1 / 29

CMBS/Subprime Financial Crisis:

CMBS/Subprime Financial Crisis:. E&O And D&O Insurance Issues May 16, 2008 Carl Schwartz Elliott M. Kroll. Property Sales (properties over $5 mm only). 2007. $425 billion. $40 billion. 2008 Q1. Index Performance. 5 Year. MSCI US REIT Index. 18.2%.

Download Presentation

CMBS/Subprime Financial Crisis:

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. CMBS/Subprime Financial Crisis: E&O And D&O Insurance Issues May 16, 2008 Carl Schwartz Elliott M. Kroll

  2. Property Sales(properties over $5 mm only) 2007 $425 billion $40 billion 2008 Q1

  3. Index Performance 5 Year MSCI US REIT Index 18.2% Dow Jones Wilshire Real Estate Securities Index 18.9% FTSE NAREIT - Equity REIT Index 18.3% S&P 500 Index 11.3% Russell 2000 Index 14.9% Lehman Government/Corporate Bond 5.0% Index Performance Comparison(From ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, U.S. Real Estate Securities, Market Commentary)

  4. Holders of Commercial & Multifamily Mortgage Leases ($ billions)(From Commercial Mortgage Securities Association, Compendium of Statistics)

  5. CMBS Issuance ($ billions)(From Commercial Mortgage Securities Association, Compendium of Statistics)

  6. CMBS Weekly Spreads to Treasuries and Swaps (From Commercial Mortgage Securities Association, Compendium of Statistics)

  7. Insurance Coverage Issues • Who is suing whom? • What is the nature of claims asserted? • What are the potential E&O and D&O coverage issues?

  8. Categories of Real Estate-Related Claims • Subprime mortgage sales to homeowners and bundling of groups of mortgage loans • CMBS market disruptions • Rating, securitization and insurance of real estate debt • Distribution of securitized debt

  9. Consumer actions (including class actions) v. Mortgage lenders, title insurers, mortgage brokers: Mortgage insurers v. Subprime lenders: Shareholder derivative suits Lenders v. Banks Suits by State Attorney Generals against Investment banks and investment advisors Hedge fund investors against Asset managers Claims against rating agencies Suits against Bond insurers, loan originators, Actions against debt securities underwriters for alleged SEC violations. Claims by Plan beneficiaries against Plan fiduciaries Criminal and regulatory investigations into subprime mortgage sales practices: Real Estate Related Securities and Mortgage Claims/Defendants

  10. Real Estate Related Securities and Mortgage Claims/Defendants • Borrowers (likely class actions) v. Mortgage lenders: • Inadequate disclosure of terms of loans (e.g. failure to properly disclose points, pre-payment penalties, “teaser” rates and adjustable nature of loan • Failure to investigate brokers or supervise employees • Improper reporting to credit agencies • Discriminatory/predatory lending/advertising practices • Statutory violations (Truth in Lending Act/Unfair Competition Act) • Mortgage insurers v. Subprime lenders: • force lenders to buy back or replace loans that insurer insured and that were made fraudulent or in violation of lender’s standards • Lenders v. Banks • improper margin calls and flawed valuation of underlying collateral by banks that purchased or financed the loans • Criminal and regulatory investigations into subprime mortgage sales practices: • FBI investigations of companies that participated in subprime lending

  11. Rating, Securitization and Insurance Claims/Defendants • Claims against Rating agencies • failure to properly rate CDOs • Regulatory investigations into anticompetitive conduct in debt rating industry • Claims against bond insurers unable to make contractually-obligated payments • Borrowers v. Investment banks • providing financial backing to an aggressive lender despite its questionable business practices • Shareholders v. Lenders • misrepresentation and omission related to accounting for residuals; bad valuation; poor underwriting standards • Investors in mortgage backed securities v. Funds • misrepresentation, bad pricing, failing to follow investment guidelines • Bond purchasers v. bond issuers and affiliates • Bond issuers and affiliates v. Loan originators • Loan originator shareholders v. Underwriters and auditors of loan originators.

  12. Distribution of Securitized Debt Claims/Defendants • Plan beneficiaries v. Plan fiduciaries • Clients v. Investment advisors • Shareholders v. Public companies with substantial subprime securities holdings • Institutional Investors v. Underwriters/Banks who securitized and sold mortgages (e.g. misrepresenting quality of underlying loans, covering up delinquencies, misrepresenting coverage available for foreclosures)

  13. $2 -3 billion in D&O losses (Guy Carpenter Specialty Practice Briefing, Nov. 2007) $3.6 billion for D&O losses (Advisen Ltd. 2/08) $8-9 billion for both E&O and D&O losses (National Underwriter P&C, Jan 28, 2008 referring to January 2008 Bear Stearns analyst report) Estimates do not include investment losses incurred by insurers through investment of their premium dollars Basis for estimates unclear Valuation of loss entirely problematical at this point Insured v. uninsured losses Who are the actual defendants? What is the actual impact on D&O - Side A Coverage? Estimates Of E&O/D&O Exposure To Subprime Losses

