opinion letters in commercial lending...
TRANSCRIPT
Presenting a live 90‐minute webinar with interactive Q&A
Opinion Letters in Commercial Opinion Letters in Commercial Lending TransactionsDrafting and Negotiating UCC, Securitization, and Entity and Contract Opinions
T d ’ f l f
1pm Eastern | 12pm Central | 11am Mountain | 10am Pacific
TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011
Today’s faculty features:
Steven O. Weise, Partner, Proskauer Rose, Los Angeles
Christine Gould Hamm, Partner, Husch Blackwell, Kansas City, Mo.
Jason Arbuck, Partner, Cassels Brock & Blackwell, Toronto, Canada
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Opinion letters in pcommercial lending transactions
Christine Gould HammSteve Weise
5
OverviewOverview
•Lay of the land•Common opinions in commercial lending financing transactionsoEntity and contract opinions
-Form part of basis for UCC opinionsoUCC opinionsoReal estate financing opinionsoSecuritization opinions
6
p
Role of customary practiceRole of customary practice
B i f•Basis for:oDiligenceM i f doMeaning of words
•ALI Restatement of Law Governing LawyersLawyers
•National Customary Practice StatementStatement
•Statement on commonly accepted opinion practices
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p p
Sources of opinion letter ‘law’ pand customary practice
•ABA reports•TriBar reports•TriBar reports•State Bar reports•ACREL reportsp•S&P guidelines•Many ABA, TriBar and other reports
il bl li (f f !)available online (for free!):http://apps.americanbar.org/buslaw/tribar/
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Entity opinionsEntity opinions
•Sources:oTriBar IIoTriBar IIoTriBar LLC Reportsp
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Entity opinionsEntity opinions
•Existence•Good standingGood standing
oNot all states•Authorization•No breach of contracts•No breach of contracts•No litigation statement
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Contract opinionsContract opinions
•Sources:oABA GuidelinesoABA GuidelinesoABA PrinciplespoTriBar IIoTriBar Remedies Report
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Contract opinionsContract opinions
•Remedies opinion - scopeoEnforceabilityoEnforceabilityoDoes not include UCC opinions, such as attachment of security interestof security interest
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Contracts opinionsContracts opinions
•Exceptions to remedies opinionoBankruptcy and equitable principles
•Specific exceptions that often come up in lending transactionsoPrepayment premiumsoYield maintenanceoLate charges
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UCC opinionsUCC opinions
•SourcesoTriBar Article 9 ReportpoState Bar reports
•TriBar report on secondary sales •TriBar report on secondary sales of securities (UCC Article 8 issues)
li bl i oIn part applicable to a security interest in investment property
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UCC opinions attachmentUCC opinions – attachment
•Based on contract law opinionsoAuthorityyoExistence of security agreement as a ‘contract’as a contract
•Is collateral and transaction subject to UCC?subject to UCC?oUCC scope statement
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UCC opinions attachmentUCC opinions – attachment
A th ti ti f it t•Authentication of security agreemento‘Grant’ languageA i ht i ll t l•Assume rights in collateraloTransferability of collateralA l ?•Assume value?
•Description of collateralR l t d d bt•Regulated debtors
•Due diligence
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UCC opinions – perfection by p p yfilingO i i h i f l ?•Opinion on choice of law?oDiligence on type of entityA f d bt th t t oAssume for debtors that are not registered organizations
oOK to opine on non licensed oOK to opine on non-licensed jurisdiction if have ‘competence’ on particular issuep
oDue diligence: determining state of formation, etc.
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UCC opinions – perfection by p p yfiling
•Debtor nameoDue diligence: organizational oDue diligence: organizational documentsA f i di id loAssume for individual
•Collateral descriptionCollateral description•Proper filing and tender of fee
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Perfection by possessionPerfection by possession
•Status of agent or bailee as such?oDetermining actual physical oDetermining actual physical possession by secured party, agent or baileeagent, or bailee
oDue diligence: acknowledgement from bailee
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Perfection by controlPerfection by control
•Secured party’s control?oEffect of debtor’s right to oEffect of debtor s right to given entitlement orders or instructions
oDue diligence: review of oDue diligence: review of control agreement
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UCC opinions priority filingUCC opinions – priority - filing
•Filing priority?oNot commonoNot common
•Review of UCC reportpoDue diligence: accuracy of
h t?search report?
