Podcast: CFTC Issues LIBOR Transition Relief for Swaps
The Background: In 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") and HM Treasury began consulting on the Wholesale Markets Review (the "Review"), a broad review of the structure, functioning, and regulation of secondary...more
A new rule removes the requirement to clear IBOR-based swaps and extends mandatory clearing to swaps on IBOR alternatives. On August 12, 2022, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) voted to amend its...more
On March 15, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 – which included the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act – was signed into law. The LIBOR Act is meant to address concerns with ceasing the use of LIBOR by...more
On Jan. 4, 2022, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Internal Revenue Service (the Service) published final regulations (the Final Regulations) offering guidance to taxpayers with respect to the widely reported...more
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service on December 30, 2021, issued final regulations (“Final Regulations”) allowing a tax-free treatment of “covered modifications,” as defined, of certain...more
The IRS has issued final regulations governing the tax consequences of transitions from Interbank Offered Rates (IBORs) to other reference rates in debt instruments. The final regulations adopt many of the proposed...more
As the IBOR transition continues, business teams have frequently heard from their tax departments and advisors that amending existing contracts to add IBOR replacement mechanics or replacing an IBOR rate with a new rate can...more
On December 30, 2021, the Treasury Department and IRS issued final regulations to address the taxability of modifications that replace LIBOR or another interbank offered rate (an IBOR) with a qualified rate like SOFR....more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2020-44 to assist the market's transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) and other interbank offered rates (IBORs) to alternative reference rates...more
On June 4, 2021, the Loan Market Association (LMA) published a recommended form of its reference rate selection agreement (the Selection Agreement), which has been updated following market feedback. The Selection Agreement...more
Following the ARRC-recommended deadline for shifting to hardwired fallbacks, the syndicated loan market has begun to show signs of change - Based on best practices published by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee...more
While a welcome development for parties to derivatives transactions generally, the launch of ISDA’s robust benchmark fallbacks may not be the most appropriate solution for IBOR cessation in finance-linked hedging transactions...more
The IRS recently released Revenue Procedure 2020-44 (“Rev. Proc. 2020-44”) which provides helpful relief to taxpayers by providing that if a contract referencing an IBOR is modified to incorporate specific ISDA or AARC...more
On October 23, 2020, ISDA published its long-awaited IBOR Fallbacks Supplement to the 2006 ISDA Definitions (the Supplement) and Protocol. The publication is a result of years of consultations with regulators and market...more
ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol - The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) has published the ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol. Our separate client alert, ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol: What...more
On October 23, 2020, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) published its long-awaited IBOR Fallbacks Supplement (Supplement) and IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (Protocol), marking a major milestone in the effort...more
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. ("ISDA") has finally published its long-awaited "Amendments to the 2006 ISDA Definitions to include new IBOR fallbacks" ("IBOR Supplement") and accompanying "protocol"...more
In 2017, the United Kingdom regulator overseeing the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a benchmark for rates for short-term interbank loans, announced that all currency and term variants of LIBOR, including U.S. dollar...more
On October 23, 2020, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”) published (1) the ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (the “Protocol”) and (2) a supplement to the 2006 ISDA Definitions that adds new IBOR...more
In connection with the anticipated discontinuance of LIBOR and similar benchmarks, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) has published the 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (Protocol) to help market...more
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) has launched the ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol - Who should read this Client Alert? If you have derivatives contracts that are linked to, or refer to,...more
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) has published the ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (the IBOR Fallbacks Protocol). This client alert sets out key issues counterparties may wish to consider in...more
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association Inc. (ISDA) has published its long-awaited 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (the Protocol) and related Amendments to the 2006 ISDA Definitions (the Amendments). These documents,...more
Regulators and industry groups strongly encourage market participants to adopt ISDA’s much-anticipated IBOR Fallbacks Protocol and Definitions Supplement. The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) has...more
On October 9, 2020, ISDA announced that on October 23, 2020 it will launch (1) the IBOR Fallbacks Supplement (Supplement) to the 2006 ISDA Definitions (Definitions) and (2) the ISDA 2020 IBOR Fallbacks Protocol (Protocol)....more