Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Orphan structure
View on WikipediaOrphan structure or Orphan SPV or orphaning are terms used in structured finance closely associated with creating SPVs ("Special Purpose Vehicles") for securitisation transactions where the notional equity of the SPV is deliberately handed over to an unconnected 3rd party who themselves have no control over the SPV; thus the SPV becomes an "orphan" whose equity is controlled by no one.
Description
[edit]In an orphaned SPV, the equity is held by a 3rd party with no legal relationship to the two main parties engaging in the securitisation (the asset user(s), and the lender(s) financing the assets). While this 3rd party legally "owns" the equity of the SPV, the way in which their ownership is structured gives them no control over the SPV.
The driver for orphaning is to enable the securitisation transaction to be held off-balance sheet. If the asset users, or the asset lenders, owned (or legally controlled) the SPV equity, then the SPV would be consolidated into their group accounts. This is something that the lenders to the SPV have to avoid as they are mostly banks and only want to give in loans. Users of the asset may want to avoid if their borrowing limits may have been reached (or they want a regulatory/liability firewall between themselves and the asset(s)).[1][2]
Orphaned SPV structures allow lenders to separate the asset finance, from the asset user(s), thus enabling them to move the asset to other users(s) should the situation arise (e.g. bankruptcy of a user), without having to recreate a new SPV and/or reraise new loans.
Orphaning is at the heart of global securitisation transactions, and without orphaning, most securitisation SPVs would cease to be useful or effective to their creators.[3]
An orphaned SPV is, by definition, an artificial creation as everybody knows who "controls" the SPV. There are instances outside of securitisations where orphaned SPVs, and the ability to separate "true" owners from "legal" owners, can be used for tax avoidance. For example, restructuring equity into debt, and then relocating this debt to a tax haven via orphaned SPVs, is a classic abuse of orphaning. This is why orphaning is not available in all jurisdictions, and where it is offered in non-tax havens (i.e. where there are domestic taxes), it is strictly controlled and monitored by taxing authorities.
Owners
[edit]The SPV is generally a limited liability company issued in either an offshore location (e.g. the Cayman Islands SPV) or an onshore location (e.g. Irish Section 110 SPV).[4][5]
The key considerations in deciding what 3rd party entities are used to "own" the orphaned SPV equity are driven by:
- Tax Integrity. The 3rd party must be credible, and legally separate from all other parties in the SPV, that the various national taxing authorities won't challenge the SPV under general anti-avoidance rules, and effectively force it back "on-balance sheet", rendering the SPV useless to the parties.
- Bankruptcy Remoteness. The SPV lenders will want to ensure their securitisation vehicle is prevented from entering into a bankruptcy process thus losing control over the assets for an extended period, due to financial failings of the asset user(s), or the 3rd party equity owner itself. The lenders will want to take immediate control of the assets if a user(s) goes bankrupt[6]
- Conflicts/Control. The 3rd party must not be capable of damaging or attacking the SPV, taking a biased view on behalf of one party (i.e. lender or user) outside of the written agreements created on establishing the SPV, or even acting in a completely rogue manner, that would harm the interests of the main parties in the SPV.
Given the above, the orphaned SPV equity is usually held by a nominee share trustee company on trust pursuant to a Declaration of Trust (and never via an individual).
Specialist law firms provide such trust services (can often be a subsidiary of the law firm advising on the main SPV and/or securitisation transaction).[7]
Often only a small number of shares are created for a nominal sum (the exact specific amounts depending on the specifics of the jurisdiction) as the "equity" of the SPV. These shares are then independently purchased by the 3rd party entity in question using their own funds to complete the purchase (cannot be paid for directly by the main parties).
