(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this section, unless the appropriate
Federal banking agencies, the SEC, and the CFTC jointly determine
otherwise, a covered fund does not include:
(1) Foreign public
funds.
(i) Subject to paragraphs (c)(1)(ii)
and (iii)of this section, an issuer that:
(A) Is organized or established
outside of the United States; and
(B) Is authorized to offer and sell ownership
interests, and such interests are offered and sold, through one or
more public offerings.
(ii) With respect to a banking entity
that is, or is controlled directly or indirectly by a banking entity
that is, located in or organized under the laws of the United States
or of any State and any issuer for which such banking entity acts
as sponsor, the sponsoring banking entity may not rely on the exemption
in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section for such issuer unless more
than 75 percent of the ownership interests in the issuer are sold
to persons other than:
(A) Such sponsoring banking entity;
(B) Such issuer;
(C) Affiliates of such sponsoring
banking entity or such issuer; and
(D) Directors and senior executive officers
as defined in section 225.71(c) of the Board’s Regulation Y (12 CFR
225.71(c)) of such entities.
(iii) For purposes of paragraph (c)(1)(i)(B)
of this section, the term “public offering” means a distribution (as
defined in section 248.4(a)(3)) of securities in any jurisdiction
outside the United States to investors, including retail investors,
provided that:
(A) The distribution is subject to substantive
disclosure and retail investor protection laws or regulations;
(B) With respect to an issuer
for which the banking entity serves as the investment manager, investment
adviser, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, or sponsor,
the distribution complies with all applicable requirements in the
jurisdiction in which such distribution is being made;
(C) The distribution does not
restrict availability to investors having a minimum level of net worth
or net investment assets; and
(D) The issuer has filed or submitted, with the appropriate regulatory
authority in such jurisdiction, offering disclosure documents that
are publicly available.
(2) Wholly-owned
subsidiaries. An entity, all of the outstanding ownership interests
of which are owned directly or indirectly by the banking entity (or
an affiliate thereof), except that:
(i) Up to 5 percent of the
entity’s outstanding ownership interests, less any amounts
outstanding under paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, may be held
by employees or directors of the banking entity or such affiliate
(including former employees or directors if their ownership interest
was acquired while employed by or in the service of the banking entity);
and
(ii) Up to 0.5
percent of the entity’s outstanding ownership interests may be held
by a third party if the ownership interest is acquired or retained
by the third party for the purpose of establishing corporate separateness
or addressing bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar concerns.
(3) Joint ventures. A joint venture between a banking entity or
any of its affiliates and one or more unaffiliated persons, provided
that the joint venture:
(i) Is composed of no more than 10 unaffiliated
co-venturers;
(ii)
Is in the business of engaging in activities that are permissible
for the banking entity or affiliate, other than investing in securities
for resale or other disposition; and
(iii) Is not, and does not hold itself
out as being, an entity or arrangement that raises money from investors
primarily for the purpose of investing in securities for resale or
other disposition or otherwise trading in securities.
(4) Acquisition vehicles. An issuer:
(i) Formed
solely for the purpose of engaging in a bona fide merger or
acquisition transaction; and
(ii) That exists only for such period
as necessary to effectuate the transaction.
(5) Foreign pension or retirement funds. A plan, fund, or program
providing pension, retirement, or similar benefits that is:
(i) Organized
and administered outside the United States;
(ii) A broad-based plan for employees
or citizens that is subject to regulation as a pension, retirement,
or similar plan under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the plan,
fund, or program is organized and administered; and
(iii) Established for the benefit of
citizens or residents of one or more foreign sovereigns or any political
subdivision thereof.
(6) Insurance
company separate accounts. A separate account, provided that
no banking entity other than the insurance company participates in
the account’s profits and losses.
(7) Bank owned
life insurance. A separate account that is used solely for the
purpose of allowing one or more banking entities to purchase a life
insurance policy for which the banking entity or entities is beneficiary,
provided that no banking entity that purchases the policy:
(i) Controls
the investment decisions regarding the underlying assets or holdings
of the separate account; or
(ii) Participates in the profits and
losses of the separate account other than in compliance with applicable
requirements regarding bank owned life insurance.
