Commercial Loan Guaranty Agreements Enforcing and Defending "Bad Boy," Upstream, Affiliated and Other Personal and Corporate Guaranties

Transcription

1 Presenting a live 90 minute webinar with interactive Q&A Commercial Loan Guaranty Agreements Enforcing and Defending "Bad Boy," Upstream, Affiliated and Other Personal and Corporate Guaranties WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, pm Eastern 12pm Central 11am Mountain 10am Pacific Td Today s faculty features: Aric T. Stienessen, Attorney, Hinshaw & Culbertson, Minneapolis Greg Yates, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw, New York Anthony J. Jacob, Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson, Chicago The audio portion of the conference may be accessed via the telephone or by using your computer's speakers. Please refer to the instructions ed to registrants for additional information. If you have any questions, please contact Customer Service at ext. 10.

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5 Commercial Loan Guaranty Agreements Enforcing and Defending Bad Boy, Upstream, Affiliated and Other Personal and Corporate Guaranties November 9, 2011 Aric T. Stienessen Anthony J. Jacob Greg Yates

6 Presenters Aric T. Stienessen, Partner Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Minneapolis He represents lenders, investment banks and borrowers in commercial finance transactions. He also represents businesses and real property developers in sales and purchase transactions involving commercial real property, and handles transactions involving mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and corporate organization and governance. 6 6

7 Presenters Anthony J. Jacob, Partner Hinshaw & Culbertson, Chicago Mr. Jacob is engaged g in general corporate practice, including various aspects of private merger, acquisition, divestiture and employee benefit matters. In addition, Mr. Jacob s practice includes secured and unsecured lending transactions, asset securitization and structured finance, ESOP loans, initial debt and equity offerings, primary and secondary debt offerings, corporate reorganizations and restructuring, joint ventures and syndicated commercial financing transactions. His clients include domestic and foreign corporations, limited it liability companies and partnerships, and banks and other lending institutions. 7 7

8 Presenters Greg Yates, Partner Seyfarth Shaw, New York A member of the Bankruptcy, Workouts & Reorganization Department, he is a trusted advisor to financial institutions as well as to noninstitutional lenders and investors. Mr. Yates national practice is concentrated in the area of debtor/creditor relations, including workouts, restructurings, and bankruptcy. A key focus of his practice is advising clients on creative solutions to distressed commercial real estate transactions and, if necessary, litigation relating to those transactions. ti In 2011, Mr. Yates was selected by the Turnaround Management Association as a recipient of its Transaction of the Year - Large Turnaround Award. 8 8

9 Outline I II. III. Bankruptcy Issues IV. Questions and Answers I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties General Legal Issues to Enforce and Defend Guaranties 9 9

10 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties The Guaranty Agreement A guaranty is an agreement made by a third party, whether a person, trust or a business entity, to pay and/or perform the obligations of a debtor for the satisfaction of a debt owed to a creditor upon the occurrence of an event, typically a default by the debtor under the original loan agreement. A guaranty, like any contract, requires mutual assent, adequate consideration, definiteness and a meeting of the minds. Under most states Statute of Frauds, a guaranty must be in writing, signed by the guarantor(s) and delivered d to the creditor. 1010

11 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties In the context of a loan transaction, a guaranty serves as a form of collateral to support the debt obligation between the debtor and the creditor. But, the guaranty and the loan agreement evidence separate obligations, and their independence is not affected by the fact that both agreements are written on the same paper or instrument or are contemporaneously executed. The guaranty cannot exist without a primary debt obligation. Thus, if the primary debt obligation has been fully satisfied, is void or is illegal, a guaranty of the debt obligation is also unenforceable. 1111

12 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Consideration A guaranty is a contract and, as such, it must be supported by consideration. A guaranty without consideration is merely an unenforceable gratuitous promise. While some guaranties are founded on separate consideration than the original credit transaction, the guarantor need not receive a direct benefit for consideration to exist. The consideration usually consists of a benefit to the debtor or a detriment to the creditor. 1212