Some jurisdictions have used Charitable Trusts due to their particular robustness to avoiding bankruptcy (not legally possible for it to enter a bankruptcy process), however, this had led to some public concerns over the integrity of the overall orphaned SPV structure (e.g. Matheson in Ireland),[8][9] and has now been stopped in Ireland.[10][11]
The Non-Charitable Purpose Trust is emerging as a preferred option in some jurisdictions.[12]
Abuses
[edit]The global securitisation market is large (circa US$10 trillion in assets)[13] and involves multinationals getting assets financed by global banks structured in SPVs created by global law and accounting firms. The orphaned SPV structures they use are understood and accepted in many jurisdictions, by regulators and taxing authorities as vehicles in which to conduct global securitisation transactions.
Unfortunately, the global acceptance of the main orphaned SPV structures has attracted the attention of users who are not seeking to conduct standard tax-transparent securitisation transactions, but who have other aims and objectives which regulators and tax authorities did not envisage orphaned SPVs being used for.[14]
- In 2016, it was discovered that US distressed debt funds used orphaned SPVs, known as Section 110 SPVs, to buy Irish distressed assets during the Irish financial crisis to avoid Irish taxes. By the time the loopholes were closed by the Irish Government, material amounts of tax revenues were lost to the Irish exchequer.[15][16][17]
- In 2017–2018, academic research by Professor Jim Stewart in Trinity College Dublin, showed Russian financial entities were using the anonymity of orphaning, as well as the inherent complexity of securitisation transactions, to circumvent various international sanctions in moving money globally.[18][19][20]
Ireland is the largest EU location for orphaned SPVs,[21] and the above abuses have drawn warnings from the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland[22][23]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Creating and Understanding SPVs" (PDF). PwC. 2012.
- ^ "Cayman Islands Orphan SPVs in Shipping" (PDF). Walkers. January 2017.
- ^ "SPV Taxation" (PDF). Grant Thornton. September 2015.
- ^ "Cayman Islands Securitisations" (PDF). Conyers Dill Pearman. 2016.
- ^ "Establishing SPVs in Ireland" (PDF). Arthur Cox. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
- ^ "Orphan structures – bankruptcy remoteness under Irish law". Global Law Office. 2017.
- ^ "Jersey Orphaned SPVs" (PDF). Hatstone Law. 2014.
- ^ "Law Firm Matheson Uses Irish Charities to help Hedge Funds cut tax". Irish Times. 27 August 2015.
- ^ "Vulture funds using Matheson Law Firm in-house charities to avoid paying Irish tax, says TD Stephen Donnelly". Irish Times. 14 July 2016.
- ^ "Irish Charities Regulator rejects Matheson Charities in Section 110 SPVs". Irish Times. 28 April 2017.
- ^ "Stephen Donnelly Welcomes Charity Regulator Clampdown on Section 110 Charities". Fianna Fail. 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Non-charitable purpose trusts in Guernsey". Lexology. 2014.
- ^ "Global Securitisation Market" (PDF). Morgan Stanley. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-03-17. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
- ^ "Orphan structures: holding companies accountable when owners don't exist". Open Global Rights. 2 August 2017.
- ^ "Ireland confronts another tax scandal closer to home". Financial Times. 11 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-12-11.
- ^ "Loophole lets firms earning millions pay €250 in Tax". The Irish Times. 6 July 2017.
- ^ "NAMA forced to pay €160m tax bill after Section 110 loophole closed". The Irish Independent. 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Global Finance and the Russian Connection" (PDF). Professor Jim Stewart Trinity College Dublin. 27 February 2018.
- ^ "How Russian Firms Funnelled €100bn through Dublin". The Sunday Business Post. 4 March 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "More than €100bn in Russian Money funneled through Dublin". The Irish Times. 4 March 2018.
- ^ "Ireland is top Eurozone jurisdiction for SPVs". Irish Independent. 19 August 2017.
- ^ "Former Regulator says Irish politicians mindless of IFSC risks". The Irish Times. 5 March 2018.
- ^ "Irish SPVs more a worry for other countries than State". The Irish Times. 13 January 2017.
