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Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees
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| Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees |
Litigation and Regulatory Matters
The following supplements the disclosure in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Merrill Lynch's 2011 Annual Report (the "prior commitments, contingencies and guarantees disclosures").
In the ordinary course of business, Merrill Lynch is routinely a defendant in, or party to, many pending and threatened legal actions and proceedings, including actions brought on behalf of various classes of claimants. These actions and proceedings are generally based on alleged violations of securities, employment, contract and other laws. In some of these actions and proceedings, claims for substantial monetary damages are asserted against Merrill Lynch.
In the ordinary course of business, Merrill Lynch is also subject to regulatory examinations, information gathering requests, inquiries and investigations. Certain Merrill Lynch subsidiaries are registered broker/dealers or investment advisors and are subject to regulation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the New York Stock Exchange, the United Kingdom's ("U.K.") Financial Services Authority ("FSA") and other domestic, international and state securities regulators. In connection with formal and informal inquiries by those agencies, such subsidiaries receive numerous requests, subpoenas and orders for documents, testimony and information in connection with various aspects of their regulated activities.
In view of the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of such litigation and regulatory matters, particularly where the claimants seek very large or indeterminate damages or where the matters present novel legal theories or involve a large number of parties, Merrill Lynch generally cannot predict what the eventual outcome of the pending matters will be, what the timing of the ultimate resolution of these matters will be, or what the eventual loss, fines or penalties related to each pending matter may be.
In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, Merrill Lynch establishes an accrued liability for litigation and regulatory matters when those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and estimable. In such cases, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. When a loss contingency is not both probable and estimable, Merrill Lynch does not establish an accrued liability. As a litigation or regulatory matter develops, Merrill Lynch, in conjunction with any outside counsel handling the matter, evaluates on an ongoing basis whether such matter presents a loss contingency that is probable and estimable. If, at the time of evaluation, the loss contingency related to a litigation or regulatory matter is not both probable and estimable, the matter will continue to be monitored for further developments that would make such loss contingency both probable and estimable. Once the loss contingency related to a litigation or regulatory matter is deemed to be both probable and estimable, Merrill Lynch will establish an accrued liability with respect to such loss contingency and record a corresponding amount of litigation-related expense. Merrill Lynch continues to monitor the matter for further developments that could affect the amount of the accrued liability that has been previously established. Excluding expenses of internal or external legal service providers, litigation-related expenses of approximately $4 million were recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2012, as compared with approximately $63 million for the same period in 2011.
For a limited number of the matters disclosed in this Note, and in the prior commitments, contingencies and guarantees disclosure, for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible in future periods, whether in excess of a related accrued liability or where there is no accrued liability, Merrill Lynch is able to estimate a range of possible loss. In determining whether it is possible to provide an estimate of loss or range of possible loss, Merrill Lynch reviews and evaluates its material litigation and regulatory matters on an ongoing basis, in conjunction with any outside counsel handling the matter, in light of potentially relevant factual and legal developments. These may include information learned through the discovery process, rulings on dispositive motions, settlement discussions, and other rulings by courts, arbitrators or others. In cases in which Merrill Lynch possesses sufficient appropriate information to develop an estimate of loss or range of possible loss, that estimate is aggregated and disclosed below. There may be other disclosed matters for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible but such an estimate may not be possible. For those matters where an estimate is possible, management currently estimates the aggregate range of possible loss is $0 to $1.3 billion in excess of the accrued liability (if any) related to those matters. This estimated range of possible loss is based upon currently available information and is subject to significant judgment and a variety of assumptions, and known and unknown uncertainties. The matters underlying the estimated range will change from time to time, and actual results may vary significantly from the current estimate. Those matters for which an estimate is not possible are not included within this estimated range. Therefore, this estimated range of possible loss represents what Merrill Lynch believes to be an estimate of possible loss only for certain matters meeting these criteria. It does not represent Merrill Lynch's maximum loss exposure. Information is provided below, or in the prior commitments, contingencies and guarantees disclosure, regarding the nature of all of these contingencies and, where specified, the amount of the claim associated with these loss contingencies. Based on current knowledge, management does not believe that loss contingencies arising from pending matters, including the matters described herein, and in the prior commitments, contingencies and guarantees disclosure, will have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or liquidity of Merrill Lynch. However, in light of the inherent uncertainties involved in these matters, some of which are beyond Merrill Lynch's control, and the very large or indeterminate damages sought in some of these matters, an adverse outcome in one or more of these matters could be material to Merrill Lynch's results of operations or cash flows for any particular reporting period.
