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THE WOLF THEISS GUIDE TO: Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security 2017 Edition 1 THE WOLF THEISS GUIDE TO: Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security This 2017 Wolf Theiss Guide to Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security is intended as a practical guide to the general principles and features of restructuring loans and insolvency proceedings in the countries included in the publication. While every effort has been made to ensure that the country reports are accurate as at the date stated on the publication, they should be used as a general reference guide only and should not be relied upon as definitive legal advice. In the rapidly changing CEE/SEE jurisdictions, the laws and regulations are frequently revised, either by amended legislation or by administrative interpretation. Status of information: Current as of November 2016 Conception, design, and editing: WOLF THEISS Rechtsanwälte GmbH & Co KG, Attorneys-at-Law Schubertring 6, 1010 Vienna, Austria www.wolftheiss.com © 2017 WOLF THEISS Rechtsanwälte GmbH & Co KG. All Rights Reserved. Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security TABLE OF CONTENT FOREWORD 03 PART I. GENERAL INFORMATION INTRODUCTION 06 RESTRUCTURING 10 ENFORCEMENT 19 PART II. COUNTRY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION ALBANIA 22 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 32 BULGARIA 44 CROATIA 56 CZECH REPUBLIC 66 HUNGARY 76 POLAND 88 ROMANIA 98 SERBIA 110 SLOVAK REPUBLIC 120 SLOVENIA 130 UKRAINE 142 CONTACT 154 Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security FOREWORD Foreword The most important lessons learned since the collapse of Lehman Brothers are that no bank is too big to fail and that national banking systems are ill-equipped to deal with a truly global financial market. In Central and Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CEE/SEE), the financial markets that were dominated by Austrian banks experienced unprecedented growth up until 2008. Since then, we have seen bank nationalisations (Kommunalkredit, HYPO GROUP ALPE ADRIA AG), state rescue packages amounting to hundreds of billions of euros, and cross-border loan lending (i.e. new lending without state or EBRD/EIB support) coming to an abrupt halt only to resume to some extent relatively recently. In such times business relationships are stress-tested and lenders in many instances still face defaulted borrowers all over the region. Not surprisingly, the focus of a law firm committed to the CEE/SEE region shifts towards litigation, representation of creditors in insolvency proceedings, consensual restructuring, enforcement of security interests and the sale of non-performing loans. Accordingly, Wolf Theiss has been advising clients coming from all sides of the spectrum in relation to big ticket restructuring and NPL work, including the legal advice provided to a group of Austrian lenders in one of the largest restructurings in the CEE/SEE involving a bankrupt Slovenian state holding company. We also advised a leading Austrian bank in connection with the enforcement proceedings and the auctioning of real estate in Hungary and Bosnia as well as supporting an Austrian bank in respect of an NPL portfolio in the Ukraine, just to name a few from our recent experience. Some of the lessons learned on a CEE/SEE level were: . CEE/SEE is far from being a homogenous region where the “one size fits all” approach would work; . Banks have been reliable partners in the region, working on solutions with borrowers where there is a business case for recovery provided the proper legal advice has been sought to set up the right structure and a proper balance has been found in respect of the interests of all stakeholders. It is the responsibility of advisors (tax, accounting or legal) to ensure that viable solutions are found in a challenging legal environment such as in the CEE/SEE region: Wolf Theiss is committed and has proven to be such a reliable partner for our clients. Markus Heidinger • January 2017 Marcell Németh • January 2017 Partner, Head of Banking and Finance Practice Group, Wolf Theiss Counsel, Banking and Finance Practice Group, Wolf Theiss 3 4 Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security WOLF THEISS REGION Warsaw POLAND Kyiv Prague CZECH UKRAINE REPUBLIC SLOVAK REPUBLIC Bratislava Vienna AUSTRIA Budapest HUNGARY Ljubljana ROMANIA SLOVENIA Zagreb CROATIA Bucharest BOSNIA & Belgrade HERZEGOVINA SERBIA Sarajevo BULGARIA Sofia Tirana ALBANIA WOLF THEISS REGION EUROPE 5 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Problem Loan – Definition A Problem Loan requires action on the part of one or more Stakeholders in order to avoid an Event of Default and, consequently, acceleration of the Problem Loan. In special situations, a Problem Loan may receive (unexpected) third-party support. 