Orphan structure
View on GrokipediaDefinition and Core Mechanics
Fundamental Concept
An orphan structure refers to a legal arrangement in structured finance where a special purpose vehicle (SPV) is established with equity ownership held by an independent trust, such as a purpose trust or charitable trust, devoid of beneficial interest linked to the sponsoring entity.[1][4] This design renders the SPV "orphaned" from its originator, ensuring legal and economic separation to prevent consolidation with the sponsor's balance sheet under accounting standards like IFRS 10 or US GAAP.[10][11] The core purpose of an orphan structure is to achieve bankruptcy remoteness, isolating the SPV's assets from the sponsor's creditors in the event of insolvency.[3][10] By transferring assets via a "true sale" to the orphaned SPV, which issues securities backed by those assets, the structure facilitates off-balance-sheet financing and mitigates risks such as commingling of assets or substantive consolidation in bankruptcy proceedings.[1][11] This mechanism enhances investor confidence by ring-fencing cash flows and limiting recourse to the SPV's isolated pool, a practice particularly vital in securitization transactions involving illiquid or high-risk assets like receivables or leases.[4][3] In operation, the orphan SPV is typically incorporated in jurisdictions with robust trust laws and favorable tax regimes, such as the Cayman Islands or Luxembourg, where the trustee exercises nominal control without economic incentives tied to the sponsor.[10][3] Governance is limited to administrative functions, with directors often independent professionals to reinforce arm's-length status and comply with regulatory requirements for non-consolidation.[1][4] While effective for risk isolation, these structures demand meticulous documentation to withstand legal challenges, as courts may scrutinize the substance over form to prevent abuse.[11][10]Legal and Structural Features
Orphan structures achieve legal isolation of assets through the use of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) owned by an independent charitable trust or foundation, which holds the shares without economic interest, thereby preventing consolidation on the originator's balance sheet and ensuring bankruptcy remoteness.[1][12] This "orphaning" mechanism transfers legal ownership of the SPV's equity to a trustee acting for a purpose trust, where the trustee disclaims beneficial ownership, isolating the entity from the sponsor's control and creditors.[5][13] Key structural features include the SPV's limited purpose charter, restricting activities to holding securitized assets and issuing notes, with prohibitions on incurring unrelated debt or merging without investor consent to minimize insolvency risk.[14][12] Governance typically involves independent directors or a board appointed by the trustee, alongside service providers such as administrators and cash managers, to maintain operational independence and avoid substantive control by the originator.[15] A "true sale" doctrine is essential, transferring assets to the SPV irrevocably under applicable law, preventing recharacterization as a secured loan in bankruptcy proceedings.[12][1] Common jurisdictions for orphan SPVs include the Cayman Islands, where exempted companies or STAR trusts facilitate rapid incorporation and tax neutrality, and the Netherlands, utilizing stichtings (foundations) for their non-profit status and asset-holding capacity without shareholders.[16][2] In Cayman structures, the trust deed often includes covenants preventing the trustee from winding up the SPV, enhancing remoteness.[1] Under accounting standards like IFRS 10 or US GAAP (ASC 810), non-consolidation is achieved if the originator lacks control or variable interest exposure, supported by legal opinions confirming the orphan status.[17] These features collectively prioritize investor protection by ring-fencing assets from the originator's financial distress, as evidenced in post-2008 regulatory emphasis on structural safeguards.[11][18]Historical Context
Origins in Structured Finance
The orphan structure originated as a refinement in structured finance to enhance the bankruptcy remoteness of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) used in securitization, addressing limitations in early SPV designs where entities might still be deemed subsidiaries subject to originator control or consolidation risks. Securitization itself traces to the late 1970s, with the U.S. government's Ginnie Mae issuing the first mortgage-backed pass-through securities in 1968–1970, followed by private-label asset-backed securities (ABS) in the early 1980s, such as Sperry Corporation's 1983 computer lease securitization totaling $120 million.