13 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Courts have deemed consideration to be sufficient in the following cases: Guaranty is made contemporaneously with loan agreement. See, In re Kraft, LLC, 429 B.R. 637, 659 (Bankr.N.D.Ind. 2010); Jackson v. Luellen Farms, Inc., 877 N.E.2d 848 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007). Guaranty is made as part of the loan transaction, even if the two documents are not executed on the same date. See, Michelin Management Co., Inc. v. Mayaud, 307 A.D.2d 280, 762 N.Y.S.2d 108 (2d Dep't 2003). Amendment to the loan agreement, note or other loan document that is acknowledged and approved by the guarantor. See, First Commerce Bank v. Palmer, 226 S.W.3d 396 (Tex. 2007); Caves v. Columbus Bank & Trust Co., 589 S.E.2d 670, 676 (Ga.App. 2003); Brown v. Lawrenceville Properties, LLC, 710 S.E.2d 682, 685 (Ga.App. 2011). 1313

14 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Resolution and/or settlement of claims against debtor; the creditor's compromise of a claim against the debtor. See, Cincinnati Ins. Co. v. American Hardware Mfrs. Ass'n, 898 N.E.2d 216, 230 (Ill.App. 1st Dist. 2008); Tag to Print 3Tower Investors, LLC v. 111 East Chestnut Consultants, Inc., 864 N.E.2d 927, 937 (Ill.App. 1st Dist. 2007). Continuance and/or expansion of debtor s business with creditor or other vendors or service providers; the creditor's agreement to continue doing business with the primary debtor. See, Material Partnerships, Inc. v. Ventura, 102 S.W.3d 252 (Tex. App. 14th Dist. 2003). Creditor s agreement to conduct business with guarantor or to provide guarantor with a benefit outside of the guaranty agreement; a bank's retention of the guarantor's friend in his position as president of the bank. See, Performance Elec., Inc. v. CIB Bank, 864 N.E.2d 779, 784 (Ill.App. 1 Dist. 2007). 1414

15 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Joint and Several Liability Typically, with multiple guarantors of the same debt obligation, the creditor can proceed against less than all of the coguarantors for recovery of the entire guaranteed obligations. See Wachovia Bank, Nat. Ass'n v. Horizon Wholesale Foods, LLC, 2009 WL (S.D.Ala. 2009); Finagin v. Arkansa Dev. Fin. Auth., 139 S.W.3d 797, 803 (Ark. 2003); Century Business Credit Corp. v. Gargiulo Foods, L.L.C., 2003 WL (S.D.N.Y.,2003). 1515

16 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Death of Guarantor Unless expressly provided in the guaranty, a guarantor's death does not terminate a guaranty. See, In re Steagall's Estate, 444 N.E.2d 838 (4th Dist. 1983); In re Klink's Estate, 35 N.E.2d 684 (1st Dist. 1941). The death of the guarantor of a continuing guaranty may limit the guarantor s liability as it relates to future transactions but does not affect the credit transaction that was originally guaranteed. However, the estate of the deceased continues to guaranty a credit transaction by providing for renewals, as the consideration for the additional obligation that was extended before the guarantor's death. 1616

17 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Types of Guaranties Absolute An absolute guaranty provides that the guarantor promises to pay or perform the obligations of the debtor upon the occurrence of a default event (typically debtor s default). If a guaranty does not contain words of limitation or conditions, it is typically construed as an absolute guaranty. Conditional A conditional guaranty requires the happening of some contingent event (other than the default of the debtor) or the performance of some act on the part of the creditor before the guarantor will be liable. 1717

18 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Payment A payment guaranty obligates the guarantor to pay the debt at maturity (which may arise due to an event of default). Upon the occurrence of a debtor's default, the guarantor s obligation becomes fixed and the creditor does not need to make a demand on the debtor. Collection A guaranty of collection is a guarantor s promise that if the creditor cannot collect the claim with due diligence, usually after suit (and exhaustion of remedies) against the debtor, the guarantor will pay the creditor. Performance A performance guaranty obligates the guarantor to perform some obligation on behalf of the debtor for the benefit of the creditor. 1818