Mortgage-Backed Securities ("MBS") Litigation
Merrill Lynch entities and their affiliates have been named as defendants in a number of cases relating to their various roles as issuer, originator, seller, depositor, sponsor, underwriter and/or controlling entity in MBS offerings, pursuant to which the MBS investors were entitled to a portion of the cash flow from the underlying pools of mortgages. These cases generally include actions by individual MBS purchasers. Although the allegations vary by lawsuit, these cases generally allege that the registration statements, prospectuses and prospectus supplements for securities issued by securitization trusts contained material misrepresentations and omissions, in violation of Sections 11, 12 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, Sections 10(b) and 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and/or state securities laws and other state statutory and common laws.
These cases generally involve allegations of false and misleading statements regarding: (i) the process by which the properties that served as collateral for the mortgage loans underlying the MBS were appraised; (ii) the percentage of equity that mortgage borrowers had in their homes; (iii) the borrowers' ability to repay their mortgage loans; (iv) the underwriting practices by which those mortgage loans were originated; (v) the ratings given to the different tranches of MBS by rating agencies; and (vi) the validity of each issuing trusts' title to the mortgage loans comprising the pool for the securitization (collectively, “MBS Claims”). Plaintiffs in these cases generally seek unspecified compensatory damages, unspecified costs and legal fees and, in some instances, seek rescission. A number of other entities (including the National Credit Union Administration) have threatened legal actions against Merrill Lynch and its affiliates concerning MBS offerings.
AIG Litigation
On April 24, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit granted plaintiffs' petition for leave to appeal the ruling of the federal district court in the Southern District of New York denying plaintiffs' motion to remand the case to New York Supreme Court.
Region of Puglia, Italy Criminal Investigation
On February 18, 2012, the judge ordered the release of the €64 million under the control of the Public Prosecutor, and these funds were paid to Merrill Lynch International ("MLI").
Rosen Capital Partners LP & Rosen Capital Institutional LP's FINRA Arbitration
On February 23, 2012, Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corporation filed a notice of appeal with the California Court of Appeal.
Commitments
At March 31, 2012, Merrill Lynch’s commitments had the following expirations:
Lending Commitments
Merrill Lynch enters into commitments to extend credit, predominantly at variable interest rates, in connection with corporate finance, corporate and institutional transactions and asset-based lending transactions. Clients may also be extended loans or lines of credit collateralized by first and second mortgages on real estate, certain liquid assets of small businesses, or securities. These commitments usually have a fixed expiration date and are contingent on certain contractual conditions that may require payment of a fee by the counterparty. Once commitments are drawn upon, Merrill Lynch may require the counterparty to post collateral depending upon creditworthiness and general market conditions. See Note 10 for additional information.
Commitments to extend credit are outstanding as of the date the commitment letter is issued and are comprised of closed and contingent commitments. Closed commitments represent the unfunded portion of existing commitments available for draw down. Contingent commitments are contingent on the borrower fulfilling certain conditions or upon a particular event, such as an acquisition. A portion of these contingent commitments may be syndicated among other lenders or the counterparty may replace the commitment with capital markets funding.
The contractual amounts of these commitments represent the amounts at risk should the contract be fully drawn upon, the client defaults, and the value of the existing collateral becomes worthless. The total amount of outstanding commitments may not represent future cash requirements, as commitments may expire without being drawn.
For lending commitments where the loan will be classified as held for sale upon funding, liabilities associated with unfunded commitments are calculated at the lower of cost or fair value, capturing declines in the fair value of the respective credit risk. For loan commitments where the loan will be classified as held for investment upon funding, liabilities are calculated considering both market and historical loss rates. Loan commitments either held by entities that apply the Broker-Dealer Guide or for which the fair value option was elected are accounted for at fair value.