1.2 Early warning signs Cause of distress can result from: . a flawed business case; . a general downturn in the economy; . problems in the company’s business sector; . too much leverage on the balance sheet; . bad management; . very often a combination of the above. Business case for recovery must address above causes and show a way out of the crisis. 1.3 Problem Loan – Stakeholder actions In general, Stakeholder actions may take any of the following forms: . remedy Default (= potential Event of Default); . consensual restructuring; . non-consensual restructuring; . out-of-court enforcement; . in-court enforcement. Special situations include: . hold-out Lenders; . loan-to-own Lenders; . third-party support: – public interest in functioning of banking system; – private interest in strategic asset. 6 Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security INTRODUCTION 1.4 Stakeholders Sponsor 100% Shareholder Equity Shareholder Loan Agr 100% Junior Facility Agr Junior Lender Junior Loan Senior Facility Agr Senior Lender Senior Loan ProblemCo Purchase Agr Trade Counterparties BORROWER Trade Credit other relevant parties pension plan, Government etc. 1.5 Events of Default – Back to basics . Representations and warranties: due to representations and warranties Borrowers have a duty to disclose information. Undertakings: due to positive/negative undertakings Borrowers are obliged to act/abstain from acting in a certain way: – positive undertakings may give rise to claims for performance and/ or damages; – negative undertakings may give right to obtain an injunction. Financial covenants (to which equity cures may apply): – breach as first indicator of financial stress; however, covenant-lite transactions in the market with few, if any, financial covenants; – breach of covenant at the time of delivery of Compliance Certificate; – from year end until delivery of Compliance Certificate => Default (include notification undertaking). 7 1.6 Typical Event of Default . Payment default: – refinancing at end of term may not be available; – transactions without realistic exit scenario are in the market. Breach of financial covenant . Misrepresentation . Breach of undertaking: – negative pledge (in some jurisdictions not legally valid); – conditions subsequent: . Cross-default (issue: it may trigger cross-defaults in other facilities or hedging arrangements?) . Occurrence of Material Adverse Effect: – based on the opinion of the Facility Agent? – not often used as a standalone default because: • reasonability tests are likely to be applied; • forward-looking; • conservative interpretation by courts (balance sheet tests). Criteria of insolvency test met . Opening of insolvency proceedings . Attachment by other creditor(s) . Auditors qualification . Other Events of Default 1.7 Events of Default – Effects and issues . Effects of the occurrence of an Event of Default: – no further utilizations (already in case of Default); – the Loan may be accelerated; – usually triggers ability to freely transfer Loan Asset; – security interests become enforceable (Enforcement Event). Issues: – is there a clear-cut Event of Default (e.g. non-payment, breach of financial covenants) or a questionable Event of Default (e.g. Material Adverse Effect)? => risk of damage claims; – is there an Event of Default that is allowed to be or otherwise may be cured? . Do qualifications apply? 8 Restructuring Loans and Enforcement of Security INTRODUCTION 1.8 Events of Default – Qualifications Events of Defaults are mostly subject to qualifications: . grace/remedy periods; . monetary thresholds; . factual representations and warranties: to the best knowledge qualification; . legal representations and warranties: Legal Reservations qualification; . materiality qualifications; . Lenders and Agents may be required to act reasonably. Such qualifications may make it difficult to declare an Event of Default which does not bear a potential liability risk for the Finance Parties in case of acceleration/enforcement. 1.9 Acceleration Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default that is continuing, the Facility Agent may, and shall if directed by the Majority Lenders: . cancel Commitments; . declare the Loan immediately due and payable; . declare the Loan payable on demand; . instruct the Security Agent to enforce the Transaction Security. In certain countries insolvency laws may prohibit the acceleration of a Loan. ProblemCo´s liquidity problems may further increase because: . suppliers may radically shorten payment terms or insist on cash on delivery; . payment morale of customers may deteriorate. 1.10 Borrower’s actions The Borrower typically knows that the Loan has become a Problem Loan and it should therefore take immediate action: . if possible, remedy the Default (= potential Event of Default) on its own or, if not advisable / not feasible/ does not make commercial sense; . initiate