(8) Loan securitizations.
(i) Scope. An issuing entity for asset-backed
securities that satisfies all the conditions of this paragraph (c)(8)
and the assets or holdings of which are composed solely of:
(A) Loans as
defined in section 248.2(t);
(B) Rights or other assets designed to assure the servicing or timely
distribution of proceeds to holders of such securities and rights
or other assets that are related or incidental to purchasing or otherwise
acquiring and holding the loans, provided that each asset that is
a security (other than special units of beneficial interest and collateral
certificates meeting the requirements of paragraph (c)(8)(v) of this
section) meets the requirements of paragraph (c)(8)(iii) of this section;
(C) Interest rate or foreign
exchange derivatives that meet the requirements of paragraph (c)(8)(iv)
of this section;
(D) Special
units of beneficial interest and collateral certificates that meet
the requirements of paragraph (c)(8)(v) of this section; and
(E) Debt securities, other than
asset-backed securities and convertible securities, provided that:
(1) The aggregate value of such debt
securities does not exceed 5 percent of the aggregate value of loans
held under paragraph (c)(8)(i)(A) of this section, cash and cash equivalents
held under paragraph (c)(8)(iii)(A) of this section, and debt securities
held under this paragraph (c)(8)(i)(E); and
(2) The aggregate value of the loans,
cash and cash equivalents, and debt securities for purposes of this
paragraph is calculated at par value at the most recent time any such
debt security is acquired, except that the issuing entity may instead
determine the value of any such loan, cash equivalent, or debt security
based on its fair market value if:
(i) The issuing entity is required to use the fair market
value of such assets for purposes of calculating compliance with concentration
limitations or other similar calculations under its transaction agreements,
and
(ii) The issuing
entity’s valuation methodology values similarly situated assets consistently.
(ii) Impermissible
assets. For purposes of this paragraph (c)(8), except as permitted
under paragraph (c)(8)(i)(E) of this section, the assets or holdings
of the issuing entity shall not include any of the following:
(A) A security,
including an asset-backed security, or an interest in an equity or
debt security other than as permitted in paragraphs (c)(8)(iii), (iv),
or (v) of this section;
(B) A derivative, other than a derivative that meets the requirements
of paragraph (c)(8)(iv) of this section; or
(C) A commodity forward contract.
(iii) Permitted securities. Notwithstanding paragraph
(c)(8)(ii)(A) of this section, the issuing entity may hold securities,
other than debt securities permitted under paragraph (c)(8)(i)(E)
of this section, if those securities are:
(A) Cash equivalents—which,
for the purposes of this paragraph, means high quality, highly liquid
investments whose maturity corresponds to the securitization’s expected
or potential need for funds and whose currency corresponds to either
the underlying loans or the asset-backed securities—for purposes of
the rights and assets in paragraph (c)(8)(i)(B) of this section; or
(B) Securities received in
lieu of debts previously contracted with respect to the loans supporting
the asset-backed securities.
(iv) Derivatives. The holdings of derivatives by the issuing entity shall be limited
to interest rate or foreign exchange derivatives that satisfy all
of the following conditions:
(A) The written terms of the derivatives
directly relate to the loans, the asset-backed securities, the contractual
rights or other assets described in paragraph (c)(8)(i)(B) of this
section, or the debt securities described in paragraph (c)(8)(i)(E)
of this section; and
(B)
The derivatives reduce the interest rate and/or foreign exchange risks
related to the loans, the asset-backed securities, the contractual
rights or other assets described in paragraph (c)(8)(i)(B) of this
section, or the debt securities described in paragraph (c)(8)(i)(E)
of this section.
