Suchergebnisse für Informationspflichten

Berücksichtigung von ESG-Präferenzen im Finanzdienstleistungs­geschäft

On 1 January 2023, the Swiss Bankers Association’s «Guidelines for the financial service providers on the integration of ESG-preferences and ESG-risks into investment advice and portfolio management» entered into force. This marks the first binding Swiss (self-)regulation on Sustainable Finance at the point of sale. One of the key amendments includes the financial service providers’ duty to…

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…

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…

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.

Berücksichtigung von ESG-Präferenzen im Finanzdienstleistungs­geschäft

On 1 January 2023, the Swiss Bankers Association’s «Guidelines for the financial service providers on the integration of ESG-preferences and ESG-risks into investment advice and portfolio management» entered into force. This marks the first binding Swiss (self-)regulation on Sustainable Finance at the point of sale. One of the key amendments includes the financial service providers’ duty to…

Editorial

Dieses Heft enthält Beiträge zu zahlreichen Facetten der Digitalisierung und Innovation. Ein Fokus liegt dabei auf dem Finanzmarktrecht. Die Vielfalt der behandelten Themen spiegelt den…

The Materiality of Sustainability Information under Capital Markets Law

This paper explores the legal concept of the materiality of sustainability-related information under Swiss capital markets law. References to international standards, as well as EU and U.S. provisions, are also made with a view to highlighting the increasing importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects in the law and regulation of capital markets. We primarily focus on the…

Neuerungen und offene Fragen der revidierten Geldwäschereivorschriften im Bereich des Nachmeldeverhaltens von Finanzintermediären

The current revision of the anti-money laundering provisions introduces changes in the area referred to as subsequent reporting that have not undergone much examination thus far. However, these changes also have significant implications for financial intermediaries: With the removal of the time limit for analysis, the maximum time limit for executing client orders following a suspicious activity…

Relationship Agreements zwischen Vertragsfreiheit und zwingendem Aktienrecht

Relationship agreements between listed companies and large shareholders have gained in popularity over the past years. Relationship agreements cover such topics as the shareholder’s representation on the board of directors, voting at shareholder meetings, the shareholder’s right to receive information from the company, and exit provisions (e.g., lock-up and standstill undertakings). From the…

Kooperationsformen zwischen Banken und Drittanbietern aus vertrags- und datenschutzrechtlicher Perspektive

Open Banking or Open Finance essentially means the exchange of financial data between different financial service providers including third party providers at the request of the customer. From a civil liability and data protection perspective this paper examines the legal relationships between banks, third party providers, platforms and customers on the basis of four possible «model forms of…

KI Sandboxen für die Schweiz?

A sandbox allows companies to test innovative products, services, and business models in a live market environment. Stemming originally from the FinTech sector, sandboxes have recently gained importance, especially in the context of artificial intelligence, where they are intended to serve to resolve the conflict between data protection and innovation by allowing innovation while ensuring that…

Editorial

Am 31. August 2021 fand die 13. Tagung «Quo Vadis – Finanzplatz Schweiz?» unter der Leitung von Rolf Sethe und Christoph B. Bühler statt.

EU-Product-Governance – Ein Vorbild für die Schweiz?

In 2020 the Financial Services Act (FinSA) entered into force. The provisions on rules of conduct and organizational duties are more or less based on the provisions of MiFID II. However, the regulatory complex on product governance has not been adopted by the Swiss legislator. This article examines whether this decision was convincing. As a result, it turns out to be wise, because the EU-product…

DLT-basierte Finanzprodukte

DLT-based financial products are digitally created assets that can be transferred and stored on a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) infrastructure. Internationally, such digitally stored «tokens» are mostly referred to as «crypto assets»; however, there is still a lack of recognized, clear and internationally uniform definitions. Parallel to the spread of crypto assets being treated according…

Informationspflichten bei der Kapitalanlage – von einzelfallbezogenen und von allgemein gehaltenen Informationen

When it comes to information obligations of financial service providers, the distinction between case-by-case information and generic information is of fundamental importance. While generic information obligations are typically fulfilled by publishing a brochure online and therefore hardly bring any benefit for investors, case-by-case information obligations usually lead to an improved…

Aufklärungspflicht, Freizeichnungsklausel und absichtliche Täuschung beim Kaufvertrag

Die kunstinteressierte A. erwarb am 8. Dezember 2014 im Nachverkauf zu einer Auktion beim schweizerischen Auktionshaus C. AG eine blaue Schwamm­skulptur («Eponge bleue») auf Metallständer und…

