Tag Archives: CapLaw-2012-53

Takeover Board Opts-in Again Into the Opting-Out and Revives the Selective Opting-Out

Opting-out has been the most discussed topic in Swiss takeover law since its entry into force in 1998. At the core of the debate has been the question as to who should regulate the right to opt-out from the mandatory offer obligation—the civil courts, the Takeover Board or both? On 11 October 2012, the Takeover Board (TOB) issued a decision in the matter Advanced Digital Broadcast Holdings SA (decision 0518/01), whereby the TOB stated that (i) it would review itself whether the introduction of the opting-out prejudices the rights of minority shareholders by examining the votes of these minority shareholders at the general meeting introducing such opting-out (departing from the LEM Holding SA decision of 22 September 2011) and that (ii) an opting-out could also only apply to a specific transaction/shareholder, thereby allowing the introduction of the so-called selective opting-out (confirming its ESEC Holding AG recommendation of 6 June 2000, but departing from the decision of the Federal Banking Commission of 23 June 2000 in the same matter). No recourse has been filed against the decision of the TOB; it is therefore final.