Bail in Debt

Under Canadian bank resolution powers, the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (“CDIC”) may, in circumstances where the Bank has ceased, or is about to cease, to be viable, assume temporary control or ownership of the Bank and may be granted broad powers by one or more orders of the Governor in Council (Canada), each of which we refer to as an “Order,” including the power to sell or dispose of all or a part of the assets of the Bank, and the power to carry out or cause the Bank to carry out a transaction or a series of transactions the purpose of which is to restructure the business of the Bank. As part of the Canadian bank resolution powers, certain provisions of, and regulations under the Bank Act (Canada) (the “Bank Act”), the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (the “CDIC Act”) and certain other Canadian federal statutes pertaining to banks, which we refer to collectively as the “bail-in regime,” provide for a bank recapitalization regime for banks designated by the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada) (the “Superintendent”) as domestic systemically important banks, which include the Bank. We refer to those domestic systemically important banks as “D-SIBs”.

The expressed objectives of the bail-in regime include reducing government and taxpayer exposure in the unlikely event of a failure of a D-SIB, reducing the likelihood of such a failure by increasing market discipline and reinforcing that bank shareholders and creditors are responsible for the D-SIBs’ risks and not taxpayers, and preserving financial stability by empowering the CDIC to quickly restore a failed D-SIB to viability and allow it to remain open and operating, even where the D-SIB has experienced severe losses.

Under the CDIC Act, in circumstances where the Superintendent is of the opinion that the Bank has ceased, or is about to cease, to be viable and viability cannot be restored or preserved by exercise of the Superintendent’s powers under the Bank Act, the Superintendent, after providing the Bank with a reasonable opportunity to make representations, is required to provide a report to CDIC. Following receipt of the Superintendent’s report, CDIC may request the Minister of Finance for Canada (the “Minister of Finance”) to recommend that the Governor in Council (Canada) make an Order and, if the Minister of Finance is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so, the Minister of Finance may recommend that the Governor in Council (Canada) make, and on that recommendation, the Governor in Council (Canada) may make, one or more of the following Orders:

• vesting in CDIC, the shares and subordinated debt of the Bank specified in the Order, which we refer to as a “vesting order”;
• appointing CDIC as receiver in respect of the Bank, which we refer to as a “receivership order”;
• if a receivership order has been made, directing the Minister of Finance to incorporate a federal institution designated in the Order as a bridge institution wholly-owned by CDIC and specifying the date and time as of which the Bank’s deposit liabilities are assumed, which we refer to as a “bridge bank order”; or
• if a vesting order or receivership order has been made, directing CDIC to carry out a conversion, by converting or causing the Bank to convert, in whole or in part – by means of a transaction or series of transactions and in one or more steps – the shares and liabilities of the Bank that are subject to the bail-in regime into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates, which we refer to as a “conversion order”.

Following a vesting order or receivership order, CDIC will assume temporary control or ownership of the Bank and will be granted broad powers under that Order, including the power to sell or dispose of all or a part of the assets of the Bank, and the power to carry out or cause the Bank to carry out a transaction or a series of transactions the purpose of which is to restructure the business of the Bank.

Under a bridge bank order, CDIC has the power to transfer the Bank’s insured deposit liabilities and certain assets and other liabilities of the Bank to a bridge institution. Upon the exercise of that power, any assets and liabilities of the Bank that are not transferred to the bridge institution would remain with the Bank, which would then be wound up. In such a scenario, any liabilities of the Bank, including any outstanding notes (whether or not such notes are bail-inable notes), that are not assumed by the bridge institution could receive only partial or no repayment in the ensuing wind-up of the Bank.

Upon the making of a conversion order, prescribed shares and liabilities under the bail-in regime that are subject to that conversion order will, to the extent converted, be converted into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates, as determined by CDIC which we will refer to as a “bail-in conversion”.

Subject to certain exceptions discussed below, senior debt issued on or after September 23, 2018, with an initial or amended term to maturity (including explicit or embedded options) greater than 400 days, that is unsecured or partially secured and that has been assigned a CUSIP or ISIN or similar identification number are subject to a bail-in conversion. We refer to notes and other senior debt instruments that are subject to bail-in conversion as “bail-inable notes.” Shares, other than common shares, and subordinated debt of the Bank are also subject to a bail-in conversion, unless they are non-viability contingent capital.