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UCC opinions – priority: p p yinvestment property/notes
C t l i it•Control priority•Possession priority
P t t d h i it•Protected purchaser priority•Holder-in-due-course priority
D dili•Due diligence:oAssumptions re noticeA ti i oAssumptions re possession, endorsement and the like
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UCC remediesUCC remedies
•Waivers of debtor rights•Notice provisions•Notice provisions•Foreclosure proceduresp•‘Not manifestly unreasonable’
i iprovisions
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Real estate opinionsReal estate opinions
•Form of deed of trust or mortgage sufficient
•No opinions on title or priority•Generic exception•Generic exception•Sources:
ACR oACREL reportsoState bar reports
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p
Securitization opinionsSecuritization opinions
R d i i•Reasoned opinions•True sale opinion
o Transfers of mortgage noteso Transfers of mortgage notes•Non-consolidation opinion
o Use of SPE as single-asset real estate gborrower
•Sources:S & P g id lio S & P guidelines
o Older TriBar report
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Opinion letters in commercial lending transactionslending transactions
Christine Gould Hammh l k llHusch Blackwell Steve WeiseProskauer
310.284.4515
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Taking Security in an Igloo —Canadian Financing gTransaction Opinion Issues for US Practitioners
Jason Arbuck, PartnerCassels Brock & Blackwell LLPToronto Canada
© 2010 Cassels Brock
Toronto, [email protected]: 416 860 6889
Introduction to Canada
• 9 common law governed provinces• 9 common law governed provinces —similar to the US1 i il d d i Q éb• 1 civil code governed province — Québec
• Québec is different and takes more time —start early
• Property rights are a provincial matter, not p y g p ,federal
© 2010 Cassels Brock 28
Opinion letters
• Structure is similar to US based opinion• Structure is similar to US-based opinion lettersWh t i “ k t” d h t i t “ k t” i• What is “market” and what is not “market” is fairly well established
• Sources for customary practice are “Estey,” the “Green Book” and TOROG
© 2010 Cassels Brock 29
Corporate Opinions
• Corporations can be formed at the• Corporations can be formed at the provincial level or federal levelA l i f d l• Any lawyer can opine on federal corporations
• Provincial corporations require opinion from jurisdiction of formation
© 2010 Cassels Brock 30
Applicable Canadian Legislation
• No uniform code• No uniform code • Common law provinces each have a
“PPSA”“PPSA” • PPSAs are modeled on Article 9 of the
UCC• Nearly all Provinces now have a Securities y
Transfer Act or “STA” which is modeled on Article 8 of the UCC
© 2010 Cassels Brock 31
Creation of a Security Interest —Common Law ProvincesCommon Law Provinces
• Requirements for “creation” are• Requirements for creation are substantially similar to the USUS d ft d it t il• US drafted security agreements are easily “Canadianized”
• Canadianization — consider statute references, judgement currency language, usury laws, annualized rates, no penalties on default
© 2010 Cassels Brock 32
• Governing law — use appropriate province
Creation of a Security Interest —QuébecQuébec
• Typically security in Québec is drafted by• Typically, security in Québec is drafted by Québec counsel“H th ” t b i d b f• “Hypothec” must be signed before registration
• Need to include a dollar amount and full collateral description
© 2010 Cassels Brock 33
Perfection of a Security Interest —Registration SystemsRegistration Systems
• Registration systems in each province• Registration systems in each province • Filing is electronic and instantaneous• Must register in the appropriate provinces
— depends on where the collateral is situated and where the offices of the debtor are situated
© 2010 Cassels Brock 34
Perfection of a Security Interest —Where to RegisterWhere to Register
• Must register and obtain a perfection• Must register and obtain a perfection opinion from local counsel in each province in which a debtorin which a debtor i) has tangible collateral (for tangible collateral),
andand ii) has its “Chief Executive Office” (for intangible
collateral and mobile goods)collateral and mobile goods)• If the debtor has major offices in more than
one jurisdiction then register and obtain
© 2010 Cassels Brock 35
one jurisdiction, then register and obtain opinions from each province
Perfection of a Security Interest —Deposit AccountsDeposit Accounts
• Perfect by registration not control• Perfect by registration, not control• Control agreements not required, but often
d b US l dused by US lenders
© 2010 Cassels Brock 36
www.casselsbrock.com
© 2010 Cassels Brock
2100 Scotia Plaza, 40 King Street West, Toronto, Canada M5H 3C2 Phone 416 869 5300© 2010 Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. Cassels Brock and the CB logo are registered trade-marks of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. All rights reserved.