Regulierung von künstlicher Intelligenz für FinTech-Anwendungen

New methods of artificial intelligence represent one of the greatest promises and most prospective developments of digitalisation. Artificial intelligence has already enabled numerous innovative applications in the areas of image recognition, medicine, language and mobility, and it is also increasingly being used in the financial market, on which this article focuses. In addition to great…

Digitale Inhalte und Dienstleistungen

The legal classification of access to digital content and services can have a significant impact on the rights and obligations of the parties. While customers regularly assume a comprehensive right of use and disposal, providers want to retain control over assigned digital copies of goods by means of technical precautions and contractual mechanisms. Based on an analysis of the legal foundations…

Retro-Strafbarkeit nach Art. 158 StGB: Questions and (some) Answers

In 2018, the Swiss Supreme Court issued a landmark decision on payments from third parties in financial services (so-called inducements, kickbacks, or retrocessions). In essence, it held that the acceptance of inducements by asset managers and their concealment vis-a-vis the clients are a criminal offense. This article discusses the ramifications of the Supreme Court decision and explores some of…

Editorial

Das europäische Datenschutzrecht ist seit mehreren Jahren in Bewegung: Im Mai 2016 hat die EU die Datenschutzgrundverordnung (DSGVO) vorgelegt, die einen einheitlichen Rechtsrahmen für das…

Der «grosse Bruder» DSGVO und das revDSG: Ein vergleichender Überblick

The revised Swiss Data Protection Act is very much influenced by European legislation. In the debate and discussions, the GDPR was and still is in the foreground as the «big brother». However, it is not the GDPR that is the guiding principle in the interpretation of the provisions taken from European law, but the Convention 108+ of the Council of Europe and the Police and Justice Directive of the…

Informationspflichten und Auskunftsrecht nach dem neuen Datenschutzrecht

The revision of the Data Protection Act aims to improve transparency for data subjects as to which of their data is processed and how. In order to achieve better transparency and to incorporate legislative developments at the European level, the information obligations for data controllers and the rights of data subjects to obtain information, have been strengthened in the course of the revision…

Die Strafbestimmungen des neuen DSG

As soon as the revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (DPA) will come into force, the cantonal prosecuting authorities will be entitled to impose heavy fines of up to CHF 250 000 on the person responsible for non-compliant behavior. While this may seem to be a low figure compared to the high figures provided for by the GDPR, the fines under the revised DPA are of personal nature and may not…

Transparence des traitements de données personnelles opérés par les organes fédéraux: un pas en avant, deux en arrière

The recent revisions of European data protection instruments have been marked by the desire to give data subjects back control over their data, in particular by improving the transparency of data processing. The same desire for enhanced visibility and intelligibility has motivated the Swiss legislator in the revision of the Data Protection Act. The fact remains that the objective has only been…

Daten-Governance und Cloud Banking im neuen Datenschutzrechtsumfeld

Banking is a data-sensitive business. With the adoption of the new Data Protection Act the data protection level will also be increased in Switzerland, amongst others in the data security context. Banks, often using cloud services for efficiency reasons, will have to adapt their data governance framework in the near future: Data processing and storing must meet the data protection and data…

Angemessenheits- und Eignungsprüfung nach FIDLEG

On 1 January 2020 the Financial Services Act (FinSA) entered into force. Depending on the service offered the new supervisory law obliges investment advisors and portfolio managers to conduct an appropriateness test or a suitability test. This article evaluates the new regime and compares it with the relevant contractual duties and the provisions of the European supervisory law.

«Open Banking» in der Schweiz – Herausforderungen an den Schnittstellen von Finanzmarkt-, Datenschutz- und Kartellrecht

«Open Banking» challenges traditional financial institutions in Switzerland and around the world. It poses strategic as well as legal compliance challenges. The present study delimits the (sometimes synonymously used) terms «Open Banking» and «API Banking» to the effect that Open Banking presupposes an access to the banking account (XS2A) on the basis of non-discriminatory criteria. It thus…

Konzernverantwortungsinitiative: Was ändert sich bei einem JA?

