LexCast: Switzerland Is Strenghtening Its Competitiveness as Fund Centre - a New, Unregulated Fund Category for qualified investors is proposed

The Swiss Federal Council initiated a consultation on an amendment of the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (CISA), aiming to introduce a new, unregulated fund category called "Limited Qualified Investor Fund (L-QIF)", reserved exclusively for qualified investors. By introducing the L-QIF, Switzerland establishes a Swiss fund category similar to the Luxembourg Reserved Alternative Investment Fund (RAIF) or the Malta Notified Alternative Investment Fund (NAIF). The consultation of the Federal Council will last until 17 October 2019.

The new prospectus regime, including its exemptions, is also applicable to bonds and convertible bonds issued in Switzerland. But even if an exemption to publish a prospectus would apply, there are still some important specialities to be taken into consideration concerning bond offerings in Switzerland and in particular regarding convertible bonds.