Author Archives: Diana Imbach Haumüller

The limited qualified investor fund (L-QIF) – an innovation for the Swiss fund and asset management industry

Swiss funds are frequently not investors’ first choice, especially as regards alternative investments for professional investors, where time to market is often crucial. High time and cost pressure means that even Swiss clients often prefer foreign funds. With the L-QIF, Switzerland will have a real alternative designed to strengthen the competitiveness of its fund and asset management industry by increasing the number of collective investment schemes launched in the country. The way has been paved, and it will ultimately be up to the politicians and the Swiss fund and asset management industry itself to make good use of the L-QIF. So far, the outlook is promising. 

By Diana Imbach Haumüller (Reference: CapLaw-2020-73)

Funds Distribution under the new financial market law architecture

On 1 January 2020, the new Financial Services Act (FinSA) and the Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) will enter into force. This entails various changes of existing regulatory concepts in the context of distribution and management of collective investment schemes. From today’s CISA perspective, the term “distribution” under Art. 3 CISA plays a fundamental role. Under the new regulatory regime, an exclusive focus on the new concept of the offer falls short in explaining the rules governing the distribution of funds. Particularly with regard to the behavior at the point of sale, the concept of financial services is of primary importance. 

By Diana Imbach Haumüller / François Rayroux (Reference: CapLaw-2019-56)

Funds Distribution under FinSA/FinIA: A change of paradigm

The introduction of the concept of an “offer” according to Art. 3 let. g FinSA as a replacement of the current notion of a “distribution” pursuant to Art. 3 CISA will lead to a number of consequences for the Swiss financial industry as well as for foreign financial services providers acting on a cross-border basis into Switzerland. The new concept is more flexible as the current notion of a “distribution”, but also raises a number of delicate questions which need to be clarified. The object of this article is to provide a first analysis of the salient features and challenges of the current and future regimes and their practical consequences with a specific focus on the placement of collective investment schemes in Switzerland.

By Diana Imbach / François Rayroux (Reference: CapLaw-2018-64)