the…

Finanzmarktenforcement und Kommunikation: Zum Kommuni­kationsverhalten der FINMA hinsichtlich einzelner Enforcementverfahren

In the spring of 2023, the Swiss financial market saw the state-backed takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, sparking global interest and retrospective scrutiny. The SNB, EFD and FINMA all faced criticism, but financial regulator FINMA in particular was condemned for perceived ineffectiveness and poor communication. Calls for legal reform aim to enhance FINMA’s ability to communicate enforcement…

Einberufung einer Generalversammlung

Die A AG (Gesuchgegnerin und Beschwerdeführerin) wurde im Jahr 2016 gegründet. Ihr Verwaltungsrat setzt sich aus C, Präsident, und D zusammen. C hält rund 70% der Namenaktien der A AG. Die restlichen…

Are Credit Institutions in the Banking Union (BU) Resolvable?

This study discusses whether credit institutions established in the Member States participating in the (European) Banking Union (BU) are resolvable. It is structured in five Sections: Section I provides an overview of the legislative acts which constitute the “EU banking resolution framework” (including the rules on credit institutions’ loss absorption and recapitalisation capacity), as these…

Bonus als Risiko – Zur Regulierung der variablen Vergütung von Bankorganen

The experience with the Credit Suisse crisis of confidence has once again shown that compensation systems are of considerable importance for the risk management of financial institutions. Inappropriate risks and wrong incentives can endanger the substance and profitability of a bank and thus its stability. This article focuses on the regulation of variable compensation of bank boards and analyzes…

Bail-in-Bonds

Following the financial crisis of 2007/08, the bail-in has established itself as the preferred resolution strategy for large banks throughout Switzerland and internationally. According to the concept, it is not the bank’s owners or the state that are to finance a resolution but the bank’s creditors. This is to be achieved by converting a certain type of debt called «bail-in-bonds» into equity…

Verfügt die FINMA über genügend wirksame und scharfe Instrumente gegen (höchste) Bankmanager?

In March 2023, Crédit Suisse (CS) had to be taken over by UBS. It was the first global systemically important bank to face imminent resolution since the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Unlike UBS in 2008, CS remained well capitalized until the end. But clients had lost confidence in the bank’s management. This led to a bank run and thus to the bank’s demise. The ongoing crisis of specialist and…

Finanzmarktaufsicht zwischen Macht und Ohnmacht

FINMA has been under constant criticism since its inception; the disappearance of Credit Suisse has only added fuel to the fire. The case of FINMA’s attempted enforcement of a capital surcharge –…

Die Registrierungsvereinbarung – insbesondere bei tokenisierten Forderungsrechten

The registration agreement links a certain right to a token or other informational unit on a distributed ledger. In doing so, the issuer creates a ledger-based security, which is an instrument of public faith equivalent to a bearer or «ordre» security and features scriptural legality. The article examines the function and securities law context of the registration agreement, including…

The New EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation and its Implications for Switzerland

The EU has adopted a new unilateral instrument to control subsidies granted by non-EU countries, such as Switzerland, to companies operating in the EU. This subsidy control combines antitrust, state aid and trade rules, but applies directly to companies rather than to foreign states or granting authorities. Companies with some activities in the EU fall within the scope of this foreign subsidy…

Das Finanzmarktaufsichtsrecht vom vierten Quartal 2022 bis ins vierte Quartal 2023

Ob gross oder klein, vor den Marktkräften sind sie alle gleich! Auch die ganz Grossen – «global systemically important financial institutions» (G-SIFIs)¹ – können straucheln, mit viel Getöse,…

Editorial

Die Revision des Aktienrechts ist auf den 1. Januar 2023 in Kraft getreten. Im vorliegenden Heft werden verschiedene Kernthemen der Revision aufgegriffen, so etwa die statutarischen Schiedsklauseln,…

Informationskonzept im neuen Aktienrecht

The information asymmetry between shareholders and managers calls for the implementation of an efficient information concept within stock corporations. In the course of the Swiss Stock Corporation Reform of 2020, the former information concept was partially revised. This article takes a critical look at the revised provisions and puts them in context.

Neuausrichtung des «Swiss Code of Best Practice for Corporate Governance» auf den Wandel der Zeit

The «Swiss Code of Best Practice for Corporate Governance», which was first published in 2002 and has since been revised several times, has become the most important guideline for good corporate governance in Switzerland and is widely accepted because it shows practical solutions based on expertise and experience. It compensates for its non-binding nature and lack of legal legitimacy, so to speak…

Konzernorganisationsrecht heute

The Swiss law of groups of companies is characterized by a scarcity of statutory rules, judicial pragmatism, and a flexible application of the rules by companies. Unusually, the density of statutory rules in this domain has decreased in recent years. In this article, the author summarizes the current status of the organizational law of groups of companies and takes a closer look at selected…

Das Kapitalband

The revision of the Swiss law on companies limited by shares, which came into force on January 1, 2023, introduced the capital band («Kapitalband»). This new legal institution leads to more flexibility for the companies with regard to equity financing by giving the shareholders the possibility to authorize the board of directors to increase and decrease the share capital without a prior…

Les enjeux de la CSRD pour les entreprises suisses

The CSRD, which substantially expands the scope of companies forced to publish sustainability-related data, has a direct and indirect extraterritorial effect on Swiss companies. Size is not the only relevant criterion. Engaging with the EU market or with European companies can have (unexpected) implications. This worldwide impact is coupled with comprehensive and granular disclosures covering a…

Sustainable Purpose-Driven Enterprises

Social enterprises (in a broad sense), including those launched by social (or sustainable) entrepreneurs (or Sustainable Purpose-Driven Entities) are important players to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Developing a legal framework that allows them to prosper has been a priority of the European Commission since 2010. These entities have recently been endorsed by the United…

Wirksame Krisenverhinderung? Das UK Senior Managers Regime und der Archegos-Skandal

The Archegos scandal, which resulted in Credit Suisse incurring losses exceeding CHF 5 billion, stands out as one of the most significant of the many scandals linked to the bank in recent years. It shines a light on financial sector misconduct and underscores the need for stronger individual accountability. Many of the weaknesses in the corporate governance system of the bank which lead up to…

The Normative Effects of ESG Expectations on Companies and their Directors

Most companies face a growing number of environmental, social and governance (ESG) expectations arising not only from their shareholders, but also from a wide array of stakeholders such as clients, investors, States, financial institutions and not-for-profit organisations. Even though a significant number of these expectations are not imposed by hard or soft law, they cannot be disregarded in…

Börsenrechtliche Meldepflicht nach Art. 120 FinfraG bei kollektiven Kapitalanlagen

Die Gesellschaft A. (Gesuchstellerin, Beschwerdeführerin 1) mit Sitz in den USA und ihre Tochtergesellschaften sind in der Vermögensverwaltung sowie in der Schaffung und im Vertrieb von kollektiven…