Purchasing and Other Commitments
Merrill Lynch had commitments to purchase partnership interests, primarily related to private equity and principal investing activities at both March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 of $0.3 billion. Merrill Lynch also has entered into agreements with providers of market data, communications, systems consulting, and other office-related services. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, minimum fee commitments over the remaining life of these agreements totaled $1.4 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively. At March 31, 2012, Merrill Lynch entered into commitments to purchase loans of $3.8 billion, which, upon settlement of the commitment, will be included in trading assets, loans held for investment or loans held for sale. Such commitments totaled $2.5 billion at December 31, 2011. Other purchasing commitments amounted to $0.8 billion and $1.0 billion at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.
In the normal course of business, Merrill Lynch enters into commitments for underwriting transactions. Settlement of these transactions as of March 31, 2012 would not have a material effect on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet of Merrill Lynch.
In connection with trading activities, Merrill Lynch enters into commitments to enter into resale and securities borrowing and also repurchase and securities lending agreements.
Operating Leases
Merrill Lynch has entered into various non-cancelable long-term lease agreements for premises that expire through 2028. Merrill Lynch has also entered into various non-cancelable short-term lease agreements, which are primarily commitments of less than one year under equipment leases.
Guarantees
Merrill Lynch issues various guarantees to counterparties in connection with certain transactions. Merrill Lynch’s guarantee arrangements and their expiration at March 31, 2012 are summarized as follows (see Note 6 for information related to derivative financial instruments within the scope of Guarantees Accounting):
Standby Liquidity Facilities
Standby liquidity facilities are primarily comprised of liquidity facilities provided to certain unconsolidated municipal bond securitization VIEs. In these arrangements, Merrill Lynch is required to fund these standby liquidity facilities if certain contingent events take place (e.g., a failed remarketing) and in certain cases if the fair value of the assets held by the VIE declines below the stated amount of the liquidity obligation. The potential exposure under the facilities is mitigated by economic hedges and/or other contractual arrangements entered into by Merrill Lynch. Based upon historical activity, it is considered remote that future payments would need to be made under these guarantees.
Refer to Note 9 for further information.
Residual Value Guarantees
At March 31, 2012, residual value guarantees of $320 million consist of amounts associated with certain power plant facilities. Payments under these guarantees would only be required if the fair value of such assets declined below their guaranteed value. As of March 31, 2012, no payments have been made under these guarantees and the carrying value of the associated liabilities was not material, as Merrill Lynch believes that the estimated fair value of such assets was in excess of their guaranteed value.
Standby Letters of Credit
At March 31, 2012, Merrill Lynch provided guarantees to certain counterparties in the form of standby letters of credit in the amount of $0.4 billion. Payment risk is evaluated based upon historical payment activity.
Representations and Warranties
Background
In prior years, Merrill Lynch and certain of its subsidiaries, including First Franklin Financial Corporation ("First Franklin"), sold pools of first-lien residential mortgage loans and home equity loans as private-label securitizations (in a limited number of these securitizations, monolines insured all or some of the securities) or in the form of whole loans. Most of the loans sold in the form of whole loans were subsequently pooled into private-label securitizations sponsored by the third-party buyer of the whole loans. In addition, Merrill Lynch and First Franklin securitized first-lien residential mortgage loans generally in the form of mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the government sponsored enterprises (the "GSEs"). In connection with these transactions, Merrill Lynch made various representations and warranties. These representations and warranties, as set forth in the agreements, related to, among other things, the ownership of the loan, the validity of the lien securing the loan, the absence of delinquent taxes or liens against the property securing the loan, the process used to select the loan for inclusion in a transaction, the loan's compliance with any applicable loan criteria, including underwriting standards, and the loan's compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Breaches of these representations and warranties may result in the requirement to repurchase mortgage loans or to otherwise make whole or provide other remedies to the GSEs, whole-loan buyers, securitization trusts or monoline insurers (collectively, “repurchases”). In such cases, Merrill Lynch would be exposed to any credit loss on the repurchased mortgage loans after accounting for any mortgage insurance or mortgage guaranty payments that it may receive.
