Case

Alternative 1

Tom is a real estate agent. One of the immovables he is trying to sell is an apartment belonging to Samantha. Bill is interested in buying this apartment. To show his seriousness in entering into negotiations, Bill writes a cheque for €10,000 as a deposit, which is to be refundable if the sale does not proceed. On Tom's instructions, Bill makes the cheque payable to Tom, and Tom deposits this cheque into his own bank account. The negotiations between Samantha and Bill break off with no contract, and Bill tells Tom to refund the money. Tom, who has made no withdrawal from the bank account in the intervening time, has become insolvent. Does Bill's claim to his deposit have priority over competing claims, or is he treated as a general creditor? Would it make a difference if Tom were a practising lawyer?

Alternative 2

Tom is a travel agent. He sells tickets from various airlines to his customers. The money paid for the tickets by his customers is deposited in a bank account in Tom's name. When Tom becomes insolvent, some customers already have their tickets and some do not (and those who do not have tickets have no contractual claims against the airlines). The customers who have not been issued tickets claim back their money. The airlines claim payment from the bank account for tickets that have been issued. Tom's general creditors also claim the money in the bank account.

Case

John is a professional investment manager. Sam decides to make use of John's services after learning that he is a skilful manager. In John's office, Sam signs a document granting John full investment powers over a capital value of €2,000,000. The terms of the document indicate that John's powers are to be irrevocable for the term of five years. These powers enable John, inter alia, to buy and sell any kind of asset, including immovables. The document also provides that John will credit all the income produced by the managed capital to Sam's bank account. It stipulates that John will be entitled to deduct an annual fee, calculated as a percentage of the capital value of the managed assets. Sam then writes a cheque payable to John for €2,000,000.

Alternative 1

In the second year of their relationship, Sam reads in a newspaper that John is implicated in the international trafficking of stolen works of art. He does not know whether the allegations are true but he decides to terminate their relationship. He communicates this to John. He demands restitution of the managed assets, as well as a full account of the investments that have been made. Upon John's refusal, Sam sues, asking for: (a) a judicial declaration that the relationship is terminated; (b) a remedy enjoining John from entering into any further transaction related to the assets; (c) a full audit of the previous period; (d) restitution of the managed assets; and (e) damages.

Case

A pension fund for employees of a company, that provides a specified benefit upon retirement, has been running for several years. Both the employer and the employees make contributions to the fund. The managers of the fund are of the opinion that there is a surplus of funds as a result of successful investments.

1. a. Can the employer suspend making contributions?

2. b. To whom does the surplus belong?

Discussion

AUSTRIA

An employees' pension fund that provides a specified benefit upon retirement, several years after the employer and the employee have made contributions to the fund, is not a ‘pension fund’ according to the Austrian Investment Fund Act. However, Austrian private law recognises alternative concepts that meet the requirements described in Case 8. These alternatives are based on a specific statute called the Betriebspensionsgesetz (BPG). There are basically three pension fund schemes under s. 2 BPG.

The first scheme is called Pensionskasse (s. 2 Z 1 BPG). This pension scheme is an insurance solution that allows the employer to organise the insurance entity. The insurance entity has its own legal personality based on a specific statute, the Pensionskassengesetz (PKG). Both the employer and the employee pay contributions to the insurance entity on behalf of the employee. The employees can claim benefits upon retirement, regardless of whether they still have an employment contract with the same employer.

The second pension fund scheme is a direct promise pension (direkte Leistungszusage) (s. 2 Z 2 BPG).

Case

Jane manages property in the interest of her client, Monica. The property is located in your country, where both Monica and Jane live and are domiciled. In their agreement they introduce a clause stating that their relationship is a trust governed by Jersey law. Litigation arises between them. Jane claims the invalidity of the trust provision of the arrangement, and claims that local law should govern the relationship. What is the result?

Discussion

AUSTRIA

Austria has not ratified the Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Trusts and on their Recognition. Since both of the parties live and are domiciled in Austria, and the property is located there as well, the proposed relationship does not include any foreign element; this precludes the application of the Austrian conflicts law (IPRG). Therefore, the validity of the ‘choice of law clause’ between Jane and Monica is governed by the general rules of Austrian law.

Due to the contractual autonomy of the parties, the clause is legally valid and Jersey law governs the trust or fiduciary relationship. This, however, is only true as far as the default part of Austrian law is concerned; the parties cannot ‘contract out’ of the application of mandatory provisions of Austrian law. As a result, contractual autonomy permits the applicability of Jersey law regarding the contractual part of the trust, whereas the proprietary or real aspects of the relationship follow the lex rei sitae, which is Austrian law in this case.

Case

John is a professional investment manager. Sam decides to make use of John's services after learning that he is a skilful manager. In John's office, Sam signs a document granting John full investment powers over a capital value of €2,000,000. The terms of the document indicate that John's powers are to be irrevocable for the term of five years. These powers enable John, inter alia, to buy and sell any kind of asset, including immovables. The document also provides that John will credit all the income produced by the managed capital to Sam's bank account. It stipulates that John will be entitled to deduct an annual fee, calculated as a percentage of the capital value of the managed assets. Sam then writes a cheque payable to John for €2,000,000.

Alternative 1

In the second year of their relationship, Sam learns that John has made very risky investments that have done poorly. As a result, he has lost 50 per cent of the value of the capital. Does Sam have any legal recourse?

Alternative 2

In the second year of their relationship, Sam learns that John does not use his own judgement to make any of the investment decisions. Instead John relies exclusively on the recommendations in a well-known monthly financial newsletter. Does Sam have any legal recourse?

Discussion

AUSTRIA

Alternative 1

The contract between John and Sam is to be qualified as a contract of mandate in accordance with ss. 1002 ff. ABGB.