19 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Continuing A guaranty is continuing when it is not limited to a single transaction but contemplates a future course of dealing which may encompass a series of transactions, may be for an indefinite period and/or may be intended to secure payment or performance of an overall debt of the debtor. As such, a continuing guaranty may include subsequent indebtedness without new consideration. Restricted A guaranty is a restricted guaranty when it is limited to a single or limited number of transactions, to a certain part of the debt obligation and/or to a certain period of time. 1919

20 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Downstream A downstream guaranty is a guaranty by a parent corporation for the obligations of its subsidiary. In this scenario, a lender will look to the parent corporation to back up the debt of a subsidiary corporation due to the parent corporation s superior assets and financial condition. Upstream An upstream guaranty is a guaranty by a subsidiary corporation for the obligations of its parent corporation. Typically, a creditor will require an upstream guaranty when debtor s, i.e. the parent corporation s, only assets are the stock of a subsidiary, and the subsidiary owns assets used as collateral to secure the credit obligations. Cross-stream A cross-stream guaranty is a guaranty among affiliated corporations, whose stock are both owned by the same parent. 2020

21 I. Overview of General Types of Guaranties Bad Boy Guaranty Many non-recourse guaranties will include provisions that carve-out instances where the guarantor may be personally liable upon the occurrence of certain enumerated bad acts. This type of guaranty is referred to as a bad boy guaranty. The types of bad acts commonly include matters such as fraud, misappropriation, waste, and other acts that show some bad act on the part of the guarantor. Since the guarantor s personal liability arises only upon the occurrence of a bad act, the guaranty s liability is sometimes referred to as a springing liability. 2121

22 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Capacity Delaware Corporations General Power (a) In addition to the powers enumerated in 122 of this title, every corporation, its officers, directors and stockholders shall possess and may exercise all the powers and privileges granted by this chapter or by any other law or by its certificate of incorporation, together with any powers incidental thereto, so far as such powers and privileges are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business or purposes set forth in its certificate of incorporation. (b) Every corporation shall be governed by the provisions i and be subject to the restrictions and liabilities contained in this chapter. 8 Del.C

23 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Capacity Delaware Limited Liability Companies General and Specific Guaranty Power (b) A limited liability company shall possess and may exercise all the powers and privileges granted by this chapter or by any other law or by its limited it liability company agreement, together th with any powers incidental id thereto, including such powers and privileges as are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business, purposes or activities of the limited liability company. (c) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, without limiting the general powers enumerated in subsection (b) of this section, a limited liability company shall, subject to such standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth in its limited liability company agreement, have the power and authority to make contracts of guaranty and suretyship and enter into interest rate, basis, currency, hedge or other swap agreements or cap, floor, put, call, option, exchange or collar agreements, derivative agreements, or other agreements similar to any of the foregoing. 6 Del.C

24 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Capacity Delaware Corporations Specific Guaranty Power Every corporation created under this chapter shall have power to: a. (13) Make contracts, including contracts of guaranty and suretyship, incur liabilities, borrow money at such rates of interest t as the corporation may determine, issue its notes, bonds and other obligations, and secure any of its obligations by mortgage, pledge or other encumbrance of all or any of its property, franchises and income, and make contracts of guaranty and suretyship which are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business of (a) a corporation all of the outstanding t stock of which h is owned, directly or indirectly, by the contracting ti corporation, or (b) a corporation which owns, directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding stock of the contracting corporation, or (c) a corporation all of the outstanding stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by a corporation which owns, directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding stock of the contracting corporation, which contracts of guaranty and suretyship shall be deemed to be necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business of the contracting corporation, and make other contracts of guaranty and suretyship which are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business of the contracting corporation; 8 Del.C

25 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Statute of Frauds Mistake Misrepresentation Parol Evidence Interpretation 2525

26 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Impossibility, Impracticability, and Frustration of Purpose Accord and Satisfaction Novation Statute of Limitations Lack of Notice of Adverse Effects 2626