(v) Special
units of beneficial interest and collateral certificates. The
assets or holdings of the issuing entity may include collateral certificates
and special units of beneficial interest issued by a special purpose
vehicle, provided that:
(A) The special purpose vehicle that issues
the special unit of beneficial interest or collateral certificate
meets the requirements in this paragraph (c)(8);
(B) The special unit of beneficial interest
or collateral certificate is used for the sole purpose of transferring
to the issuing entity for the loan securitization the economic risks
and benefits of the assets that are permissible for loan securitizations
under this paragraph (c)(8) and does not directly or indirectly transfer
any interest in any other economic or financial exposure;
(C) The special unit of beneficial
interest or collateral certificate is created solely to satisfy legal
requirements or otherwise facilitate the structuring of the loan securitization;
and
(D) The special purpose
vehicle that issues the special unit of beneficial interest or collateral
certificate and the issuing entity are established under the direction
of the same entity that initiated the loan securitization.
(9) Qualifying asset-backed commercial paper conduits.
(i) An issuing entity for asset-backed
commercial paper that satisfies all of the following requirements:
(A) The asset-backed commercial paper conduit holds only:
(1) Loans and other assets permissible
for a loan securitization under paragraph (c)(8)(i) of this section;
and
(2) Asset-backed
securities supported solely by assets that are permissible for loan
securitizations under paragraph (c)(8)(i) of this section and acquired
by the asset-backed commercial paper conduit as part of an initial
issuance either directly from the issuing entity of the asset-backed
securities or directly from an underwriter in the distribution of
the asset-backed securities;
(B) The asset-backed commercial paper conduit
issues only asset-backed securities, comprised of a residual interest and
securities with a legal maturity of 397 days or less; and
(C) A regulated liquidity provider
has entered into a legally binding commitment to provide full and
unconditional liquidity coverage with respect to all of the outstanding
asset-backed securities issued by the asset-backed commercial paper
conduit (other than any residual interest) in the event that funds
are required to redeem maturing asset-backed securities.
(ii) For purposes of
this paragraph (c)(9), a regulated liquidity provider means:
(A) A depository
institution, as defined in section 3(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(c));
(B) A bank holding company, as defined in section 2(a) of the Bank
Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841(a)), or a subsidiary thereof;
(C) A savings and loan holding
company, as defined in section 10a of the Home Owners’ Loan Act (12
U.S.C. 1467a), provided all or substantially all of the holding company’s
activities are permissible for a financial holding company under section
4(k) of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1843(k)),
or a subsidiary thereof;
(D) A foreign bank whose home country supervisor, as defined in section
211.21(q) of the Board’s Regulation K (12 CFR 211.21(q)), has adopted
capital standards consistent with the Capital Accord for the Basel
Committee on banking Supervision, as amended, and that is subject
to such standards, or a subsidiary thereof; or
(E) The United States or a foreign sovereign.
(10) Qualifying covered bonds.
(i) Scope. An entity owning or holding
a dynamic or fixed pool of loans or other assets as provided in paragraph
(c)(8) of this section for the benefit of the holders of covered bonds,
provided that the assets in the pool are composed solely of assets
that meet the conditions in paragraph (c)(8)(i) of this section.
(ii) Covered bond. For purposes of this paragraph
(c)(10), a covered bond means:
(A) A debt obligation issued by
an entity that meets the definition of foreign banking organization,
the payment obligations of which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed
by an entity that meets the conditions set forth in paragraph (c)(10)(i)
of this section; or
(B)
A debt obligation of an entity that meets the conditions set forth
in paragraph (c)(10)(i) of this section, provided that the payment
obligations are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by an entity
that meets the definition of foreign banking organization and the
entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary, as defined in paragraph (c)(2)
of this section, of such foreign banking organization.
