The Expectations of The Parties
Business interest leads to the search for “cheap” funds (in the sense of the least possible financial burden). What is important is, on the one hand for no significant commitments and collateral to be, while on the other side for the repayment period (when it comes to lending) to be long.
Investors (most commonly individuals, funds, venture capital, etc.) and, just recently banks, are always looking for
a) the maximum possible return,
b) the earliest possible return of the investment,
c) the maximum possible collateral.
Collateral
Contractual undertakings and securities (guaranties, liens on mortgage, mortgage, pledges) have lost a significant part in the value scale of investors and banks. It is no longer the basic, and certainly not the only, security they are looking for. They often require (and, as a rule, achieve) important commitments from the company – contrary to their own interests and needs. The threatened sanction in the case of breach of these commitments is a kind of penalty (in the case of investors) or the recognition of a relative reason for terminating financing and claiming immediate return (in the case of banks).
Restrictions, Commitments and Obligations
The restrictions, commitments and obligations imposed are, generally, diverse. They may concern the company, its business activities, its management and its shareholders. Access to books and close monitoring of the company’s financial data is the minimum. It is quite indicative that one may (in the view of recent experiences) refer to the need for the investor’s or, as the case may be, the (bank) creditor’s assent in cases such as the following:
(a) Approval of the business plan.
(b) The composition of the Board of Directors (with the ultimate objective of the involvement of investors’ representatives in it).
(c) The major decisions making (e.g. merger, demerger, division, interim dividend and dividend distribution, return of capital, purchase, sale, lease, rental and leasing assets, entering into significant commitments, provision of securities, and so.).
(d) Third party financing either directly (e.g. loans) or indirectly (e.g. guarantees).
(e) Amendment of core provisions of the Articles of Association.
(f) Change in equity [transfers of shares either between shareholders or to third parties, including the provision of shares to executives as incentives, for example stock option (!)].
(g) Insurance of the assets of the company and ban on the transfer of the insurance indemnity, and so on.
The Multi-functional nature of Commitments
The undertaking of obligations and commitments such as those mentioned above, operate on three levels:
(a) The investor (or the Bank, as the case may be) feels the (really necessary for them) security in order to proceed with the useful, and sometimes critical, investment or financing of the company.
(b) The company, its management and its shareholders should be ready to accept control, limitations and / or (worst case) veto rights in their significant business decisions.
(c) The company on the one hand and the investor (or, as the case may be, the Bank), on the other hand, are linked with extremely strong ties throughout their co-operation, which cannot be broken without dramatic or even extreme adverse effects.
The Enforcement of Commitments
The commitments undertaken by the company are likely to prove problematic in a dual way – especially when the terms are imposed by a bank that finances:
(a) The ability to take business decisions is transferred by the company, even partially, to (middle or senior) bankers, who are neither entrepreneurs nor have significant knowledge of the subject. Most important: they never hold a real risk for their choices, they never compromise their own personal property.
(b) The freedom of the company, its management and its shareholders are limited regarding the implementation of its plans. The company binds to the creditor bank. No significant business decision can be taken without the consent of the latter. The bank even has the (normally uncontrolled) option to block or endorse any business move and any other funding. It also has the option to finance the company’s business itself – thus gaining a dominant position among its funding sources.
The Balance of Interests
In the context of a free economy like our country’s economy, nobody is obligated to conclude a contract and / or to accept specific unfavorable contractual provisions.
In the case of searching for funds, the strong party is not, normally, the company: It will be often “drawn” into concluding contracts and to undertaking extremely problematic commitments.
It often seems, logically, utopian to talk about “balance of interests”.
There is only one thing for sure: The company shall not be “heard” when it attempts , in the near or distant future, either to discuss on the “small print” or to reproduce the assurance of its creditor (bank, fund or venture capital): “Come on, do not pay attention: these are typical – we are here for you” …
Stavros Koumentakis
Senior Partner
P.S. This article has been published in MAKEDONIA Newspaper and makthes.gr (October 14, 2018)