27 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Material Change in Debt and Impairment of Collateral UCC (a) If a person entitled to enforce an instrument releases the obligation of a principal obligor in whole or in part, and another party to the instrument is a secondary obligor with respect to the obligation of that principal obligor, the following rules apply: (1) Any obligations of the principal obligor to the secondary obligor with respect to any previous payment by the secondary obligor are not affected. Unless the terms of the release preserve the secondary obligor's recourse, the principal obligor is discharged, to the extent of the release, from any other duties to the secondary obligor under this article. (2) Unless the terms of the release provide that the person entitled to enforce the instrument retains the right to enforce the instrument against the secondary obligor, the secondary obligor is discharged to the same extent as the principal obligor from any unperformed portion of its obligation on the instrument. If the instrument is a check and the obligation of the secondary obligor is based on an indorsement of the check, the secondary obligor is discharged without regard to the language or circumstances of the discharge or other release. (3) If the secondary obligor is not discharged under paragraph (2), the secondary obligor is discharged to the extent of the value of the consideration for the release, and to the extent that the release would otherwise cause the secondary obligor a loss. 2727

28 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Material Change in Debt and Impairment of Collateral UCC (b) If a person entitled to enforce an instrument grants a principal obligor an extension of the time at which one or more payments are due on the instrument and another party to the instrument is a secondary obligor with respect to the obligation of that principal obligor, the following rules apply: ppy (1) Any obligations of the principal obligor to the secondary obligor with respect to any previous payment by the secondary obligor are not affected. Unless the terms of the extension preserve the secondary obligor's recourse, the extension correspondingly extends the time for performance of any other duties owed to the secondary obligor by the principal i obligor under this article. (2) The secondary obligor is discharged to the extent that the extension would otherwise cause the secondary obligor a loss. (3) To the extent that the secondary obligor is not discharged under paragraph (2), the secondary obligor may perform its obligations to a person entitled to enforce the instrument as if the time for payment had not been extended or, unless the terms of the extension provide that the person entitled to enforce the instrument retains the right to enforce the instrument against the secondary obligor as if the time for payment had not been extended, treat the time for performance of its obligations as having been extended correspondingly. 2828

29 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Material Change in Debt and Impairment of Collateral UCC (c) If a person entitled to enforce an instrument agrees, with or without consideration, to a modification of the obligation of a principal obligor other than a complete or partial release or an extension of the due date and another party to the instrument is a secondary obligor with respect to the obligation of that principal obligor, the following rules apply: (1) Any obligations of the principal obligor to the secondary obligor with respect to any previous payment by the secondary obligor are not affected. The modification correspondingly modifies any other duties owed to the secondary obligor by the principal obligor under this article. (2) The secondary obligor is discharged from any unperformed portion of its obligation to the extent that the modification would otherwise cause the secondary obligor a loss. (3) To the extent that the secondary obligor is not discharged under paragraph (2), the secondary obligor may satisfy its obligation on the instrument as if the modification had not occurred, or treat its obligation on the instrument t as having been modified d correspondingly. 2929

30 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Material Change in Debt and Impairment of Collateral UCC (d) If the obligation of a principal obligor is secured by an interest in collateral, another party to the instrument is a secondary obligor with respect to that obligation, and a person entitled to enforce the instrument impairs the value of the interest in collateral, the obligation of the secondary obligor is discharged to the extent of the impairment. The value of an interest in collateral is impaired to the extent the value of the interest is reduced to an amount less than the amount of the recourse of the secondary obligor, or the reduction in value of the interest causes an increase in the amount by which the amount of the recourse exceeds the value of the interest. For purposes of this subsection, impairing the value of an interest in collateral includes failure to obtain or maintain perfection or recordation of the interest in collateral, release of collateral without substitution of collateral of equal value or equivalent reduction of the underlying obligation, failure to perform a duty to preserve the value of collateral owed, under Article 9 or other law, to a debtor or other person secondarily liable, and failure to comply with applicable law in disposing of or otherwise enforcing the interest in collateral. 3030