Subject to the requirements and limitations of the applicable sales and securitization agreements, these representations and warranties can be enforced by the GSEs, the whole-loan buyer, the securitization trustee, or others as governed by the applicable agreement or, in a limited number of first-lien and home equity securitizations where monoline insurers have insured all or some of the securities issued, by the monoline insurer. In the case of loans sold to parties other than the GSEs, the contractual liability to repurchase typically arises only if there is a breach of the representations and warranties that materially and adversely affects the interest of the investor or investors in the loan or of the monoline insurer (as applicable). Contracts with the GSEs do not contain equivalent language. Merrill Lynch believes that the longer a loan performs prior to default, the less likely it is that an alleged underwriting breach of representations and warranties had a material impact on the loan's performance. Historically, most demands for repurchase have occurred within the first several years after origination, generally after a loan has defaulted.
Merrill Lynch's credit loss would be reduced by any recourse it may have to organizations (e.g., correspondents) that, in turn, had sold such loans to Merrill Lynch based upon its agreements with these organizations. When a loan is originated by a correspondent or other third party, Merrill Lynch typically has the right to seek a recovery of related repurchase losses from that originator. Many of the correspondent originators of loans in 2004 through 2008 are no longer in business, or are in a weakened condition, and Merrill Lynch's ability to recover on valid claims is therefore impacted, or eliminated accordingly.
The fair value of the obligations to be absorbed under the representations and warranties provided is recorded as an accrued liability when the loans are sold. This liability for probable losses is updated by accruing a representations and warranties provision in Non-interest expenses on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of (Loss) Earnings. This is done throughout the life of the loan, as necessary when additional relevant information becomes available.
The methodology used to estimate the liability for representations and warranties is a function of the representations and warranties given and considers a variety of factors, which include, depending on the counterparty, actual defaults, estimated future defaults, historical loss experience, estimated home prices, other economic conditions, estimated probability that a repurchase claim will be received, including consideration of whether presentation thresholds will be met, number of payments made by the borrower prior to default and estimated probability that a loan will be required to be repurchased as well as other relevant facts and circumstances, such as bulk settlements, including those of its affiliates, and identity of the counterparty or type of counterparty, as we believe appropriate. The estimate of the liability for representations and warranties is based upon currently available information, significant judgment, and a number of factors, including those set forth above, that are subject to change. Changes to any one of these factors could significantly impact the estimate of the liability and could have a material adverse impact on Merrill Lynch's results of operations for any particular period. Given that these factors vary by counterparty, Merrill Lynch analyzes representations and warranties obligations based on the specific counterparty, or type of counterparty, with whom the sale was made.
Merrill Lynch has vigorously contested any request for repurchase when it has concluded that a valid basis for repurchase does not exist and will continue to do so in the future. Merrill Lynch may reach settlements in the future if opportunities arise on terms it believes to be advantageous to Merrill Lynch.
An investor opposed to Bank of America's settlement (the “BNY Mellon Settlement”) with the Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the “Trustee”), removed the proceeding to federal district court, and the federal district court denied the Trustee's motion to remand the proceeding to state court. On February 27, 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals issued an opinion reversing the district court denial of the Trustee's motion to remand the proceeding to state court and ordered that the proceeding be remanded to state court. On April 24, 2012, a hearing was held on threshold issues, at which the court denied the objectors' motion to convert the proceeding to a plenary proceeding. A hearing on discovery matters was set for May 8, 2012. Bank of America and Merrill Lynch are not parties to the proceeding. For additional information, see Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Merrill Lynch's 2011 Annual Report.
Outstanding Claims
The table below presents outstanding representations and warranties claims by counterparty at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011. The outstanding claims include only claims where Merrill Lynch believes that the counterparty has a basis to submit claims. During the three months ended March 31, 2012, Merrill Lynch received $329 million of new repurchase claims, primarily from whole-loan investors and private-label securitization trustees.