(11) SBICs and public welfare investment funds. An issuer:
(i) That is a small business
investment company, as defined in section 103(3) of the Small Business
Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 662), or that has received from
the Small Business Administration notice to proceed to qualify for
a license as a small business investment company, which notice or
license has not been revoked, or that has voluntarily surrendered
its license to operate as a small business investment company in accordance
with 13 CFR 107.1900 and does not make any new investments (other
than investments in cash equivalents, which, for the purposes of this
paragraph, means high quality, highly liquid investments whose maturity
corresponds to the issuer’s expected or potential need for funds and
whose currency corresponds to the issuer’s assets) after such voluntary
surrender;
(ii) The
business of which is to make investments that are:
(A) Designed primarily
to promote the public welfare, of the type permitted under paragraph
(11) of section 5136 of the Revised Statutes of the United States
(12 U.S.C. 24), including the welfare of low- and moderate-income communities
or families (such as providing housing, services, or jobs) and including
investments that qualify for consideration under the regulations implementing
the Community Reinvestment Act (12 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); or
(B) Qualified rehabilitation
expenditures with respect to a qualified rehabilitated building or
certified historic structure, as such terms are defined in section
47 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or a similar State historic
tax credit program;
(iii) That has elected to be regulated
or is regulated as a rural business investment company, as described
in 15 U.S.C. 80b-3(b)(8)(A) or (B), or that has terminated its participation
as a rural business investment company in accordance with 7 CFR 4290.1900
and does not make any new investments (other than investments in cash
equivalents, which, for the purposes of this paragraph, means high
quality, highly liquid investments whose maturity corresponds to the
issuer’s expected or potential need for funds and whose currency corresponds
to the issuer’s assets) after such termination; or
(iv) That is a qualified opportunity
fund, as defined in 26 U.S.C. 1400Z-2(d).
(12) Registered investment companies and excluded entities. An issuer:
(i) That is registered as an investment company under section 8 of
the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8), or that is formed
and operated pursuant to a written plan to become a registered investment
company as described in section 248.20(e)(3) of subpart D and that
complies with the requirements of section 18 of the Investment Company
Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-18);
(ii) That may rely on an exclusion or
exemption from the definition of “investment company” under the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.) other than the
exclusions contained in section 3(c)(1) and 3(c)(7) of that Act; or
(iii) That has elected
to be regulated as a business development company pursuant to section
54(a) of that Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-53) and has not withdrawn its election,
or that is formed and operated pursuant to a written plan to become
a business development company as described in section 248.20(e)(3)
of subpart D and that complies with the requirements of section 61
of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-60).
(13) Issuers in conjunction with the FDIC’s receivership
or conservatorship operations. An issuer that is an entity formed
by or on behalf of the FDIC for the purpose of facilitating the disposal
of assets acquired in the FDIC’s capacity as conservator or receiver
under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act or Title II of the Dodd-Frank
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
(14) Other excluded
issuers.
(i) Any issuer that the appropriate
Federal banking agencies, the SEC, and the CFTC jointly determine
the exclusion of which is consistent with the purposes of section
13 of the BHC Act.
(ii) A determination made under paragraph (c)(14)(i) of this section
will be promptly made public.
(15) Credit funds. Subject to paragraphs (c)(15)(iii), (iv), and (v) of this section,
an issuer that satisfies the asset and activity requirements of paragraphs
(c)(15)(i) and (ii) of this section.
(i) Asset requirements. The issuer’s assets
must be composed solely of:
(A) Loans as defined in section
248.2(t);
(B) Debt instruments,
subject to paragraph (c)(15)(iv) of this section;
(C) Rights and other assets that are related
or incidental to acquiring, holding, servicing, or selling such loans
or debt instruments, provided that:
(1) Each right or asset held under this paragraph (c)(15)(i)(C)
that is a security is either:
(i) A cash equivalent (which, for the purposes of this paragraph,
means high quality, highly liquid investments whose maturity corresponds
to the issuer’s expected or potential need for funds and whose currency
corresponds to either the underlying loans or the debt instruments);
(ii) A security
received in lieu of debts previously contracted with respect to such
loans or debt instruments; or
(iii) An equity security (or right
to acquire an equity security) received on customary terms in connection
with such loans or debt instruments; and
(2) Rights or other assets
held under this paragraph (c)(15)(i)(C) of this section may not include
commodity forward contracts or any derivative; and
(D) Interest rate or foreign
exchange derivatives, if:
(1) The written terms of the derivative directly relate to
the loans, debt instruments, or other rights or assets described in
paragraph (c)(15)(i)(C) of this section; and
(2) The derivative reduces the interest
rate and/or foreign exchange risks related to the loans, debt instruments,
or other rights or assets described in paragraph (c)(15)(i)(C) of
this section.
