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Credit Suisse Waives Fees for Clients Hit by Greensill Collapse

Credit Suisse Waives Fees for Clients Hit by Greensill Collapse

Credit Suisse Group AG is planning to waive a number of fees for clients that invested in its Greensill-linked supply-chain finance funds, many of whom are still waiting to get their money back.

The Swiss lender will refund brokerage fees, investment advisory fees and banking services, starting with the bank’s Swiss clients, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. Credit Suisse has already waived management fees for the supply chain finance funds.

Credit Suisse has “been actively engaging with our clients in recent months to explore possible measures that would improve their situation,” according to a statement from the lender. “We have taken their feedback on board, explored the viability of a number of scenarios and, starting with clients in Switzerland, we are now able to grant special conditions as a gesture of our commitment to these important relationships.”

The news was reported by Reuters earlier. 

Investors in the $10 billion group of funds, which bought notes issued by Greensill Capital, are still waiting for more than $3 billion to be repaid, seven months after specialty lender Greensill went into administration and the bank was forced to suspend redemptions. Credit Suisse has shaken up its top management, replaced asset management head Eric Varvel and removed the business from direct oversight of wealth management since it was forced to suspend the funds.

Credit Suisse said earlier this month that it will front “as much as possible” of the legal and advisory costs to recover cash for investors. The bank is trying to reclaim $2.7 billion in overdue loan payments, mostly from problem borrowers Katerra Inc., Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance Ltd., and Bluestone Resources Inc. 

GFG recently signed a restructuring deal with Credit Suisse for one of its Australian steel units that includes an upfront payment. Bluestone has been offering $300 million and half the value of its business to repay loans that ended up in the supply chain finance funds.

The stakes for the bank have been rising after its offices were raided by police over the matter. While neither the bank nor current or former employees are persons of interest in the investigation, prosecutors could name more people or corporate entities as they progress.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.