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Non-Consolidation Opinions in Commercial Real Estate Finance: Factual Assumptions, Critical Elements, Avoiding Pitfalls

Recording of a 90-minute premium CLE video webinar with Q&A

This program is included with the Strafford CLE Pass. Click for more information.
This program is included with the Strafford All-Access Pass. Click for more information.

Conducted on Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Recorded event now available

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This CLE course will provide practitioners with practical advice regarding the use of non-consolidation legal opinions in commercial real estate financings. The panel will review the key elements of these opinion letters, highlight the attendant risks and potential liabilities, discuss the rights, obligations, and expectations of opinion givers and lenders, and outline best practices to reduce risks and avoid common pitfalls.

Description

Commercial real estate lenders usually require that the owner/borrower of commercial real estate is a special purpose entity (SPE) adequately insulated from related parties' insolvency or bankruptcy. The goal is for the SPE entity to be "bankruptcy remote."

In larger structured commercial real estate financings (principal balance of $20 million or more), lenders and rating agencies will typically require the borrower to provide a non-consolidation opinion at closing. A non-consolidation opinion issued by counsel for the borrower provides assurance that the borrower's assets and the collateral offered to secure the mortgage will not be subject to substantive consolidation with certain affiliated parties in the event of a bankruptcy filing.

When issuing a non-consolidation opinion, counsel must review all relevant transaction and organization documents of the borrower. Counsel for both borrowers and lenders must be aware of the potential issues and limitations relating to non-consolidation opinions to adequately advise their clients.

Listen as our expert panel discusses the role of non-consolidation opinions in commercial real estate finance, the critical elements of these opinions, and best practices for reviewing and issuing non-consolidation opinions.

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Outline

  1. Background: law governing substantive consolidation in bankruptcy
  2. The role of non-consolidation opinion letters in commercial real estate finance
  3. How non-consolidation opinions differ from other customary legal opinions in real estate finance
  4. Benefits of non-consolidation opinion letters
  5. Key elements of a non-consolidation opinion
  6. Potential issues when issuing non-consolidation opinions in commercial real estate financings
  7. Best practices and tips for issuing a non-consolidation legal opinion and mitigating risks to the preparer

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key considerations:

  • What is the bankruptcy concept of substantive consolidation and how does this equitable remedy relate to commercial real estate financings?
  • When are non-consolidation opinion letters typically required in the commercial real estate finance context?
  • What are the critical elements of non-consolidation opinions?
  • What are the potential issues when drafting non-consolidation opinions and how can these issues be avoided?

Faculty

Borgeson, Kathryn
Kathryn M. Borgeson

Partner
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft

Ms. Borgeson’s practice is concentrated in the areas of bankruptcy and structured finance. She provides...  |  Read More

Harbour, Jason
Jason W. Harbour

Partner
Hunton Andrews Kurth

Mr. Harbour regularly represents all major constituencies in formal bankruptcy proceedings and in out-of-court...  |  Read More

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