(ii) Activity
requirements. To be eligible for the exclusion of paragraph (c)(15)
of this section, an issuer must:
(A) Not engage in any activity
that would constitute proprietary trading under section 248.3(b)(l)(i),
as if the issuer were a banking entity; and
(B) Not issue asset-backed securities.
(iii) Requirements for a sponsor, investment adviser,
or commodity trading advisor. A banking entity that acts as a
sponsor, investment adviser, or commodity trading advisor to an issuer
that meets the conditions in paragraphs (c)(15)(i) and (ii) of this
section may not rely on this exclusion unless the banking entity:
(A) Provides in writing to any prospective and actual investor in
the issuer the disclosures required under section 248.11(a)(8) of
this subpart, as if the issuer were a covered fund;
(B) Ensures that the activities of the issuer
are consistent with safety and soundness standards that are substantially
similar to those that would apply if the banking entity engaged in
the activities directly; and
(C) Complies with the limitations imposed in section 248.14, as if
the issuer were a covered fund, except the banking entity may acquire
and retain any ownership interest in the issuer.
(iv) Additional banking entity requirements. A banking entity may not rely on this exclusion with respect to
an issuer that meets the conditions in paragraphs (c)(15)(i) and (ii)
of this section unless:
(A) The banking entity does not, directly
or indirectly, guarantee, assume, or otherwise insure the obligations
or performance of the issuer or of any entity to which such issuer
extends credit or in which such issuer invests; and
(B) Any assets the issuer holds pursuant to
paragraphs (c)(15)(i)(B) or (i)(C)(1)(iii) of this section would be
permissible for the banking entity to acquire and hold directly under
applicable federal banking laws and regulations.
(v) Investment and relationship limits. A banking
entity’s investment in, and relationship with, the issuer must:
(A) Comply with the limitations imposed in section 248.15, as if
the issuer were a covered fund; and
(B) Be conducted in compliance with, and subject
to, applicable banking laws and regulations, including applicable
safety and soundness standards.
(16) Qualifying venture capital funds.
(i) Subject to paragraphs
(c)(16)(ii) through (iv) of this section, an issuer that:
(A) Is a venture
capital fund as defined in 17 CFR 275.203(l)-1; and
(B) Does not engage in any activity
that would constitute proprietary trading under section 248.3(b)(1)(i),
as if the issuer were a banking entity.
(ii) A banking entity that
acts as a sponsor, investment adviser, or commodity trading advisor
to an issuer that meets the conditions in paragraph (c)(16)(i) of
this section may not rely on this exclusion unless the banking entity:
(A) Provides in writing to any prospective and actual investor in
the issuer the disclosures required under section 248.11(a)(8), as
if the issuer were a covered fund;
(B) Ensures that the activities of the issuer
are consistent with safety and soundness standards that are substantially
similar to those that would apply if the banking entity engaged in
the activities directly; and
(C) Complies with the restrictions in section 248.14 as if the issuer
were a covered fund (except the banking entity may acquire and retain
any ownership interest in the issuer).
(iii) The banking entity
must not, directly or indirectly, guarantee, assume, or otherwise
insure the obligations or performance of the issuer.
(iv) A banking entity’s ownership interest
in or relationship with the issuer must:
(A) Comply with the limitations
imposed in section 248.15, as if the issuer were a covered fund; and
(B) Be conducted in compliance
with, and subject to, applicable banking laws and regulations, including
applicable safety and soundness standards.
(17) Family wealth management vehicles.
(i) Subject to paragraph (c)(17)(ii) of this section, any entity
that is not, and does not hold itself out as being, an entity or arrangement
that raises money from investors primarily for the purpose of investing
in securities for resale or other disposition or otherwise trading
in securities, and:
(A) If the entity is a trust, the grantor(s)
of the entity are all family customers; and
(B) If the entity is not a trust:
(1) A majority of the voting interests
in the entity are owned (directly or indirectly) by family customers;
(2) A majority of
the interests in the entity are owned (directly or indirectly) by
family customers;
(3) The entity is owned only by family customers and up to 5 closely
related persons of the family customers; and
(C) Notwithstanding paragraph
(c)(17)(i)(A) and (B) of this section, up to an aggregate 0.5 percent
of the entity’s outstanding ownership interests may be acquired or
retained by one or more entities that are not family customers or
closely related persons if the ownership interest is acquired or retained
by such parties for the purpose of and to the extent necessary for
establishing corporate separateness or addressing bankruptcy, insolvency,
or similar concerns.