(1) The majority of these repurchase claims are from whole loan buyers of subprime loans or trustees of private label securitization trusts through which First Franklin sold subprime loans.
Of the $1.6 billion of total outstanding claims as of March 31, 2012, Merrill Lynch believes that for $701 million, a valid defect has not been identified which would constitute an actionable breach of representations and warranties. The remaining $899 million of claims are in the process of review. When a claim has been denied and there has not been communication with the counterparty for six months, Merrill Lynch views these claims as inactive; however, they remain in the outstanding claims balance until resolution.
In addition, not included in outstanding claims in the table above, during the three months ended March 31, 2012, Merrill Lynch received $1.4 billion in repurchase demands from a master servicer where it believes the claimant has not satisfied the contractual thresholds to direct the securitization trustee to take action and/or that these demands are otherwise procedurally or substantively invalid. Merrill Lynch does not believe the $1.4 billion in additional demands are valid claims, and therefore it is not possible to predict the resolution with respect to such demands.
Cash Settlements
As presented in the table below, Merrill Lynch paid $11 million and $2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2011, respectively, to resolve $11 million and $3 million, respectively, of repurchase claims through repurchase or indemnification payments to investors or securitization trusts, resulting in a loss on the related loans at the time of repurchase or indemnification payment of $11 million and $2 million, respectively. Cash paid for loan repurchases includes the unpaid principal balance of the loan plus past due interest. The amount of loss for loan repurchases is reduced by the fair value of the underlying loan collateral. The repurchase of loans and indemnification payments related to repurchase claims generally resulted from material breaches of representations and warranties related to the loans' material compliance with the applicable underwriting standards, including borrower misrepresentation, credit exceptions without sufficient compensating factors and non-compliance with underwriting procedures. The actual representations and warranties made in a sales transaction and the resulting repurchase and indemnification activity can vary by transaction or investor. A direct relationship between the type of defect that causes the breach of representations and warranties and the severity of the realized loss has not been observed.
(1) Represents unpaid principal balance.
Liability for Representations and Warranties
The liability for representations and warranties is included in Interest and other payables on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets, and the related provision is included in Non-interest expenses on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Earnings. The table below presents a rollforward of the liability for representations and warranties and includes the provisions for non-GSE representation and warranties exposure recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2012.
The liability for representations and warranties is established when those obligations are both probable and reasonably estimable. The representations and warranties provision may vary significantly each period as the methodology used to estimate the expense continues to be refined based on the level and type of repurchase requests presented, defects identified, the latest experience gained on repurchase requests and other relevant facts and circumstances.
Estimated Range of Possible Loss
Non-GSE Counterparties
In private-label securitizations, certain presentation thresholds need to be met in order for repurchase claims to be asserted by investors. Merrill Lynch has seen and continues to see an increased trend in both requests for loan files and repurchase claims from private-label securitization trustees. Merrill Lynch believes it is probable that other claimants in certain types of securitizations may come forward with claims that meet the requirements of the terms of the securitizations. As a result of the BNY Mellon Settlement in the second quarter of 2011, Merrill Lynch determined that it had sufficient experience to record a liability of $2.7 billion related to its exposure on certain private-label securitizations. Merrill Lynch believes that with the liability recorded in 2011, it has provided for a substantial portion of its non-GSE representations and warranties exposures.
However, it is reasonably possible that future representations and warranties losses may occur in excess of the amounts recorded for these exposures. In addition, the BNY Mellon Settlement did not provide sufficient experience related to certain private-label securitizations sponsored by third-party whole-loan investors. As it relates to certain private-label securitizations sponsored by third-party whole-loan investors and certain whole loan sales, it is not possible to determine whether a loss has occurred or is probable and, therefore, no representations and warranties liability has been recorded in connection with these transactions. Merrill Lynch currently estimates that the range of possible loss related to non-GSE representations and warranties exposure as of March 31, 2012 could be up to $0.5 billion over existing accruals. This estimated range of possible loss for non-GSE representations and warranties does not represent a probable loss, is based on currently available information, significant judgment, and a number of assumptions, including those set forth below, that are subject to change.
