A cartoon has been drawn by Mike Flanagan for the 5th anniversary of the launch of Karel’s Legal Blog June 1st, 2010 marks the 5th anniversary of my legal blog. This is an important milestone for me. Back in May 2005 I only had a rough idea about blogging and what it would take to create… Continue reading CELEBRATING THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS WEBLOG
Tag: law
INADEQUATE CAPITALIZATION OF AN ARUBAN COMPANY
Liability for thin-capitalization? In terms of ‘piercing the corporate veil’, thin or inadequate capitalization usually means capitalization that is not in proportion to the nature of the risks the business of the corporation necessarily entails; in other words it is based on likely economic needs rather than legal requirements. Shareholders of a company in Aruba… Continue reading INADEQUATE CAPITALIZATION OF AN ARUBAN COMPANY
SUPERVISION OF TRUST COMPANIES IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
Trust companies render management services The supervision of trust companies is dealt with in the National Ordinance on the Supervision of Trust Service Providers 2003 (‘Landsverordening toezicht trustwezen’, the ‘NOST’). Supervision of trust companies (a.k.a. fiduciary or company service providers) falls in the category integrity supervision and not in the category prudential supervision. The supervisor… Continue reading SUPERVISION OF TRUST COMPANIES IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
LECTURE ON GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN CURACAO
Corporate Governance Adviser must be a strong and independent watchdog over the executive also On April 13, 2010 a seminar on Good Corporate Governance with respect to Curacao-owned enterprises and foundations was held in Curacao, and organized by Certa Legal. I was one of the keynote speakers and delivered my presentation in the Dutch language… Continue reading LECTURE ON GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN CURACAO
PREJUDICED INTERESTS OF MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS IN THE NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
They may force the company to take-over their shares Article 2:251(1) of the Netherlands Antilles Civil Code reads as follows: “A shareholder of registered shares, whose rights or interests are prejudiced to such an extent, by the conduct of the company or one or more co-shareholders, that a continuation of his shareholding cannot reasonably be required… Continue reading PREJUDICED INTERESTS OF MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS IN THE NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL IN ARUBA
Ignoring the legal personality of a company A shareholder is not personally liable for acts performed in the name of the company and is not liable to contribute to losses of the company in excess of the amount which he must pay to the company as contribution for his shares. There is therefore a legal… Continue reading PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL IN ARUBA
ORDINARY VERSUS SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS IN ARUBA
Interlocutory or summary proceedings provide for immediate relief Article 110 of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Code of Civil Procedure (‘the Code’) provides that all adversarial proceedings shall be initiated by means of a petition to the court of first instance. Proceedings so initiated are ordinary proceedings a.k.a. proceedings on the merits. A petitioner may… Continue reading ORDINARY VERSUS SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS IN ARUBA
THREE QUESTIONS ON ARUBAN BANKRUPTCY LAWS
FAQ Question 1 In which cases and by whom may bankruptcy proceedings be initiated in accordance with Aruban bankruptcy law? Filing for bankruptcy may be done either by the debtor itself or by one or more of its creditors. If the debtor is a company, generally speaking the managing directors do not have the authority… Continue reading THREE QUESTIONS ON ARUBAN BANKRUPTCY LAWS
ARUBAN LAW REGARDING CORPORATE AUTHORITY
The Aruba Trade Register should be checked The laws of Aruba provide that, subject to restrictions laid down by any statutory provision or a corporation’s articles of association, the board of directors of a company shall be competent to represent the company, i.e. a limited liability company (NV, AVV or VBA). In the event of… Continue reading ARUBAN LAW REGARDING CORPORATE AUTHORITY
NETHERLANDS CARIBBEAN BANKS AND REGULATORY ISSUES
A bank has less freedom than an ordinary legal entity What would be the requirements, from a regulatory point of view, if a Netherlands Antilles bank wished to sell its entire business or a substantial part thereof? Would it require approval from the Netherlands Antilles Central Bank (de ‘Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen’)? Generally, if the… Continue reading NETHERLANDS CARIBBEAN BANKS AND REGULATORY ISSUES
THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN AND ITS CIVIL LAW SYSTEM
Abstract rules are the starting point The Netherlands Antilles are an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is composed of three parts: the Kingdom in Europe (popularly known as Holland, north of Belgium and west of Germany), the Netherlands Antilles (in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela), and Aruba… Continue reading THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN AND ITS CIVIL LAW SYSTEM
BREACH OF CONTRACT IN THE DUTCH ANTILLES (V)
Restrictions on termination With regards to damages, the aim thereof is generally to restore the creditor to the position he would have been in had the contract been fulfilled. In case of breach of contract, the damages will usually be assessed by considering the situation the creditor would be in if restored to the position… Continue reading BREACH OF CONTRACT IN THE DUTCH ANTILLES (V)