[19] In these transactions, SPVs were established to pool receivables and issue securities, but to minimize recharacterization risks—where transfers might be treated as secured loans rather than true sales—and prevent substantive consolidation in bankruptcy, originators began "orphaning" SPVs by vesting nominal equity in independent trustees rather than retaining ownership.[20] This orphaning mechanism typically involved placing SPV shares into charitable trusts, initially under English law or later in offshore jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands, ensuring the SPV lacked a parent company and operated as a standalone entity insulated from the originator's creditors.[1] The approach gained traction amid the ABS market's expansion in the mid-1980s, driven by auto loan and credit card receivable securitizations exceeding $20 billion annually by 1985, as rating agencies like Moody's and S&P required structural safeguards for investment-grade ratings on issued notes.[21] By severing economic ties, orphan SPVs facilitated off-balance-sheet accounting under emerging U.S. GAAP rules (e.g., FAS 125 precursors) and reduced funding costs by 50–100 basis points compared to corporate debt, reflecting empirical evidence of lower default correlations between SPV assets and originator solvency.[22] Alternative orphan vehicles, such as Dutch stichtings (foundations), were adapted from civil law traditions dating to the 16th century but applied to modern securitization for their non-profit, purpose-bound nature, providing similar independence without shareholder distributions.[23] These structures proved causal in enabling scalable risk transfer, as evidenced by the rapid growth of non-agency securitizations from under $10 billion in 1980 to over $100 billion by 1990, though early reliance on U.S. trusts evolved with global adoption to mitigate jurisdictional variances in bankruptcy law.[24]Key Developments and Milestones
The foundational milestone in the evolution of orphan structures occurred alongside the inception of modern securitization in 1970, when the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) issued the first guaranteed mortgage-backed pass-through securities, utilizing trustee-held pools to isolate assets from originator balance sheets and achieve early forms of bankruptcy remoteness.[21] This structure laid the groundwork for independent entities that would later incorporate orphan mechanisms to sever sponsor control.[25] A pivotal expansion came in 1975, with Sperry Corporation's securitization of computer lease receivables, marking the first non-mortgage application and necessitating specialized vehicles designed for true sale transfers and insulation from sponsor insolvency risks—precursors to formalized orphan SPVs.[25] By the mid-1980s, the private asset-backed securities (ABS) market emerged, exemplified by issuances of auto loan and credit card receivable-backed securities, where bankruptcy-remote SPVs with independent governance features became integral to investor confidence and regulatory compliance.[26] The 1986 Tax Reform Act further advanced these structures by establishing Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (REMICs), standardizing tax-efficient issuance through SPVs and enabling tranche diversification while emphasizing asset isolation.[21] In the 1990s, orphan structures matured with the widespread adoption of independent trustees and charitable ownership models to hold SPV equity, particularly in offshore jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands and Jersey, ensuring non-consolidation under accounting rules such as FASB interpretations and facilitating global securitization growth.[1] This period saw rapid proliferation, as modern securitization volumes surged, with orphan mechanisms providing enhanced legal firewalls against sponsor distress.[1] The 2008 global financial crisis exposed vulnerabilities in complex SPV arrangements, prompting regulatory milestones like the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, which mandated risk retention for securitizers and stricter SPV transparency to reinforce bankruptcy remoteness without compromising orphan independence.[27] Subsequent refinements, including EU Securitisation Regulation in 2019, have sustained orphan structures' role in resilient formats like collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), with issuance rebounding to over $100 billion annually by 2025.[28]Ownership and Governance
Mechanisms for Orphaning
