Suchergebnisse für elektronische Rechnungslegung

Schutz der Kundenvermögen durch Segregation

Swiss financial market law contains various provisions that serve to protect client assets by means of segregation. With regard to the custody of intermediated securities, a revision entered into force on 1 January 2023: Art. 11a of the Federal Act on Intermediated Securities (FISA) now stipulates an obligation for custodians to hold their own securities and those of their account holders in…

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.

Die Governance von PostFinance – Zwischen Grundversorgungsauftrag, Systemrelevanz und Kreditverbot

This article deals with the governance of PostFinance, a financial institute held by the Swiss Post. PostFinance has on one hand a service obligation for basic payment transaction services. On the other hand, PostFinance is banned from the credit and mortgage business and has to operate on a restricted business model. On top, PostFinance is qualified as a systemically important financial…

Protokollierung von GV- und VR-Beschlüssen als Gültigkeitsform

The «new» corporation law provides for some new and overall numerous ways to conduct shareholders’ and board meetings. Irrespective of the way they are conducted there is a duty to minute the meetings. Contrary to the traditional opinion the minutes are a validity requirement. Not minuted shareholders’ and board resolutions are therefore not valid and null and void.

Aktienrechtsrevision und Handelsregister

The biggest change in registration is probably the move away from registration as an anti-proxy transaction by introducing various proxy options. With the revision of stock corporation law, the documentary evidence principle was retained in principle. Pursuant to Art. 937 of the Swiss Code of Obligations, the Commercial Registry Office must verify, both at the time of incorporation and in the…

Moderne Formen der Generalversammlung im revidierten Aktienrecht 2020

The revision in 2020 of the Swiss law on companies limited by shares (Aktiengesellschaft) as created the legal basis for modernizing the annual general meeting (AGM) of shareholders of limited companies, also making it more flexible. Today’s electronic means of communication have opened up new possibilities for how AGMs can be conducted. Especially in large corporations, but also in smaller…

CSR-Berichterstattung Ante Portas: Indirekter Gegenvorschlag zur Konzernverantwortungsinitiative

In a popular vote held in November 2020, the controversially debated «Swiss Responsible Business Initiative» was rejected. As a matter of constitutional procedure, the Parliament’s Counterproposal from 2019 will now automatically come into force. Unlike the Initiative, the Counterproposal refrains from introducing a foreign direct liability of Swiss businesses for infringing human rights or…

Das Kapitalband im neuen Aktienrecht

On June 19, 2020, the National Council and the Council of States adopted the revision of the Swiss law on companies limited by shares. This article deals with the capital band («Kapitalband») that introduces the possibility for shareholders to authorize the board of directors to increase and reduce the share capital without previous resolution by the general meeting. In line with an…

Praktische Problemfelder und Lösungsansätze in Bezug auf die «FinTech»-Bewilligungsvoraussetzungen von Art. 1b BankG

The piece at hand addresses in depth the FinTech license according to art. 1b of the Swiss Banking Act (BA) that is in force since January 1^st 2019. The FinTech license provides for a new category of a regulatory status for FinTech institutions that do not offer typical banking activities, but whose business touches certain elements of banking. It aims to foster innovation in the financial market…

Derivatgeschäfte: Anwendung der FinfraG-Regulierung auf Schweizer Handels- und Industrieunternehmen

The Swiss rules on the conduct in connection with derivative transactions and trading set out in the Federal Act on Financial Market Infrastructures and Market Conduct in Securities and Derivatives Trading (FMIA) and its implementing ordinances were enacted more than two years ago, subject to applicable phase-in periods. However, when it comes to their applicability to commercial and industrial…

Die Zukunft des digitalisierten Rechnungswesens

The digitization of economics does not only effect parts on an entity but the entire value chain, notably inclusive of the accounting department. Should we have to expect a revolution in such a way that millions of bookkeepers will be replaced by machines in the near-future? Or do these new technologies have the potential to automate routine tasks while supporting more complex, non-routine…

Die regulatorische Antwort auf FinTech: Evolution oder Revolution? Eine Verortung aktueller Entwicklungen

While technological improvements have shaped the financial industry and its regulation for decades, FinTech is the buzzword of the hour. Rapidly developing digital technologies allow new market entrants to disrupt the traditional intermediary-based provision of financial services (I.). These new businesses – in particular those that operate payment systems or engage in crowdfunding – may clash…

Vorschläge zur Aktienrechtsrevision

On November 23, 2016, the Federal Council published its proposal for a revised law on companies limited by shares. After the proposal was mainly well received it’s ready to take the next step: Since the Legal Affairs Committees decided to enter into the proposal the National Council will probably hold discussions 2017 (Winter Session). This year’s SZW Conference strongly focused on the proposal…

Fusions-, Spaltungs- und Vermögensübertragungsverträge aus Sicht der Gesellschaft und der Gesellschafter

The Federal Act on Merger, Demerger, Transformation and Transfer of Assets (Merger Act) contains the minimal contents of the merger agreement, the demerger agreement and the transfer of assets agreement («the reorganisation agreement»). In addition, the Merger Act regulates which bodies of the involved companies have to give their consent to the reorganisation agreement and in which form to…

Ermessen und Ermessenskontrolle in Revision und Revisionsaufsicht

Judgement is of vital importance in the world of accounting and auditing. With a view to auditing, judgement is the auditor’s leeway in decision-making conferred upon by regulation and standards formulated in an open way. But the exercise of judgement is not at the auditor’s exclusive discretion; it has to be exercised with professional due care, which is conditioned by the observance of the…

Kernfragen der Aktienrechtsrevision

On November 23, 2016, the Federal Council published its proposal for a revised law on companies limited by shares. This article deals with four key aspects of the proposed revision. First, it addresses the proposed amendments regar­ding the capital structure. The authors thereby focus on the rules for capital increases, decreases and the possibility to introduce a so called «capital band». Secon…

Corporate Governance auf der Blockchain

It is within the context of crypto-currencies that Blockchain first gained importance as a new technology. In the meantime, it has been recognized that this technology can also be used in the corporate environment. Such usage would have significant effects on corporate governance within companies (for example, in connection with the transparency of ownership, the handling of voting rights,…