Legal Proceedings
The Sponsor and the Servicer
The sponsor is subject to various pending and potential legal and regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including litigation, arbitration, claims, investigations, examinations, subpoenas and enforcement proceedings. Some litigation against the sponsor could take the form of class actions. The outcome of these proceedings is inherently uncertain, and thus the sponsor cannot confidently predict how or when proceedings will be resolved. An adverse outcome in one or more of these proceedings could result in substantial damages, settlements, fines, penalties, diminished income or reputational harm to the sponsor, and could materially and adversely affect the interests of the noteholders or the servicer’s ability to perform its duties under the Transaction Documents.
The Owner Trustee
WTC is subject to various legal proceedings that arise from time to time in the ordinary course of business. WTC does not believe that the ultimate resolution of any of these proceedings will have a materially adverse effect on its services as owner trustee.
WTC has provided the information in the preceding paragraph for purposes of complying with Regulation AB. Other than the above paragraph, and except as described under “The Owner Trustee,” WTC has not participated in the preparation of, and is not responsible for, any other information contained in this prospectus.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
In the ordinary course of business from time to time, the sponsor and its affiliates have business relationships and agreements with affiliates of the owner trustee and the trustee, including commercial banking, committed credit facilities, underwriting agreements, hedging agreements and financial advisory services, all on arm’s length terms and conditions.
The owner trustee is not an affiliate of any of the depositor, the sponsor, the servicer, the issuing entity or the trustee. However, the owner trustee and one or more of its affiliates may, from time to time, engage in arm’s length transactions with the depositor, the sponsor, the trustee, or affiliates of any of them, that are distinct from its role as owner trustee, including transactions both related and unrelated to the securitization of automobile loan contracts.
The trustee is not an affiliate of any of the depositor, the sponsor, the servicer, the issuing entity or the owner trustee. However, the trustee and one or more of its affiliates may, from time to time, engage in arm’s length transactions with the depositor, the sponsor, the owner trustee, the sponsor or affiliates of any of them, that are distinct from its role as trustee, including transactions both related and unrelated to the securitization of automobile loan contracts.
The sponsor, the depositor and the servicer are affiliates and also engage in other transactions with each other involving securitizations and sales of automobile loan contracts.
Credit Risk Retention
The risk retention regulations in Regulation RR of the Exchange Act require the sponsor, either directly or through its majority-owned affiliates, to retain a 5% economic interest in the credit risk of the automobile loan contracts as of the closing date. The depositor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the sponsor, intends to retain an “eligible horizontal residual interest” in the issuing entity issued as part of this securitization transaction, and, to the extent described below under “—Retained Eligible Vertical Interest”, an “eligible vertical interest” in each class of notes, to satisfy the sponsor’s obligations under Regulation RR. As described further below, should retention of the “eligible horizontal residual interest” fail to satisfy
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