Orphaning an SPV is primarily achieved by vesting its equity ownership in an independent third-party entity that holds no beneficial economic interest or control linked to the originator or sponsor, thereby isolating the SPV from the originator's bankruptcy estate.[1][29] This structure ensures the SPV's legal and economic separation, often confirmed through legal opinions on "true sale" of assets and non-consolidation under accounting standards.[1] The most common mechanism involves placing the SPV's shares in a purpose trust or charitable trust, where the trust serves as the nominal sole shareholder without any entitlement to substantive benefits beyond minimal or residual distributions upon dissolution.[1][30] The trust is administered by an independent corporate trustee, typically a professional services provider, which exercises voting rights solely to maintain the SPV's limited purpose and prevent actions that could jeopardize its bankruptcy-remote status.[1][30] An enforcer, often appointed from transaction parties like the lead arranger, monitors the trustee's compliance with the trust deed but lacks direct control over SPV operations.[1] Alternative structures may employ unaffiliated third parties, such as registered agents or law firms in offshore jurisdictions, to hold equity nominally with explicit prohibitions on managerial interference.[29] In some cases, charitable foundations or purpose trusts without designated beneficiaries receive any residual assets post-transaction, further severing ties to the originator.[1][30] Governance enhancements include appointing independent professional directors to the SPV board, whose authority is restricted by constitutional documents and side agreements to predefined, transaction-specific decisions, such as asset acquisition and note issuance.[1][30] Trust deeds and SPV articles often incorporate non-petition clauses, prohibiting the trustee or directors from initiating insolvency proceedings against the SPV, and limitations on share transfers or amendments that could reintroduce originator influence.[1] These features collectively substantiate the SPV's insolvency remoteness, as verified by independent legal counsel opining on the unlikelihood of substantive consolidation or fraudulent conveyance claims succeeding in court.[1][30]Common Jurisdictions and Entities
The Cayman Islands is one of the most frequently used jurisdictions for orphan structures in international structured finance transactions, particularly securitizations involving global assets, due to its tax-neutral status, established trust laws, and frameworks supporting bankruptcy remoteness.[31] [32] In this jurisdiction, common entities include exempted companies, which are incorporated without local economic substance requirements for passive holding activities, and purpose trusts that hold shares to orphan the SPV from the sponsor, with administration ensuring central management and control in the Cayman Islands to avoid consolidation risks.[32] [12] Ireland ranks as a leading European domicile for orphan SPVs, especially for EU-related assets, leveraging Section 110 companies under the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, which allow tax deductions on profit-participating securities and withholding tax exemptions on interest payments.[33] [34] These entities are typically structured as orphan vehicles with shares held by charitable or purpose trusts, enhancing insolvency isolation while complying with Irish corporate law and qualifying for the Section 110 regime through active trading in financial assets.[34] [35] In the United States, Delaware is the predominant jurisdiction for domestic and certain cross-border orphan structures, favored for its flexible limited liability company (LLC) statutes and Delaware statutory trust (DST) framework, which facilitate bankruptcy-remote isolation via independent trustees and nominal equity ownership.[36] [37] Common U.S. entity forms also encompass common law trusts and limited partnerships, often orphaned through third-party equity holders to prevent substantive consolidation in bankruptcy proceedings under U.S. federal law.[36] [38] Luxembourg and the Netherlands are common for cross-border European securitizations, where SPVs take forms such as sociétés à responsabilité limitée (SARLs) or stiftungen (foundations) in the latter, structured with orphan shareholding to achieve fiscal transparency and regulatory compliance under EU directives.[39] [2] Across these jurisdictions, the core entity types—limited companies, LLCs, partnerships, and trusts—are selected for their limited liability, non-consolidation features, and ability to ring-fence assets, with orphaning typically effected by vesting equity in independent trustees without beneficial ownership ties to the sponsor.[31] [13]| Jurisdiction | Common Entity Types | Key Structural Features for Orphaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cayman Islands | Exempted companies, purpose trusts | Shares held by trustee; local administration for tax residency and control.[32] |
| Ireland | Section 110 companies | Charitable trust ownership; tax deductions on securitized notes.[33] |
| Delaware, USA | LLCs, statutory trusts, LPs | Independent trustee equity; avoidance of substantive consolidation.[36] |
| Luxembourg/Netherlands | SARLs, stichtings (foundations) | Fiscal neutrality; EU-compliant isolation via purpose vehicles.[39] |