The methodology used to estimate the non-GSE representations and warranties liability and the corresponding range of possible loss considers a variety of factors including Merrill Lynch's experience related to actual defaults, projected future defaults, historical loss experience, estimated home prices, other economic conditions and the experience of Merrill Lynch's affiliates. Among the factors that impact the non-GSE representations and warranties liability and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss are: (1) contractual material adverse effect requirements, (2) the representations and warranties provided, and (3) the requirement to meet certain presentation thresholds. The first factor is based on Merrill Lynch's belief that a non-GSE contractual liability to repurchase a loan generally arises only if the counterparties prove there is a breach of representations and warranties that materially and adversely affects the interest of the investor or all investors, or of the monoline insurer (as applicable), in a securitization trust and, accordingly, Merrill Lynch believes that the repurchase claimants must prove that the alleged representations and warranties breach was the cause of the loss. The second factor is related to the fact that non-GSE securitizations include different types of representations and warranties than those provided to the GSEs. Merrill Lynch believes the non-GSE securitizations' representations and warranties are less rigorous and actionable than the explicit provisions of comparable agreements with the GSEs without regard to any variations that may have arisen as a result of dealings with the GSEs. The third factor is related to the fact that certain presentation thresholds need to be met in order for any repurchase claim to be asserted on the initiative of investors under the non-GSE agreements. A securitization trustee may investigate or demand repurchase on its own action, and most agreements contain a threshold, for example 25% of the voting rights per trust, that allows investors to declare a servicing event of default under certain circumstances or to request certain action, such as requesting loan files, that the trustee may choose to accept and follow, exempt from liability, provided the trustee is acting in good faith. If there is an un-cured servicing event of default, and the trustee fails to bring suit during a 60-day period, then, under most agreements, investors may file suit. In addition to this, most agreements also allow investors to direct the securitization trustee to investigate loan files or demand the repurchase of loans, if security holders hold a specified percentage, for example, 25%, of the voting rights of each tranche of the outstanding securities.
Although Merrill Lynch continues to believe that presentation thresholds are a factor in the determination of probable loss, given the BNY Mellon Settlement, the estimated range of possible loss assumes that the presentation threshold can be met for all of the non-GSE securitization transactions.
In addition, in the case of private-label securitizations, the methodology used to estimate the non-GSE representations and warranties liability and the corresponding range of possible loss considers the experience resulting from the BNY Mellon Settlement and assumes that the conditions to the BNY Mellon Settlement will be satisfied. Since the non-GSE transactions that were included in the BNY Mellon Settlement differ from those that were not included in the BNY Mellon Settlement, Merrill Lynch adjusted the experience implied in the settlement in order to determine the estimated non-GSE representations and warranties liability and the corresponding range of possible loss. The judgmental adjustments made include consideration of the differences in the mix of products in the securitizations, loan originator, likelihood of claims differences, the differences in the number of payments that the borrower has made prior to default, and the sponsor of the securitization.
Future provisions and/or ranges of possible loss for non-GSE representations and warranties may be significantly impacted if actual experiences are different from Merrill Lynch's assumptions in its predictive models, including, without limitation, those regarding the ultimate resolution of the BNY Mellon Settlement, estimated repurchase rates, economic conditions, estimated home prices, consumer and counterparty behavior, and a variety of other judgmental factors. Adverse developments with respect to one or more of the assumptions underlying the liability for representations and warranties and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss could result in significant increases to future provisions and/or this estimated range of possible loss. For example, if courts were to disagree with Merrill Lynch's interpretation that the underlying agreements require a claimant to prove that the representations and warranties breach was the cause of the loss, it could significantly impact this estimated range of possible loss. Additionally, if recent court rulings related to monoline litigation, including one related to an affiliate of Merrill Lynch, that have allowed sampling of loan files instead of requiring a loan-by-loan review to determine if a representations and warranties breach has occurred are followed generally by the courts, private-label securitization investors may view litigation as a more attractive alternative as compared to a loan-by-loan review. Finally, although Merrill Lynch believes that the representations and warranties typically given in non-GSE transactions are less rigorous and actionable than those given in GSE transactions, Merrill Lynch does not have significant loan-level experience in non-GSE transactions to measure the impact of these differences on the probability that a loan will be required to be repurchased.
