Exhibit 5.1
[LETTERHEAD OF MCGUIREWOODS LLP]
June 13, 2011
Bank of America Corporation
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Bank of America Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
Corporation), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-152418)
(the Registration Statement), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
Commission) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act), and the Prospectus dated
July 21, 2008 constituting a part thereof (the Prospectus), relating to the issuance and sale
from time to time by the Corporation of its senior or subordinated debt securities (collectively
referred to herein as the Notes). The Notes are to be issued and sold from time to time as set
forth in the Prospectus and amendments or supplements thereto.
The Notes to be are issued under the terms of (a) the Amended and Restated Senior Indenture
dated July 1, 2001 between the Corporation and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.
(formerly The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., the successor trustee to The Bank of New York)
as trustee, as supplemented by a First Supplemental Indenture dated as of February 23, 2011 (as so
supplemented, and as further supplemented or amended from time to time, the Senior Indenture) or
(b) the Amended and Restated Subordinated Indenture dated July 1, 2001 between the Corporation and
The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (formerly The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.,
the successor trustee to The Bank of New York) as trustee, as supplemented by a First Supplemental
Indenture dated as of February 23, 2011 (as so supplemented, and as further supplemented or amended
from time to time, the Subordinated Indenture and, together with the Senior Indenture, the
Indentures).
As such counsel to the Corporation, we have examined and are familiar with such originals,
photocopies or certified copies of such records of the Corporation and its subsidiaries,
certificates of officers of the Corporation and its subsidiaries and of public officials, and such
other documents as we have deemed relevant or necessary as the basis for the opinion set forth
below. In such examinations, we have assumed the legal capacity of natural persons, the genuineness
of all signatures on, and the authenticity of, all documents submitted to us as originals and the
conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as photocopies thereof and the
authenticity
Bank of America Corporation
June 13, 2011
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of the originals of such copies. As to certain factual matters relevant to this opinion, we
have relied upon certificates or other comparable documents of public officials, certain
representations of the Corporation and statements and certifications of officers or other
appropriate representatives of the Corporation and its subsidiaries.
Based solely upon the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, and subject to the limitations,
qualifications and exceptions set forth below, we are of the opinion that when the terms of the
Notes have been duly authorized and established by the Corporation, the trustee under the
applicable indenture has made an appropriate entry on Schedule 1 to the Master Registered Global
Senior Note, dated July 21, 2008 (the Master Senior Note) or to the Master Registered Global
Subordinated Note, dated July 21, 2008 (the Master Subordinated Note), as applicable, identifying
the Notes as supplemental obligations thereunder in accordance with the instructions of the
Corporation, and the Notes have been delivered against payment of the consideration therefor as
contemplated by the Prospectus and the pricing supplement thereto relating to the Notes, all in
accordance with the (i) terms of the Senior Indenture or the Subordinated Indenture, as applicable,
and (ii) applicable underwriting or distribution agreement, the Notes will constitute legal, valid
and binding obligations of the Corporation, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization,
insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws affecting the rights of
creditors now or hereafter in effect, and to equitable principles that may limit the right to
specific enforcement of remedies, and further subject to 12 U.S.C. §1818(b)(6)(D) (or any successor
statute) and any bank regulatory powers now or hereafter in effect and to the application of
principles of public policy.
In connection with the opinion expressed above, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time
of the delivery of any Note: (i) the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee appointed
thereby shall have duly authorized the issuance and sale of such Note and duly established the
terms of such Note and such terms shall have been established by action taken pursuant to the
authority of the Board of Directors or such committee and such authorization shall not have been
modified or rescinded; (ii) the Corporation shall remain validly existing as a corporation in good
standing under the laws of the State of Delaware; (iii) the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement shall not have been terminated or rescinded; (iv) the Indentures and the Notes have been
duly authorized, completed, executed and delivered by, and are each valid, binding and enforceable
agreements or obligations, as applicable, of each party thereto (other than as expressly covered
above in respect of the Corporation); (v) there shall not have occurred any change in law affecting
the validity or enforceability of such Note and (vi) the trustees certificate of authentication of
the Master Senior Note or the Master Subordinated Note, as applicable, has been manually signed by
one of the trustees authorized officers. We have also assumed that none of the terms of any Note
to be established subsequent to the date hereof, nor the issuance and delivery of such Note, nor
the compliance by the Corporation with the terms of such Note will violate any applicable law or
public policy or will result in a violation of any provision of any instrument or agreement then
binding upon the Corporation, or any restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having
jurisdiction over the Corporation.
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June 13, 2011
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In rendering this opinion, we are not expressing an opinion as to any matters governed by the
laws of any jurisdiction other than the Federal laws of the United States, the laws of the State of
New York and the Delaware General Corporation Law (including the statutory provisions, all
applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the
foregoing), as in effect on the date hereof, and we express no opinion as to the applicability of
the laws of any other jurisdiction or as of any other date.
We hereby consent to be named in the Registration Statement as attorneys who passed upon the
legality of the Notes and to the filing of a copy of this opinion as part of the Corporations
Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed for the purpose of including this opinion as part of the
Registration Statement. In addition, if a supplement to the Prospectus relating to the offer and
sale of any particular Note or Notes is prepared and filed by the Corporation with the Commission
on a future date, and the supplement contains a reference to us and our opinion substantially in
the form set forth below, this consent shall apply to such reference to us and our opinion in
substantially such form:
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In the opinion of McGuireWoods LLP, as counsel to Bank of America Corporation (the
Corporation), when the trustee has made an appropriate entry on Schedule 1 to the
Master Registered Global [Senior] [Subordinated] Note, dated July 21, 2008 (the
Master Note) identifying the notes offered hereby as supplemental obligations
thereunder in accordance with the instructions of the Corporation and the notes have
been delivered against payment therefor as contemplated in this pricing supplement
and the related prospectus, all in accordance with the provisions of the indenture
governing the notes, such notes will be legal, valid and binding obligations of the
Corporation, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency,
moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws affecting the rights of
creditors now or hereafter in effect, and to equitable principles that may limit the
right to specific enforcement of remedies, and further subject to 12 U.S.C.
§1818(b)(6)(D) (or any successor statute) and any bank regulatory powers now or
hereafter in effect and to the application of principles of public policy. This
opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the Federal laws of the
United States, the laws of the State of New York and the Delaware General Corporation
Law (including the statutory provisions, all applicable provisions of the Delaware
Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the foregoing). In
addition, this opinion is subject to the assumption that the trustees certificate of
authentication of the Master Note has been manually signed by one of the trustees
authorized officers and to customary assumptions about the trustees authorization,
execution and delivery of the indenture governing the notes, the validity, binding
nature and enforceability of the indenture governing the notes with respect to the
trustee, the legal capacity of natural persons, the genuineness of signatures, the
authenticity of all documents submitted to McGuireWoods LLP as originals, the
conformity to original documents |
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Bank of America Corporation
June 13, 2011
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of all documents submitted to McGuireWoods LLP as photocopies thereof, the
authenticity of the originals of such copies and certain factual matters, all as
stated in the letter of McGuireWoods LLP dated June 13, 2011, which has been filed
as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K of the Corporation dated June 13,
2011. |
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In giving this consent, we do not admit thereby that we are in the category of persons whose
consent is required under Section 7 of the Act.
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Very truly yours,
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/s/ MCGUIREWOODS LLP
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