artikelen 

Annotator: mr. D. Beunk
Verschenen in: JOR 2020/178

Klik hier voor het artikel

Om een bestuurder een ernstig verwijt te kunnen maken voor het verrichten van selectieve betalingen op een moment dat het faillissement (nog) niet onafwendbaar was, zijn bijkomende omstandigheden vereist. Daarbij moet met name gedacht worden aan spannenspanning met de betaalde schuldeiser of een persoonlijk belang van de bestuurder. Voor de vaststelling dat het faillissement onafwendbaar is, is het enkele feit dat het faillissement reeds was aangevraagd door de bestuurder niet voldoende.

Door: mr. K.M. Sixma en J. Opstroom
Verschenen in: Tijdschrift voor curatoren nr. 3, juli 2020

Klik hier voor het artikel

COVID-19 has a huge impact on the performance under a commercial lease. Everywhere, companies with a leased space are looking for ways to reduce the rent or defer payment of rent. A collaboration of esteemed law firms from all over the world are launching a Comparative e-guide: "Covid-19 & Commercial leases, a tour around the globe". This e-guide provides a global insight to lawyers and companies whether Covid-19 gives valid ground to amend a commercial lease in 34 different jurisdictions.

Click here for the e-guide

Florent kondigt met trots aan dat Jean-Pierre van Leeuwe per 1 mei 2020 is toegetreden als counsel Ondernemingsrecht. Jean-Pierre heeft ruim 35 jaar ervaring in de behandeling van M&A, private equity transacties en corporate governance vraagstukken.

Lees hier het persbericht.

Florent is proud to announce that Jean-Pierre van Leeuwe has joined Florent as a counsel in our M&A practice per 1 May 2020. Jean-Pierre has over 35 years’ experience on M&A, private equity transactions and corporate governance matters.

Click here to read the press release.

Jurjen Tuinman and Tim de Booys wrote the first academic article on the consequences of the corona pandemic for commercial leases in the Netherlands. The article will be published in the April 2020 issue of the leading Dutch journal WR, Journal for Tenancy Law. In the publication, the following questions are addressed:

Is the tenant entitled to suspend rent payment in case of closure due to the corona crisis?

The authority to suspend the payment obligations is excluded in most commercial leases. Such exclusion is permitted. As a rule, tenants are not authorised to suspend rent payments.

Is the tenant entitled to a rent reduction as a compensation for the government measures against the corona pandemic?

A tenant is entitled to claim a proportionate rent reduction if the corona crisis constitutes a defect. In principle, the government measures in relation to the corona pandemic qualify as a defect in the meaning of section 7:204(2) of the Dutch Civil Code. However, it is allowed to exclude this right in commercial leases, and in such leases the right to a rent reduction is generally excluded as a matter of course. Most commercial landlords will be able to rely successfully on the exclusion of the right to a rent reduction.

What other remedies does a tenant have?

First, the tenant may cease operations temporarily. Second, the tenant may claim amendment of the lease due to unforeseen circumstances. Although high bars apply, we consider a successful reliance on unforeseen circumstances to be possible if, for example, relatively smaller tenants have been unable to use the leased property altogether due to mandatory closure. Third, landlord and tenant must take each other’s legitimate interests into account. This may require the parties to enter into negotiations in which the parties might have to make concessions in departure from the initial agreement.

Click here for the full article.