Shares and liabilities which would otherwise be bail-inable but were issued before September 23, 2018 are not subject to a bail-in conversion unless, in the case of any such liability, including any notes, the terms of such liability are amended to increase their principal amount or to extend their term to maturity on or after September 23, 2018, and that liability, as amended, meets the requirements to be subject to a bail-in conversion. Covered bonds, certain derivatives and certain structured notes (as such term is used under the bail-in regime) are expressly excluded from a bail-in conversion. To the extent that any notes constitute structured notes (as such term is used under the bail-in regime) they will not be bail-inable notes. As a result, claims of some creditors whose claims would otherwise rank equally with those of the holders holding bail-inable notes would be excluded from a bail-in conversion and thus the holders and beneficial owners of bail-inable notes will have to absorb losses ahead of these other creditors as a result of the bail-in conversion. The terms and conditions of the bail-in conversion will be determined by CDIC in accordance with and subject to certain requirements discussed below.

Bail-in Conversion

Under the bail-in regime there is no fixed and pre-determined contractual conversion ratio for the conversion of the bail-inable notes, or other shares or liabilities of the Bank that are subject to a bail-in conversion, into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates nor are there specific requirements regarding whether liabilities subject to a bail-in conversion are converted into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates. CDIC determines the timing of the bail-in conversion, the portion of bail-inable shares and liabilities to be converted and the terms and conditions of the conversion, subject to parameters set out in the bail-in regime. Those parameters include that:

• in carrying out a bail-in conversion, CDIC must take into consideration the requirement in the Bank Act for banks to maintain adequate capital;
• CDIC must use its best efforts to ensure that shares and liabilities subject to a bail-in conversion are only converted after all subordinate ranking shares and liabilities that are subject to a bail-in conversion and any subordinate non-viability contingent capital instruments have been previously converted or are converted at the same time;
• CDIC must use its best efforts to ensure that the converted part of the liquidation entitlement of a share subject to a bail-in conversion, or the converted part of the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interest of a liability subject to a bail-in conversion, is converted on a pro rata basis for all shares or liabilities subject to a bail-in conversion of equal rank that are converted during the same restructuring period;
• holders of shares and liabilities that are subject to a bail-in conversion must receive a greater number of common shares per dollar of the converted part of the liquidation entitlement of their shares, or the converted part of the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interest of their liabilities, than holders of any subordinate shares or liabilities subject to a bail-in conversion that are converted during the same restructuring period or of any subordinate non-viability contingent capital that is converted during the same restructuring period;
• holders of shares or liabilities subject to a bail-in conversion of equal rank that are converted during the same restructuring period must receive the same number of common shares per dollar of the converted part of the liquidation entitlement of their shares or the converted part of the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interest of their liabilities; and
• holders of shares or liabilities subject to a bail-in conversion must receive, if any non-viability contingent capital of equal rank to the shares or liabilities is converted during the same restructuring period, a number of common shares per dollar of the converted part of the liquidation entitlement of their shares, or the converted part of the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interest of their liabilities, that is equal to the largest number of common shares received by any holder of the non-viability contingent capital per dollar of that capital.

Compensation Regime

The CDIC Act provides for a compensation process for holders of bail-inable notes who immediately prior to the making of an Order, directly or through an intermediary, own bail-inable notes that are converted in a bail-in conversion. While this process applies to successors of those holders it does not apply to assignees or transferees of the holder following the making of the Order and does not apply if the amounts owing under the relevant bail-inable notes are paid in full.

Under the compensation process, the compensation to which such holders are entitled is the difference, to the extent it is positive, between the estimated liquidation value and the estimated resolution value of the relevant bail-inable notes. The liquidation value is the estimated value the bail-inable noteholders would have received if an order under the Winding-up and Restructuring Act (Canada) had been made in respect of the Bank, as if no Order had been made and without taking into consideration any assistance, financial or otherwise, that is or may be provided to the Bank, directly or indirectly, by CDIC, the Bank of Canada, the Government of Canada or a province of Canada, after any order to wind up the Bank has been made.

The resolution value in respect of relevant bail-inable notes is the aggregate estimated value of the following: (a) the relevant bail-inable notes, if they are not held by CDIC and they are not converted, after the making of an Order, into common shares under a bail-in conversion; (b) common shares that are the result of a bail-in conversion after the making of an Order; (c) any dividend or interest payments made, after the making of the Order, with respect to the relevant bail-inable notes to any person other than CDIC; and (d) any other cash, securities or other rights or interests that are received or to be received with respect to the relevant bail-inable notes as a direct or indirect result of the making of the Order and any actions taken in furtherance of the Order, including from CDIC, the Bank, the liquidator of the Bank, if the Bank is wound up, the liquidator of a CDIC subsidiary incorporated or acquired by order of the Governor in Council for the purposes of facilitating the acquisition, management or disposal of real property or other assets of the Bank that CDIC may acquire as the result of its operations that is liquidated or the liquidator of a bridge institution if the bridge institution is wound up.