Case

A company, XYZ Ltd, wishes to raise money in the financial markets. It is willing and able to give real security to secure the debt. The transaction must be structured so that XYZ Ltd can issue secured debt instruments to multiple investors, in such a way that each investor holds the same kind of real security over the same assets, and so that the enforcement of the security will be practicable. How can these goals be realised?

Discussion

AUSTRIA

There exists in Austrian law an old statute which governs the transaction. This is the Gesetz vom 24. April 1874 betreffend die gemeinsame Vertretung der Rechte der Besitzer von auf Inhaber lautenden oder durch Indossament übertragbaren Teilschuldverschreibungen und die bücherliche Behandlung der für solche Teilschuldverschreibungen eingeräumten Hypothekarrechte. This statute deals with Teilschuldverschreibungen. These are bonds negotiable on the capital market, issued by the company in situations like those of Case 10.

Such bonds can be secured by a mortgage on the immovable property of the company issuing the bonds. The statute enacts special provisions for such a security. The mortgage is created by presenting a mortgage deed to the court responsible for the land register. This document deed has to be drawn up by the company issuing the bonds. The individual bondholder is not registered in the land register. Only the total amount for which the bonds are issued, the number of bonds issued and the dates at which they are to be paid are registered.

Case

A financial services company wishes to launch a collective investment scheme. It hopes to choose a vehicle that will allow the free transfer of the interests of investors, and which will permit the rules governing the scheme to be changed where necessary.

What options are available to it?

Discussion

AUSTRIA

Austrian private law recognises one type of collective investment scheme, namely, investment funds that fall under the Austrian Investment Fund Act (InvFG). Austrian investment funds are open-ended funds that work on the principle of risk diversification and lend themselves to an open clientele. It is also possible to create special funds that only have a limited number of investors. All types of Austrian investment funds allow for changes of terms and conditions and for changes of investors, although there is no secondary market for trading the investment fund ‘certificates’. Under the Austrian Investment Fund Act, the investors have the right of redemption.

A change of the terms and conditions of an investment fund, under s. 22(3) InvFG, does not require the consent of the investors, but it must be made in their interest, must be approved by the supervisory board and must be published. Section 22(3) InvFG deals only with the public law of the modification.

Different supervision schemes apply for Austrian investment funds. Supervision under the InvFG includes a bank supervisor, a supervisory board, an investment company (a special bank) and the depository bank. The investment company manages the fund and makes the investment decisions.

Case

Roberto is a professional investment manager. He manages assets in the interest of different clients, namely Simon, Rebecca and Ruth. The managed assets are bought with money transferred to him by his clients. Roberto offers different forms of services: (a) individual management services, under which he is to keep separate the position of each client; (b) participation in a collective investment scheme, whereby the assets managed for his clients are pooled and each participant in the scheme will share pro rata the returns on the collective investments; and (c) shares of an investment company (DEF Ltd) which holds investments chosen by Roberto.

One year after receiving the money from his clients, Roberto becomes personally insolvent. Which of his clients is better off: Simon, who chose option a; Rebecca, who chose option b; or Ruth, who chose option c?

Discussion

AUSTRIA

Option a

Professional investment managers, who offer the individual management services enumerated in s. 1 (1) ((19)) BWG, are not allowed to take over money from their clients. The managed assets are deposited in bank accounts in their clients' names. Professional investment managers do not carry out their services on a fiduciary basis, because they are obliged to act in the name and for the account of their clients. They are direct representatives, who are mandated and authorised by the clients to carry out specific investment services.

Case

Jacob is managing Esther's assets with full power to sell them. One of the assets he holds on her behalf is an undeveloped piece of land called Blackacre.

Alternative 1

While exploring investment possibilities for Esther, Jacob learns that the zoning rules for the area that includes Blackacre are likely to change in a way that will make land in that area more valuable. A month before the change is announced, Jacob uses his own money to buy Greenacre, an undeveloped piece of land in the same area. When the zoning change is announced, the value of both Blackacre and Greenacre increases by 100 per cent. When Esther becomes aware of what has happened, she seeks an amount corresponding to the increased value of Greenacre from Jacob. She claims that this increase is a wrongful gain from a transaction that created a conflict of interest and duty, since Jacob's duty involves using the information he acquires in managing Esther's assets for her benefit and not for his own gain. Will Esther's claim succeed?

Alternative 2

Jacob owns Greenacre, an undeveloped piece of land in the same area as Blackacre, in his personal capacity. Jacob sells Blackacre to Bill, a member of the zoning board responsible for the planning of the district including both Blackacre and Greenacre. The transaction is at market value.

Case

A company, ABC Ltd, lends money on the security of mortgages/hypothecs on immovables. It now wishes to raise money in the financial markets. It wants to use its portfolio of secured loans as security for the transaction. The goals will be that ABC Ltd will not itself become liable on the transaction, and moreover that investors will not be adversely affected by any subsequent insolvency of ABC Ltd. How can the transaction be structured so as to isolate the portfolio of secured loans from the general business of ABC Ltd?

Discussion

AUSTRIA

There are only a few articles on securitisation in the Austrian literature, and no court decision at all. The following remarks therefore have only a preliminary character.

In principle, Austrian law provides all the legal instruments required to structure securitisation transactions. First, it will be necessary to set up a new company, a special purpose vehicle (SPV). In a second step, ABC Ltd shall transfer its secured loans to the SPV. In exchange for them, the SPV shall pay a certain sum to ABC Ltd. To raise the money necessary for this payment, the SPV shall issue bonds to investors. If those investors are the only creditors of the SPV, then the security of the claims assigned to the SPV will also secure the investors' claims. As there is no direct relationship between the investors and ABC Ltd, this company will not be liable for the SPV's debts towards the bondholders.