Panicking amid the health crisis, company managers can easily feel pressured to take some “seemingly obvious” legal or business measures to resolve their situation. However, these measures often involve serious legal risks and should be approached with caution.
The impending economic crisis is expected to upset the financial position of many businesses. At these companies, the responsibilities of the company manager will also change: in a near-bankruptcy situation, the manager is obliged to take into account not only the interests of the company but those of the creditors as well. But what is simple on paper is not so straightforward in practice.
The issue of governing law often arises in cross-border M&A deals or contractual relationships. At such times – either due to the UK domicile of a contracting party, or to the widespread use of the Anglo-Saxon templates – it is often the English law that is chosen. It may turn out to be important to understand the difference it can mean to the parties’ positions if instead of Hungarian law they were to opt for English law – for example, when drawing up the documents for a company acquisition.
A rule in the bankruptcy act that had been in effect for over 10 years presented an impossible dilemma for the senior officers of companies under threat of insolvency. An amendment of the law that recently took effect, however, resolves the stalemate and opens the possibility for managers to make sound business decisions in crisis situations.
The law is constantly in flux. While many people may find this intimidating, for us it’s precisely what makes it so exciting. We’d like to share this attitude with businesspeople and managers, and with those who just have an interest in business law, in the form of a regularly updated blog that discusses the latest tax law and commercial law issues in an accessible style. Feel free to send your questions and suggestions for topics you’d like us to cover to blog@jalsovszky.com.