In connection with the compensation process, CDIC is required to estimate the liquidation value and the resolution value in respect of the portion of converted bail-inable notes and is required to consider the difference between the estimated day on which the liquidation value would be received and the estimated day on which the resolution value is, or would be, received.

CDIC must, within a reasonable period following a bail-in conversion, make an offer of compensation by notice to the relevant holders that held bail-inable notes equal to, or in value estimated to be equal to, the amount of compensation to which such holders are entitled or provide a notice stating that such holders are not entitled to any compensation. In either case such notice is required to include certain prescribed information, including important information regarding the rights of such holders to seek to object and have the compensation to which they are entitled determined by an assessor (a Canadian Federal Court judge) where holders of liabilities representing at least 10% of the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interest of the liabilities of the same class object to the offer or absence of compensation. The period for objecting is limited (45 days following the day on which a summary of the notice is published in the Canada Gazette) and failure by holders holding a sufficient principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest of affected bail-inable notes to object within the prescribed period will result in the loss of any ability to object to the offered compensation or absence of compensation, as applicable. CDIC will pay the relevant holders the offered compensation within 135 days after the date on which a summary of the notice is published in the Canada Gazette if the offer of compensation is accepted, the holder does not notify CDIC of acceptance or objection to the offer or if the holder objects to the offer but the 10% threshold described above is not met within the aforementioned 45-day period.

Where an assessor is appointed, the assessor could determine a different amount of compensation payable, which could either be higher or lower than the original amount. The assessor is required to provide holders, whose compensation it determines, notice of its determination. The assessor’s determination is final and there are no further opportunities for review or appeal. CDIC will pay the relevant holders the compensation amount determined by the assessor within 90 days of the assessor’s notice.

By its acquisition of an interest in any bail-inable note, each holder or beneficial owner of that note is deemed to be bound by a bail-in conversion and so will have no further rights in respect of its bail-inable notes to the extent those bail-inable notes are converted in a bail-in conversion, other than those provided under the bail-in regime.

A similar compensation process to the one set out above applies, in certain circumstances, where as a result of CDIC’s exercise of bank resolution powers, notes are assigned to an entity which is then wound-up.

TLAC Guideline

In connection with the bail-in regime, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions’ (“OSFI”) guideline (the “TLAC Guideline”) on Total Loss Absorbing Capacity (“TLAC”) applies to and establishes standards for D-SIBs, including the Bank. Under the TLAC Guideline, beginning November 1, 2021, the Bank is required to maintain a minimum capacity to absorb losses composed of unsecured external long-term debt that meets the prescribed criteria or regulatory capital instruments to support recapitalization in the event of a failure. Bail-inable notes and regulatory capital instruments that meet the prescribed criteria will constitute TLAC of the Bank.

In order to comply with the TLAC Guideline, the note must provide for terms and conditions for the bail-inable notes necessary to meet the prescribed criteria and qualify at their issuance as TLAC instruments of the Bank under the TLAC Guideline. Those criteria include the following:

• the Bank cannot directly or indirectly have provided financing to any person for the express purpose of investing in the bail-inable notes;
• the bail-inable note is not subject to set-off or netting rights;
• the bail-inable note must not provide rights to accelerate repayment of principal or interest payments outside of bankruptcy, insolvency, wind-up or liquidation, except that events of default relating to the non-payment of scheduled principal and/or interest payments will be permitted where they are subject to a cure period of no less than 30 business days and clearly disclose to investors that: (i) acceleration is only permitted where an Order has not been made in respect of the Bank; and (ii) notwithstanding any acceleration, the instrument continues to be subject to a bail-in conversion prior to its repayment;
• the bail-inable note may be redeemed or purchased for cancellation only at the initiative of the Bank and, where the redemption or purchase would lead to a breach of the Bank’s TLAC requirements, that redemption or purchase would be subject to the prior approval of the Superintendent;
• the bail-inable note does not have credit-sensitive dividend or coupon features that are reset periodically based in whole or in part on the Bank’s credit standing; and
• where an amendment or variance of the bail-inable note’s terms and conditions would affect its recognition as TLAC, that amendment or variance will only be permitted with the prior approval of the Superintendent.

