Mayer Brown was pleased to sponsor the 2024 Covered Bond Investor Conference in Frankfurt. Leading investors and other key players in the covered bond market gathered for the 11th annual conference, organized by ICMA, the Association of German Pfandbrief Banks (vdp), and The Covered Bond Report. This year’s agenda will cover topics including: macroeconomic and geopolitical developments and their impact on primary and secondary market dynamics; credit issues affecting covered bonds and banks, notably commercial real estate; regulatory matters facing the asset class in Europe and globally; and sustainable finance developments affecting mortgages, covered bonds and their issuers; among others.
Visit the event website for more details.
Thought Leadership Materials
Covered Bonds At A Glance - Infographic
Covered bonds are senior, secured debt securities of a regulated financial institution. If the issuing bank defaults, the collateral, referred to as the cover pool, is used to make up any payment shortfall due on the covered bonds. So long as there is sufficient collateral, covered bonds are not accelerated, but rather paid on their scheduled payment dates. Learn More.
Greenwashing: Navigating the Risk
The risk of an accusation of “greenwashing” is now an important concern for many companies. Greenwashing is an ill-defined concept but, nevertheless, is increasingly a source of litigation and regulatory scrutiny – with more of both expected. Learn More.
Global Climate Change Disclosure Initiatives and Board Corporate Governance Considerations
Climate disclosure regulations are among the most significant and complex challenges faced by companies and boards, with a variety of requirements emanating this year from numerous governmental authorities and non-governmental organizations. This white paper offers a thumbnail sketch of key features and differences of a dozen authorities, followed by considerations for boards concerning disclosure practices, as well as governance and risk management. We also suggest some practical steps that might be taken in order to prepare for whatever the future holds. Learn More.
Insight: The EU Green Bond Standard
The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament announced, on 28 February 2023, that provisional agreement on the European Green Bond Standard (the EU GBS and the Regulation) had been reached. More recently the consolidated legal text (including the relevant annexes) has been made available. Whilst the general direction of the EU GBS has been known for some time, the newly available text clarifies a number of questions as to how the EU GBS will work. We provide an overview in this briefing. Learn More.
Insight: Sustainability-Linked Bonds
Sustainability-linked bonds (“SLBs”) have fast become an important feature of the sustainable finance market. According to Climate Bonds Initiative, SLB issuance reached US$76.3 billion in 20221 and we have seen an increasingly wide variety of corporate and sovereign issuers take advantage of the structure. Learn More.
The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive is upon us – what non-EU companies should know and do
The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD“) entered into force on 5 January 2023 and the associated European Sustainability Reporting Standards (“ESRS“) were adopted by the European Commission on 31 July 2023. Together, the CSRD and ESRS create detailed sustainability reporting requirements that will apply to a significant number of EU and non-EU companies and substantially increase the scope of their sustainability reporting. Learn More.
Overhaul of Regulatory Capital Requirements Proposed by US Banking Regulators
On July 27, 2023, US federal banking regulators issued proposals to (i) significantly revise the risk-based regulatory capital requirements for certain midsize and larger US banking organizations (the “Capital Proposal”) and (ii) change the method for calculating the capital surcharge for globally systemically important banking organizations (“G-SIBs”) (the “G-SIB Surcharge Proposal”). Learn More.
Commercial Paper – on a global basis
We are one of the leading firms in the world for commercial paper. We advise issuers and underwriters across the full spectrum of commercial paper products including Euro commercial paper, US commercial paper and sustainable commercial paper programmes. Learn More.
Debt Capital Markets - Our Capabilities in Europe
Our debt capital markets team in Europe has extensive experience advising both issuers and underwriters on all forms of debt capital markets products. Learn More.
Sharing our Knowledge
We share our insights and analysis of legal and regulatory developments, and our views on a variety of issues through timely alerts, articles, newsletters, webcasts, client sessions and blogs. Learn More.
Covered bond brochure
Mayer Brown lawyers have played a leading role in the development of the covered bond market. From advising clients on the first covered bonds under taken by a U.S. depositor y institution, to advising Canadian and other non-U.S. banks on their covered bond issuances, to undertaking the first U.S. public offering of covered bonds in the United States, Mayer Brown lawyers have been front and center. Learn More.
US Covered Bonds Blog
Covered bonds in the US, Developments and News. Learn More.