  14. Number of Subprime-Related Lawsuits • According to Navigant Consulting Study: • As of 12/31/07 -- 278 subprime related lawsuits • As of 3/31/08 – 478 subprime related lawsuits

  15. E&O/D&O Coverage • Is there a “Claim”? • Does definition expressly include administrative/regulatory proceedings and investigations? • E.g. “. . . a civil, administrative or regulatory proceeding against any Insured Person commenced by the filing of a notice of charges, investigative order or similar document.” • “formal” vs. “informal” investigation – some definitions only cover “formal” investigations • Some definitions expressly include: • subpoenas • target letters • “investigations” without distinguishing between “formal”/”informal”

  16. “First Made And Reported During Policy Period” • Claim Must Be First Made And Reported During Policy Period • Did the insured become aware, prior to the policy period, of a Claim, or notice of facts and circumstances that may give rise to a Claim, concerning alleged subprime-related losses?

  17. Who Is An “Insured” • E&O policies often define “insured” more broadly to include the company itself, as well as directors, officers, employees and third parties for whose actions the insured is legally responsible. • D&O policies typically include directors and officers and, in some circumstances, the company and/or employees • Does policy provide “entity coverage” (Part C Coverage)? • Is Part C Coverage limited to “Securities Claims”

  18. Definition of “Loss” • Typically excludes: • Punitive damages • Taxes • Fines • Penalties (civil or criminal) • Multiple Damages • Restitution

  19. “Professional Services” • E&O policies expressly afford coverage for “professional services” • Definitions can vary depending upon industry: • Lenders (“the origination, sale, pooling and servicing of mortgage loans secured by real property . . .) • Financial services firms (“services that an Insured renders pursuant to an agreement with a customer or client, as long as the customer pays a fee, commission, or other compensation . . .” • D&O policies generally exclude claims related to rendering of “professional services”

  20. “Professional Services” (cont.) • Investment Banks (“those services performed . . . by the Insured (or by any other person or entity for whose acts, errors, or omissions the Insured is . . . legally responsible for), for the benefit of, or on behalf of a Customer . . . for a fee, commission or other consideration”).

  21. E&O/D&O Exclusions • Dishonesty/Fraud • Violation of Statutes • predatory lending claims exclusion • Fiduciary liability

  22. Dishonesty/Fraud Exclusions • Did the insured act in a fraudulent manner/ engage in intentional conduct/obtain a profit or advantage to which it was not legally entitled: • Improper mortgage sales practices, including discriminatory lending practices • Improper property valuation practices • Improper waiver of financial requirements applicable to borrowers • Reckless/intentional misrepresentations to: • homebuyers • buyers of securitized subprime loans • Investors regarding exposure to housing/credit crisis • Final adjudication v. “in fact” standard

  23. Violation of Statutes • Some policies only exclude “willful” violation of statute • Some policies exclude only certain statutory violations (e.g. civil rights laws, antitrust laws and/or unfair competition statutes) • Some policies do not exclude statutory violations

  24. Specific Endorsements • Some policies have an endorsement excluding predatory lending claims. • Some policies contain exclusions barring claims arising from any investor’s interest in mortgage-backed securities or the filing of any registration statement therewith, unless the claim results from the rendering of “Professional Services.”

  25. Fiduciary Liability Insurance • Most D&O/E&O policies exclude fiduciary liability exposures and those exposures pertaining to the ERISA • Fiduciary liability policy may apply if a pension/retirement fund is largely invested in subprime securities. • Under ERISA, plan fiduciaries can be held personally liable for losses to a benefit plan incurred as a result of their alleged errors, omissions, or breach of fiduciary duties.

  26. Fiduciary Liability Insurance (cont.) • Insureds: • trust or employee benefit plan • any trustee, officer or employee of the trust or employee benefit plan • employer who is sole sponsor of a plan • any other individual or organization designated as a fiduciary.

  27. Fiduciary Liability Insurance (cont.) • Alleged “wrongful acts” may include: • Improper advice or disclosure • Inappropriate selection of advisors or service providers • Imprudent investments • Lack of investment diversity • Breach of responsibilities or fiduciary duties imposed by ERISA • Negligence in the administration of a plan • Conflict of interest with regard to investments

  28. CONCLUSION • Litigations will be prevalent • The list of target defendants will be wide • Plaintiff attorneys will be “imaginative” • New types of claims should be expected by state agencies, regulators, investors and consumers • Policyholders need to promptly cooperate and coordinate with their insurers • Choice of counsel • Response to investigations/pre-suit claims • Compliance with policy terms regarding notice to insurer (in writing, within policy period, specific address, etc.)

  29. CMBS/Subprime Financial CrisisMay 16, 2008 Carl Schwartz Elliott M. Kroll Herrick, Feinstein LLP 2 Park Avenue New York, N.Y. 10016 212 592 1400 www.herrick.com

More Related