Risk Factors relating to the Notes as a result of Canadian bank resolution powers

Bail-inable notes will be subject to risks, including non-payment in full or conversion in whole or in part – by means of a transaction or series of transactions and in one or more steps – into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates, under Canadian bank resolution powers.

If the CDIC were to take action under the Canadian bank resolution powers with respect to the Bank, this could result in holders or beneficial owners of notes being exposed to losses and, in the case of bail-inable notes conversion of the notes in whole or in part. Upon a bail-in conversion, holders of bail-inable notes that are converted will be obligated to accept the common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates into which such bail-inable notes, or any portion thereof, are converted, even if such holders or beneficial owners do not at the time consider such common shares to be an appropriate investment for them, and despite any change in the Bank or any of its affiliates, or the fact that such common shares are issued by an affiliate of the Bank, or any disruption to or lack of a market for such common shares or disruption to capital markets generally.

As a result, holders of bail-inable notes should consider the risk that they may lose all of their investment, including the principal amount plus any accrued interest, if CDIC were to take action under the Canadian bank resolution powers, including the bail-in regime, and that any remaining outstanding notes, or common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates into which bail-inable notes are converted, may be of little value at the time of a bail-in conversion and thereafter.

Bail-inable notes will provide only limited acceleration and enforcement rights for the notes and will include other provisions intended to qualify such notes as TLAC.

In order to comply with the TLAC Guideline, where the bail-inable notes contain events of default, the terms of the bail-inable notes provide that acceleration will only be permitted (i) if the Bank defaults in the payment of the principal of, or interest on, such bail-inable notes and, in each case, the default continues for a period of 30 business days, or (ii) certain bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization events occur.

Holders and beneficial owners of bail-inable notes may only exercise, or direct the exercise of, such rights in respect of bail-inable notes where an Order has not been made under Canadian bank resolution powers pursuant to subsection 39.13(1) of the CDIC Act in respect of the Bank. Notwithstanding the exercise of those rights, bail-inable notes will continue to be subject to bail-in conversion until repaid in full.

The terms of the bail-inable notes also provide that holders or beneficial owners of bail-inable notes will not be entitled to exercise, or direct the exercise of, any set-off or netting rights with respect to bail-inable notes. In addition, where an amendment, modification or other variance that can be made to the bail- inable notes would affect the recognition of the bail-inable notes by the Superintendent as TLAC, that amendment, modification or variance will require the prior approval of the Superintendent.

The circumstances surrounding a bail-in conversion are unpredictable and can be expected to have an adverse effect on the market price of bail-inable notes.

The decision as to whether the Bank has ceased, or is about to cease, to be viable is a subjective determination by the Superintendent that is outside the control of the Bank. Upon a bail-in conversion, the interests of depositors and holders of liabilities and securities of the Bank that are not converted will effectively all rank in priority to the portion of bail-inable notes that are converted. In addition, except as provided for under the compensation process, the rights of holders in respect of the bail-inable notes that have been converted will rank on parity with other holders of common shares of the Bank (or, as applicable, common shares of the affiliate whose common shares are issued on the bail-in conversion).

There is no limitation on the type of Order that may be made where it has been determined that the Bank has ceased, or is about to cease, to be viable. As a result, holders of bail-inable notes may be exposed to losses through the use of Canadian bank resolution powers other than bail-in conversion or in liquidation. See “Bail-inable notes will be subject to risks, including non-payment in full or conversion in whole or in part – by means of a transaction or series of transactions and in one or more steps – into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates, under Canadian bank resolution powers.” above.

Because of the uncertainty regarding when and whether an Order will be made and the type of Order that may be made, it will be difficult to predict when, if at all, bail-inable notes could be converted into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates, and there is not likely to be any advance notice of an Order. As a result of this uncertainty, trading behaviour in respect of the bail-inable notes may not follow trading behaviour associated with convertible or exchangeable securities or, in circumstances where the Bank is trending towards ceasing to be viable, other senior debt. Any indication, whether real or perceived, that the Bank is trending towards ceasing to be viable can be expected to have an adverse effect on the market price of the bail-inable notes, whether or not the Bank has ceased, or is about to cease, to be viable. Therefore, in those circumstances, holders of bail-inable notes may not be able to sell their bail-inable notes easily or at prices comparable to those of senior debt securities not subject to bail-in conversion.

