beneficial owner of notes, the servicer may require no more verification than (1) a written certification from the noteholder that it is a beneficial owner of notes and (2) an additional form of documentation, such as a trade confirmation, an account statement, a letter from the broker or dealer or other similar document.
The Indenture Trustee
U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, a national banking association (“U.S. Bank Trust Co.”), will act as indenture trustee, registrar and paying agent. U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank N.A.”) made a strategic decision to reposition its corporate trust business by transferring substantially all of its corporate trust business to its affiliate, U.S. Bank Trust Co., a non-depository trust company (U.S. Bank N.A. and U.S. Bank Trust Co. are collectively referred to herein as “U.S. Bank”). Upon U.S. Bank Trust Co.’s succession to the business of U.S. Bank N.A., it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Bank N.A. U.S. Bank N.A. will act as initial account bank and securities intermediary under the indenture and sale and servicing agreement, and the indenture trustee will maintain the accounts of the issuing entity in the name of the indenture trustee at U.S. Bank N.A.
U.S. Bancorp, with total assets exceeding $682 billion as of March 31, 2023, is the parent company of U.S. Bank N.A., the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. As of March 31, 2023, U.S. Bancorp operated over 2,400 branch offices in 26 states. A network of specialized U.S. Bancorp offices across the nation provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses, and institutions.
U.S. Bank has one of the largest corporate trust businesses in the country with office locations in 48 domestic and 2 international cities. The indenture will be administered from U.S. Bank’s corporate trust office located at 190 South LaSalle Street, 7th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603.
U.S. Bank has provided corporate trust services since 1924. As of March 31, 2023, U.S. Bank was acting as trustee with respect to over 125,000 issuances of securities with an aggregate outstanding principal balance of over $5.7 trillion. This portfolio includes corporate and municipal bonds, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations.
The indenture trustee will make each monthly statement available to the noteholders via the indenture trustee’s internet website at https://pivot.usbank.com. Noteholders with questions may direct them to the indenture trustee’s bondholder services group at (800) 934-6802.
As of March 31, 2023, U.S. Bank (and its affiliate U.S. Bank Trust National Association) was acting as indenture trustee, note registrar and paying agent on 102 issuances of equipment finance-backed securities with an outstanding aggregate principal balance of approximately $18,279,700,000.00.
U.S. Bank N.A. and other large financial institutions have been sued in their capacity as trustee or successor trustee for certain residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) trusts. The complaints, primarily filed by investors or investor groups against U.S. Bank N.A. and similar institutions, allege the trustees caused losses to investors as a result of alleged failures by the sponsors, mortgage loan sellers and servicers to comply with the governing agreements for these RMBS trusts. Plaintiffs generally assert causes of action based upon the trustees’ purported failures to enforce repurchase obligations of mortgage loan sellers for alleged breaches of representations and warranties, notify securityholders of purported events of default allegedly caused by breaches of servicing standards by mortgage loan servicers and abide by a heightened standard of care following alleged events of default.
U.S. Bank N.A. denies liability and believes that it has performed its obligations under the RMBS trusts in good faith, that its actions were not the cause of losses to investors, that it has meritorious defenses, and it has contested and intends to continue contesting the plaintiffs’ claims vigorously. However, U.S. Bank N.A. cannot assure you as to the outcome of any of the litigation, or the possible impact of these litigations on the trustee or the RMBS trusts.
On March 9, 2018, a law firm purporting to represent fifteen Delaware statutory trusts (the “DSTs”) that issued securities backed by student loans (the “Student Loans”) filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery against U.S. Bank N.A. in its capacities as indenture trustee and successor special servicer, and three other institutions in their respective transaction capacities, with respect to the DSTs and the Student Loans. This lawsuit is captioned