The highly debated Swiss Responsible Business Initiative will be put to public vote in November 2020. If the electorate supports the position of the Initiative, a provision titled «Responsibility of Businesses» will be introduced into the Swiss Constitution. According to this provision companies seated in Switzerland would be required to respect internationally recognized human rights and…

Gerichtliche Durchsetzung des Auskunftsrechts nach geltendem und künftigem Aktienrecht

Die C. AG ist eine Aktiengesellschaft, die im Bereich des Handels und der Fabrikation von elektronischen und mechanischen Erzeugnissen tätig ist. Das Aktionariat der C. AG setzt sich aus den drei…

Automatisierte Entscheidungen: Grundfragen aus der Perspektive des Privatrechts

Data protection law addresses the issue that more and more (complex) decisions are taken automatically. A closer look at the regulatory approaches of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Council of Europe’s Convention 108 and the draft Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (draft FADP) leads to two conclusions. On the one hand, the scope of application of these provisions is too…

Credit Scoring, AML Software & Risk Profiling: Automatisierte Entscheidungen im Rahmen von Finanzdienstleistungen

Techniques of automated decision making, including profiling are, no doubt, also of interest to financial service providers. This essay describes three such applications (credit scoring, transaction monitoring for AML purposes, risk profiling for investors) and discusses their possible compliance with the requirements under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, as well as the proposed new…

Die (neuen) Pflichten im Execution-only-Geschäft: Zusammenspiel von FIDLEG und OR

As a part of the new financial markets architecture, the Financial Services Act (FinSA) entered into force on 1 January 2020. It introduces unified rules for offering financial services and…

Grenzüberschreitendes Angebot von Finanzdienstleistungen und -produkten? Die Eidgenossenschaft schlägt zurück

Until recently, Switzerland applied a strict territorial approach to regulating financial services with a handful of a notable exceptions. After facing protectionist movements from other…

Das Finanzmarktaufsichtsrecht vom vierten Quartal 2018 bis ins vierte Quartal 2019

Die «Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht (FINMA)»¹ wurde auf den 1. Januar 2009 aus der Taufe gehoben² bei widrigen Umständen. Die Grossbank UBS war in Schieflage und einer ihrer ehemaligen Top-Manager Präsident der FINMA. Die neue Behörde war zunächst bloss formell neu, weil sie aus drei Vorgängerbehörden geformt wurde: Eidgenössische Bankenkommission (EBK), Bundesamt für Privatversicherungen …

Europareport

Innerhalb eines Verfahrens der ersten Prüfungsphase (Phase I) hat die Europäische Kommission die Übernahme der Consumer Health-Sparte von Pfizer durch das britische Unternehmen GlaxoSmithKline unter Auflagen genehmigt.

Die Praxis des Jahres 2018 im Übernahmerecht

Im Jahr 2018 erliess die Übernahmekommission (UEK) in 16 Verfahren insgesamt 24 Verfügungen. Dabei betrafen fünf Verfahren öffentliche Übernahmeangebote. Mit ei­nem Transaktionswert von knapp CHF 443 Mio. stellte die Übernahme der Hügli Holding AG das bedeutendste öffentliche Übernahmeangebot des Jahres dar. Wertmässig im Mittelfeld bewegten sich das Angebot an die Aktionäre der Goldbach Group AG…

Crowdinvesting mittels Initial Coin Offering – Regulierungsaufgaben im -Token-Universum

Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a phenomenon with similar characteristics as the cryptocurrency boom. Projects that typically have no history of producing a product or revenue raise capital by issuing their own tokens to investors. Therefore, the Federal Council adopted in December 2018 a report on the legal framework for blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) in the financial…

Fortress Europe: Die Äquivalenzverfahren der EU im Bereich der Finanzdienstleistungen

The European Union is by far the most important ­market for Swiss cross-border financial services. So far, the key strategy for market access has been to tailor Swiss financial regulation so as to achieve equivalence with EU law. However, the analysis of the current equivalence procedures reveals that equivalence is not the door opener one had hoped for. Core activities such as deposit-taking,…

Das schweizerische Bankprivatrecht 2018 / Le droit bancaire privé suisse 2018

Das Jahr 2018 brachte einen reichen Fundus an Entscheiden im privaten Bankrecht. Etliche davon schreiben Geschichten fort, über die wir bereits in früheren Übersichten berichtet hatten. Dazu gehört die Klage des Drogeriekönigs Müller gegen die Bank J. Safra ­Sarasin im Zusammenhang mit den sogenannten Cum-­Ex-Geschäften (r34), die Fortsetzung der Verantwortlichkeitsklage der Glarner…

