On 1 February 2024, a new criminal offence was introduced in Switzerland’s public takeover law. According to the new criminal offence, anyone who willfully provides untrue or incomplete information in the offering prospectus or the announcement of a public takeover offer can be penalized with a fine of up to CHF 500,000. If the offender acted through negligence, a reduced fine of up to CHF 150,000 can be imposed. This article describes the prerequisites for imposing a fine for such a breach of duty by the offeror.

By Pascal Hodel (Reference: CapLaw-2024-20)