(ii) A banking entity may rely on the
exclusion in paragraph (c)(17)(i) of this section with respect to
an entity provided that the banking entity (or an affiliate):
(A) Provides bona fide trust, fiduciary, investment advisory, or commodity
trading advisory services to the entity;
(B) Does not, directly or indirectly, guarantee,
assume, or otherwise insure the obligations or performance of such
entity;
(C) Complies with
the disclosure obligations under section 248.11(a)(8), as if such
entity were a covered fund, provided that the content may be modified
to prevent the disclosure from being misleading and the manner of
disclosure may be modified to accommodate the specific circumstances
of the entity;
(D) Does
not acquire or retain, as principal, an ownership interest in the
entity, other than as described in paragraph (c)(17)(i)(C) of this
section;
(E) Complies with
the requirements of sections 248.14(b) and 248.15, as if such entity
were a covered fund; and
(F) Except for riskless principal transactions as defined in paragraph
(d)(11) of this section, complies with the requirements of 12 CFR
223.15(a), as if such banking entity and its affiliates were a member
bank and the entity were an affiliate thereof.
(iii) For purposes
of paragraph (c)(17) of this section, the following definitions apply:
(A) Closely related person means a natural person (including
the estate and estate planning vehicles of such person) who has longstanding
business or personal relationships with any family customer.
(B) Family customer means:
(1) A family client, as defined in
Rule 202(a)(11)(G)-1(d)(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
(17 CFR 275.202(a)(11)(G)-1(d)(4)); or
(2) Any natural person who is a father-in-law,
mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law or daughter-in-law
of a family client, or a spouse or a spousal equivalent of any of
the foregoing.
(18) Customer facilitation vehicles.
(i) Subject to paragraph
(c)(18)(ii) of this section, an issuer that is formed by or at the
request of a customer of the banking entity for the purpose of providing
such customer (which may include one or more affiliates of such customer)
with exposure to a transaction, investment strategy, or other service
provided by the banking entity.
(ii) A banking entity may rely on the
exclusion in paragraph (c)(18)(i) of this section with respect to
an issuer provided that:
(A) All of the ownership interests of the
issuer are owned by the customer (which may include one or more of
its affiliates) for whom the issuer was created;
(B) Notwithstanding paragraph (c)(18)(ii)(A)
of this section, up to an aggregate 0.5 percent of the issuer’s outstanding
ownership interests may be acquired or retained by one or more entities
that are not customers if the ownership interest is acquired or retained
by such parties for the purpose of and to the extent necessary for
establishing corporate separateness or addressing bankruptcy, insolvency,
or similar concerns; and
(C) The banking entity and its affiliates:
(1) Maintain documentation outlining
how the banking entity intends to facilitate the customer’s exposure
to such transaction, investment strategy, or service;
(2) Do not, directly
or indirectly, guarantee, assume, or otherwise insure the obligations
or performance of such issuer;
(3) Comply with the disclosure obligations
under section 248.11(a)(8), as if such issuer were a covered fund,
provided that the content may be modified to prevent the disclosure
from being misleading and the manner of disclosure may be modified
to accommodate the specific circumstances of the issuer;
(4) Do not acquire or
retain, as principal, an ownership interest in the issuer, other than
as described in paragraph (c)(18)(ii)(B) of this section;
(5) Comply with the requirements
of sections 248.14(b) and 248.15, as if such issuer were a covered
fund; and
(6)
Except for riskless principal transactions as defined in paragraph
(d)(11) of this section, comply with the requirements of 12 CFR 223.15(a),
as if such banking entity and its affiliates were a member bank and
the issuer were an affiliate thereof.
(1) Applicable accounting standards means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or such other
accounting standards applicable to a banking entity that the Board
determines are appropriate and that the banking entity uses in the
ordinary course of its business in preparing its consolidated financial
statements.