The liability for obligations under representations and warranties with respect to GSE and non-GSE exposures and the corresponding estimated range of possible loss for non-GSE representations and warranties exposures does not include any losses related to litigation matters disclosed herein, nor do they include any potential securities law or fraud claims or potential indemnity or other claims against Merrill Lynch. Merrill Lynch is not able to reasonably estimate the amount of any possible loss with respect to any such securities law (except to the extent reflected in the aggregate range of possible loss for litigation and regulatory matters disclosed herein), fraud or other claims against Merrill Lynch; however, such loss could be material.
Whole Loan Sales and Private-label Securitizations Experience
The majority of repurchase claims that Merrill Lynch has received are from private-label securitization trustees or third-party whole loan investors on loans sold by ML & Co.'s subsidiary, First Franklin. In connection with those transactions, Merrill Lynch provided representations and warranties, and the whole-loan investors may retain those rights even when the loans were aggregated with other collateral into private-label securitizations sponsored by the whole-loan investors. Merrill Lynch has received approximately $3.0 billion of representations and warranties claims from whole-loan investors and private-label securitization trustees for loans originated between 2004-2008, including $2.1 billion from whole-loan investors and $0.9 billion from private-label securitization trustees. Merrill Lynch reviews properly presented repurchase claims for these whole loans on a loan-by-loan basis. If, after Merrill Lynch's review, it does not believe a claim is valid, it will deny the claim and generally indicate a reason for the denial. When the counterparty agrees with Merrill Lynch's denial of the claim, the counterparty may rescind the claim. When there is disagreement as to the resolution of the claim, meaningful dialogue and negotiation between the parties is generally necessary to reach a conclusion on an individual claim. Generally, a whole-loan sale claimant is engaged in the repurchase process and Merrill Lynch and the claimant reach resolution, either through loan-by-loan negotiation or at times, through a bulk settlement. In the case of private-label securitization trustees, there is currently no established process in place for the private-label securitization trustee to rescind a claim if they agree with a claim denial or for the parties to reach a conclusion on an individual loan if there is a disagreement on the resolution of the claim. Although the timeline for resolution varies, once an actionable breach is identified on a given loan, settlement is generally reached as to that loan within 60 to 90 days. When a claim has been denied and Merrill Lynch does not have communication with the counterparty for six months, Merrill Lynch views these claims as inactive; however, they remain in the outstanding claims balance until resolution.
In private-label securitizations, certain presentation thresholds need to be met in order for any investors to direct a trustee to assert repurchase claims. Merrill Lynch and its affiliates have had limited experience with loan-level private-label securitization repurchases as the number of valid repurchase claims received has been limited. In the year ended December 31, 2011, Merrill Lynch received $665 million of new repurchase claims from whole-loan and private-label securitization investors, predominately from private-label securitization trustees received in the fourth quarter of 2011. In the first three months of 2012, Merrill Lynch received $329 million of new repurchase claims, primarily from whole-loan and private-label securitization trustees. In addition, there have been and continues to be an increased trend for both requests for loan files and repurchase claims from private-label securitization trustees. Merrill Lynch believes it is likely that these requests will lead to an increase in repurchase claims from private-label securitization trustees with standing to bring such claims. The representations and warranties, as governed by the private-label securitization agreements, generally require that counterparties have the ability to both assert a claim and actually prove that a loan has an actionable defect under the applicable contracts. While Merrill Lynch believes the agreements for private-label securitizations generally contain less rigorous representations and warranties and place higher burdens on investors seeking repurchases than the explicit provisions of comparable agreements with the GSEs without regard to any variations that may have arisen as a result of dealings with the GSEs, the agreements generally include a representation that underwriting practices were prudent and customary.
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