The number of common shares to be issued in connection with, and the number of common shares that will be outstanding following, a bail-in conversion are unknown. It is also unknown whether the shares to be issued will be those of the Bank or one of its affiliates.

Under the bail-in regime there is no fixed and pre-determined contractual conversion ratio for the conversion of the bail-inable notes, or other shares or liabilities of the Bank that are subject to a bail-in conversion, into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates, nor are there specific requirements regarding whether liabilities subject to a bail-in conversion are converted into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates. CDIC determines the timing of the bail-in conversion, the portion of bail-inable shares and liabilities to be converted and the terms and conditions of the conversion, subject to parameters set out in the bail-in regime set out above under “Bail-in Conversion”.

As a result, it is not possible to anticipate the potential number of common shares of the Bank or its affiliates that would be issued in respect of any bail- inable note converted in a bail-in conversion, the aggregate number of such common shares that will be outstanding following the bail-in conversion, the effect of dilution on the common shares received from other issuances under or in connection with an Order or related actions in respect of the Bank or its affiliates or the value of any common shares received by the holder or beneficial owner, which could be significantly less than the principal amount of the converted bail-inable notes. It is also not possible to anticipate whether shares of the Bank or shares of its affiliates would be issued in a bail-in conversion. There may be an illiquid market, or no market at all, in the common shares issued upon a bail-in conversion and such holders or beneficial owners may not be able to sell those common shares at a price equal to the value of the converted bail-inable notes and as a result may suffer significant losses that may not be offset by compensation, if any, received as part of the compensation process.

By acquiring bail-inable notes, each holder or beneficial owner is deemed to agree to be bound by a bail-in conversion and so will have no further rights in respect of bail-inable notes that are converted in a bail-in conversion other than those provided under the bail-in regime. Any potential compensation to be provided through the compensation process under the CDIC Act is unknown.

The CDIC Act provides for a compensation process for holders of bail-inable notes who immediately prior to the making of an Order, directly or through an intermediary, own bail-inable notes that are converted in a bail-in conversion. Given the considerations involved in determining the amount of compensation, if any, that a holder that held bail-inable notes may be entitled to following an Order, it is not possible to anticipate what, if any, compensation would be payable in such circumstances. By its acquisition of an interest in any bail-inable note, each holder or beneficial owner of that note is deemed to agree to be bound by a bail-in conversion and so will have no further rights in respect of bail-inable notes to the extent those bail-inable notes are converted in a bail-in conversion, other than those provided under the bail-in regime.

Following a bail-in conversion, holders or beneficial owners that held bail-inable notes that have been converted will no longer have rights against the Bank as creditors.

Upon a bail-in conversion, the rights, terms and conditions of the portion of bail-inable notes that are converted, including with respect to priority and rights on liquidation, will no longer apply as the portion of converted bail-inable notes will have been converted on a full and permanent basis into common shares of the Bank or any of its affiliates ranking on parity with all other outstanding common shares of that entity. If a bail-in conversion occurs, then the interest of the depositors, other creditors and holders of liabilities of the Bank not bailed-in as a result of the bail-in conversion will all rank in priority to those common shares.

Given the nature of the bail-in conversion, holders or beneficial owners of bail-inable notes that are converted will become holders or beneficial owners of common shares at a time when the Bank’s and potentially its affiliates’ financial condition has deteriorated. They may also become holders or beneficial owners of common shares at a time when the relevant entity may have received or may receive a capital injection or equivalent support with terms that may rank in priority to the common shares issued in a bail-in conversion with respect to payment of dividends, rights on liquidation or other terms although there is no certainty that any such capital injection or support will be forthcoming.

Bail-inable notes may be redeemed after the occurrence of a TLAC Disqualification Event.

If a TLAC Disqualification Event (as defined in a bail-inable note) is specified in the bail-inable note, the Bank may, at its option, with the prior approval of the Superintendent, redeem all but not less than all of the particular bail-inable notes prior to their stated maturity date after the occurrence of the TLAC Disqualification Event, at the time and at the redemption price or prices specified in the bail-inable note, together with unpaid interest accrued thereon to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption. If bail-inable notes are redeemed, the holder or beneficial owner of the bail-inable note may not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in securities offering a comparable anticipated rate of return. Additionally, although the terms of the bail-inable notes are anticipated to be established to satisfy the TLAC criteria within the meaning of the TLAC Guideline to which the Bank is subject, it is possible that any bail-inable notes may not satisfy the criteria in future rulemakings or interpretations.