(2) Asset-backed security has the meaning specified in section 3(a)(79)
of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(79).
(3) Director has the same meaning
as provided in section 215.2(d)(1) of the Board’s Regulation O (12
CFR 215.2(d)(1)).
(4) Issuer has the same meaning as in section 2(a)(22) of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(22)).
(5) Issuing entity means with respect
to asset-backed securities the special purpose vehicle that owns or
holds the pool assets underlying asset-backed securities and in whose
name the asset-backed securities supported or serviced by the pool
assets are issued.
(6) Ownership interest.
(i) Ownership
interest means any equity, partnership, or other similar interest.
An “other similar interest” means an interest that:
(A) Has the right
to participate in the selection or removal of a general partner, managing
member, member of the board of directors or trustees, investment manager,
investment adviser, or commodity trading advisor of the covered fund,
excluding:
(1) The rights of
a creditor to exercise remedies upon the occurrence of an event of
default or an acceleration event; and
(2) The right to participate in the
removal of an investment manager for “cause” or participate in the
selection of a replacement manager upon an investment manager’s resignation
or removal. For purposes of this paragraph (d)(6)(i)(A)(2),
“cause” for removal of an investment manager means one or more of
the following events:
(i) The bankruptcy, insolvency, conservatorship or receivership
of the investment manager;
(ii) The breach by the investment manager of any material
provision of the covered fund’s transaction agreements applicable
to the investment manager;
(iii) The breach by the investment manager of material representations
or warranties;
(iv) The occurrence of an act that constitutes fraud or criminal activity
in the performance of the investment manager’s obligations under the
covered fund’s transaction agreements;
(v) The indictment of the investment
manager for a criminal offense, or the indictment of any officer,
member, partner or other principal of the investment manager for a
criminal offense materially related to his or her investment management
activities;
(vi) A change in control with respect to the investment manager;
(vii) The loss,
separation or incapacitation of an individual critical to the operation
of the investment manager or primarily responsible for the management
of the covered fund’s assets; or
(viii) Other similar events that constitute
“cause” for removal of an investment manager, provided that such events
are not solely related to the performance of the covered fund or the
investment manager’s exercise of investment discretion under the covered
fund’s transaction agreements;
(B) Has the right under the terms
of the interest to receive a share of the income, gains or profits
of the covered fund;
(C)
Has the right to receive the underlying assets of the covered fund
after all other interests have been redeemed and/or paid in full (excluding
the rights of a creditor to exercise remedies upon the occurrence
of an event of default or an acceleration event);
(D) Has the right to receive all or a portion
of excess spread (the positive difference, if any, between the aggregate
interest payments received from the underlying assets of the covered
fund and the aggregate interest paid to the holders of other outstanding
interests);
(E) Provides
under the terms of the interest that the amounts payable by the covered
fund with respect to the interest could be reduced based on losses
arising from the underlying assets of the covered fund, such as allocation
of losses, write-downs or charge-offs of the outstanding principal
balance, or reductions in the amount of interest due and payable on
the interest;
(F) Receives
income on a pass-through basis from the covered fund, or has a rate
of return that is determined by reference to the performance of the
underlying assets of the covered fund; or
(G) Any synthetic right to have, receive,
or be allocated any of the rights in paragraphs (d)(6)(i)(A) through
(F) of this section.