31 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Material Change in Debt and Impairment of Collateral UCC (e) A secondary obligor is not discharged under subsections (a)(3), (b), (c), or (d) unless the person entitled to enforce the instrument knows that the person is a secondary obligor or has notice under Section 3-419(c) that the instrument was signed for accommodation. (f) A secondary obligor is not discharged under this section if the secondary obligor consents to the event or conduct that is the basis of the discharge, or the instrument or a separate agreement of the party provides for waiver of discharge under this section specifically or by general language indicating that parties waive defenses based on suretyship or impairment of collateral. Unless the circumstances indicate otherwise, consent by the principal obligor to an act that would lead to a discharge under this section constitutes consent to that act by the secondary obligor if the secondary obligor controls the principal obligor or deals with the person entitled to enforce the instrument on behalf of the principal obligor. 3131

32 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Material Change in Debt and Impairment of Collateral UCC (g) A release or extension preserves a secondary obligor's recourse if the terms of the release or extension provide that: t (1) the person entitled to enforce the instrument retains the right to enforce the instrument against the secondary obligor; and (2) the recourse of the secondary obligor continues as if the release or extension had not been granted. (h) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (i), a secondary obligor asserting discharge under this section has the burden of persuasion both with respect to the occurrence of the acts alleged to harm the secondary obligor and loss or prejudice caused by those acts. 3232

33 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Material Change in Debt and Impairment of Collateral UCC (i) If the secondary obligor demonstrates prejudice caused by an impairment of its recourse, and the circumstances of the case indicate that the amount of loss is not reasonably susceptible of calculation or requires proof of facts that are not ascertainable, it is presumed that the act impairing recourse caused a loss or impairment equal to the liability of the secondary obligor on the instrument. In that event, the burden of persuasion as to any lesser amount of the loss is on the person entitled to enforce the instrument. Unif.Commercial Code

34 II. Enforcement and Defense of Guaranties Change in Creditor Lack of Notice of Foreclosure Sale Failure to Conduct Commercially Reasonable Foreclosure Sale Release of Co-guarantors Negligent Loan Administration Failure to Pursue the Underlying Debtor Defense on the Underlying Debt Bankruptcy Issues (ex. automatic stay and fraudulent conveyances) 3434

35 III. Bankruptcy Issues Springing ( Bad Boy ) Guaranties Generally Enforced By Bankruptcy Court (See In re Extended Stay Inc., 418 B.R. 49 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2009) aff d in part by In re Extended d Stay Inc., 435 B.R. 139 (S.D.N.Y. 2010)) Bankruptcy Courts Will Typically Abstain from Hearing Springing Guaranty Actions Removed From State Court Guarantors Must Have Waived Any Indemnity or Contribution Claims Against the Debtor Potential for State Court Guaranty Action to be Stayed Under 105 of Bankruptcy if Guarantor is Integral to Debtor Case and Action Would Significantly Limit Guarantor s Participation In Bankruptcy 3535

36 III. Bankruptcy Issues Potential ti Fraudulent Conveyance Exposure Most Risk for Upstream and Cross-Stream Guaranties Intercorporate Guaranties Can Be Unwound In Bankruptcy Under: Bankruptcy Code 548 (Guaranties Made Up to Two Years Before Filing), or Under Bankruptcy Code 544 and the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (UFTA) or the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyances Act (UFCA) (Typically, y Guaranties Made From Four to Six Years Before Filing) 3636

37 III. Bankruptcy Issues Inquiry is Typically Constructive Fraud Under Bankruptcy Code 544 and the UFTA, the Test is Whether the Guarantor (Debtor) received Reasonably Equivalent Value Under the UFTA, the Test is Whether the Guarantor (Debtor) Received Fair Consideration Drafting Considerations Net Worth Guaranty Savings Clause 3737

38 III. Bankruptcy Issues Risk of Separate Classification of Deficiency Claims in Bankruptcy Plan (See In re Loop, 442 B.R. 714 (Bankr. D. Ariz. 2010) Bankruptcy Code 544 Requires that Substantially Similar Claims May Not Be Put Into Separate Classes to Gerrymander an Affirmative Vote to Confirm a Plan Under Bankruptcy Code 1129(b) Some Bankruptcy Courts are Now Holding that Guaranteed Deficiency Claims are Different Than Other Unsecured Claims and Are Permitted to Be Separately Classified Separate Classification May Result in Unsecured Creditors Voting in Favor of a Plan and the Debtor Being Able to Confirm a Cramdown Plan of Reorganization 3838