Die Pflichten der Finanzdienstleister im Anlagegeschäft – Ein Ausblick auf die künftigen Bestimmungen des FIDLEG

A. (nachfolgend Beschwerdeführer) eröffnete am 14. Dezember 2006 ein Konto und ein Depot bei der Bank B. AG (nachfolgend Beschwerdegegnerin) und unterhielt die Bankenkundenbeziehung bis im Jahr 2015…

Transaktionsbezogene vs. portfoliobezogene Anlageberatung unter FIDLEG: keine einfache Abgrenzung

With the entry into force of the Financial Services Act (FinSA) on 1 January 2020 the transaction-related ­investment advice will be introduced as a new category of investment advice to be distinguished from the portfolio-related investment advice. The correct differentiation between the two types of investment recommendations is crucial to determine the scope of application of the suitability…

Dienstleisterketten beim Erbringen von Finanzdienstleistungen: ­Aufsichtsrechtliche Erfassung durch das FIDLEG und vertragsrechtliche ­Haftung der Depotbank

On June 15, 2018 the Parliament passed the new Financial Services Act (FinSA) which presumably will enter into force by the beginning of 2020. The FinSA states new regulatory conduct rules that will apply to financial services providers vis-à-vis their clients. In cases where several financial services providers are involved in the provision of a financial service, the question arises of who has…

Compliance-Anforderungen für Schweizer Asset Manager alternativer ­Investmentfonds

The European Directive 2011/61/EU (AIFMD) was a reaction of the European legislator to the financial ­crisis of 2007/2008. The Directive aims to provide for a harmonized and stringent regulatory and supervisory framework for the activities within the EU of all Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM). Due to its fund manager focused approach, AIFMD imposes authorization requirements and…

Ist die neue Finanzmarkt­regulierung funktionsfähig?

The article describes the causes of financial market crises. It assesses the advantages and disadvantages of the legislative measures taken since the crisis of 2007/­2008. Finally, it outlines what additional or alternative measures could be taken to increase the stability of the financial markets and to improve supervision.

Bankgeschäfte nach der Krise: Safer, simpler, fairer?

Ten years after the global financial crisis, the Financial Stability Board reports that regulation has built a «safer, simpler and fairer financial system». While there are indeed notable improvements in the regulatory architecture, the question remains whether banking, as seen from a retail customer perspective, has become safer, simpler, and fairer. This article argues that, overall, retail…

Das Finanzmarktauf­sichtsrecht vom vierten Quartal 2017 bis ins vierte Quartal 2018

Seit die Marktteilnehmer aus regulatorischen Gründen oder eigenem Antrieb vermehrt mit regulierten Gegenparteien zusammenarbeiten wollen, gelten finanzmarktaufsichtsrechtliche Bewilligungspflichten nicht nur als Bürde, sondern auch als «Würde». Als schwerer Eingriff in die verfassungsmässig geschützte Wirtschaftsfreiheit bedürfen Bewilligungspflichten einer Grundlage in einem formellen Gesetz.

Gerichtliche Durchsetzung der Informationsrechte nach Art. 715a OR

Mit Gesuch vom 29. Juni 2016 stellte A. (Gesuchsteller und Beschwerdeführer) als Verwaltungsrat der B. AG (Gesuchs- und Beschwerdegegnerin) beim Kantonsgerichtspräsidium Obwalden unter anderem das…

Zum Anbieten kollektiver Kapitalanlagen unter dem FIDLEG – und ausgewählte Aspekte der dabei einzuhaltenden Verhaltenspflichten

The regulatory framework for the distribution of collective investment schemes (CIS) in (and from) Switzerland is currently set forth in one single act, the Collective Investment Schemes Act (CISA). The CISA sets out the product level requirements for CIS distributed in or from Switzerland, the requirements for persons distributing CIS, and the point of sale duties of such persons. As part of the…

Le droit bancaire privé suisse 2017 / Das schweizerische Bankprivatrecht 2017

Les services d’investissement (intermédiation sur le marché des capitaux et le marché monétaire) ont une telle importance dans le débat sur la place financière suisse qu’on oublie souvent de rappeler…

Le régime de responsabilité civile en matière d’émissions publiques de jetons digitaux (ICO)

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) consist of an innovative form of capital raising. In the digital era, it has become technically possible to raise substantial funds within a very short period of time. This paper analyses the civil liability regime applying to misrepresentations communicated to investors acquiring tokens in an ICO. Pursuant to the prospectus liability provisions of the Swiss Code of…