(ii) Ownership interest does not include:
(A) Restricted profit interest, which is an interest held by an entity
(or an employee or former employee thereof) in a covered fund for
which the entity (or employee thereof) serves as investment manager,
investment adviser, commodity trading advisor, or other service provider,
so long as:
(1) The sole purpose
and effect of the interest is to allow the entity (or employee or
former employee thereof) to share in the profits of the covered fund
as performance compensation for the investment management, investment
advisory, commodity trading advisory, or other services provided to
the covered fund by the entity (or employee or former employee thereof),
provided that the entity (or employee or former employee thereof)
may be obligated under the terms of such interest to return profits
previously received;
(2) All such profit, once allocated, is distributed to the entity
(or employee or former employee thereof) promptly after being earned
or, if not so distributed, is retained by the covered fund for the
sole purpose of establishing a reserve amount to satisfy contractual
obligations with respect to subsequent losses of the covered fund
and such undistributed profit of the entity (or employee or former
employee thereof) does not share in the subsequent investment gains
of the covered fund;
(3) Any amounts invested in the covered fund, including any amounts
paid by the entity in connection with obtaining the restricted profit
interest, are within the limits of section 248.12 of this subpart;
and
(4) The interest
is not transferable by the entity (or employee or former employee
thereof) except to an affiliate thereof (or an employee of the banking
entity or affiliate), to immediate family members, or through the
intestacy, of the employee or former employee, or in connection with
a sale of the business that gave rise to the restricted profit interest
by the entity (or employee or former employee thereof) to an unaffiliated
party that provides investment management, investment advisory, commodity
trading advisory, or other services to the fund.
(B) Any senior loan or senior
debt interest that has the following characteristics:
(1) Under the terms of the interest
the holders of such interest do not have the right to receive a share
of the income, gains, or profits of the covered fund, but are entitled
to receive only:
(i) Interest at a stated interest rate, as well as commitment
fees or other fees, which are not determined by reference to the performance
of the underlying assets of the covered fund; and
(ii) Repayment of
a fixed principal amount, on or before a maturity date, in a contractually-determined
manner (which may include prepayment premiums intended solely to reflect,
and compensate holders of the interest for, forgone income resulting
from an early prepayment);
(2) The entitlement to payments under
the terms of the interest are absolute and could not be reduced based
on losses arising from the underlying assets of the covered fund,
such as allocation of losses, write-downs or charge-offs of the outstanding
principal balance, or reductions in the amount of interest due and
payable on the interest; and
(3) The holders of the interest are
not entitled to receive the underlying assets of the covered fund
after all other interests have been redeemed or paid in full (excluding
the rights of a creditor to exercise remedies upon the occurrence
of an event of default or an acceleration event).
(7) Prime brokerage transaction means any transaction that
would be a covered transaction, as defined in section 23A(b)(7) of
the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 371c(b)(7)), that is provided in
connection with custody, clearance and settlement, securities borrowing
or lending services, trade execution, financing, or data, operational,
and administrative support.
(8) Resident of the United States means a person that is a “U.S. person” as defined in rule 902(k)
of the SEC’s Regulation S (17 CFR 230.902(k)).
(9) Sponsor means, with respect
to a covered fund:
(i) To serve as a general partner, managing
member, or trustee of a covered fund, or to serve as a commodity pool
operator with respect to a covered fund as defined in (b)(1)(ii) of
this section;
(ii)
In any manner to select or to control (or to have employees, officers,
or directors, or agents who constitute) a majority of the directors,
trustees, or management of a covered fund; or
(iii) To share with a covered fund,
for corporate, marketing, promotional, or other purposes, the same
name or a variation of the same name, except as permitted under section
248.11(a)(6).
(10) Trustee.
(i) For
purposes of paragraph (d)(9) of this section and section 248.11 of
subpart C, a trustee does not include:
(A) A trustee that does not
exercise investment discretion with respect to a covered fund, including
a trustee that is subject to the direction of an unaffiliated named
fiduciary who is not a trustee pursuant to section 403(a)(1) of the
Employee’s Retirement Income Security Act (29 U.S.C. 1103(a)(1));
or
(B) A trustee that
is subject to fiduciary standards imposed under foreign law that are
substantially equivalent to those described in paragraph (d)(10)(i)(A)
of this section;
(ii) Any entity that directs a person
described in paragraph (d)(10)(i) of this section, or that possesses
authority and discretion to manage and control the investment decisions
of a covered fund for which such person serves as trustee, shall be
considered to be a trustee of such covered fund.
(11) Riskless principal transaction. Riskless
principal transaction means a transaction in which a banking entity,
after receiving an order from a customer to buy (or sell) a security,
purchases (or sells) the security in the secondary market for its
own account to offset a contemporaneous sale to (or purchase from)
the customer.