Preamble - ISDA Provision: Difference between revisions

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===ISDA architecture===
===ISDA architecture===
The legal documentation for an ISDA swap transaction comes in three main parts, but —of course— there are complications. But let's start at the beginning.
The legal documentation for an ISDA swap transaction comes in three main parts, but —of course— there are complications. But let's start at the beginning.
{{isda architecture}}


===The trinity: [[2002 ISDA Master Agreement|Master]], {{isdaprov|Schedule}} and {{isdaprov|Confirmation}}===
{{sa}}
 
{{ref}}
'''[[2002 ISDA Master Agreement|Master]]''': The first part of the trinity - God, if you feel that way inclined, is the pre-printed form of master agreement. This has 14 Sections and is inviolate.
*This contains the basic framework for your trading arrangement. It doesn’t have much to say about any particular Transaction, but just assumes you will be entering lots of them, and provides for general terms that apply to all of them. So, {{isdaprov|Representations}}, [[Agreements - ISDA Provision|covenants to maintain certain standards]] and supply credit information, and critically {{isdaprov|Events of Default}}, {{isdaprov|Termination Events}}, and {{isdaprov|Close-out}} rights. [[Close-out]] is deep ISDA lore: this is what almost all of the excitement in an ISDA negotiation is about, and there will be much more to say about it later.
*'''You don’t edit it'''. You sign this as is, and never edit this document. Your [[internal audit]] may not believe you and may ask for evidence of the control you have surrounding your process to make sure no-one ever in-line edits an {{isdama}}. Alas [[internal audit]]’s place in your organisation is as impeachable as the {{isdama}}’s is in the market, so you will have to just suck this up.  But know this: ''No-one'' in-line-edits an ISDA Master Agreement. ''Ever''. This is by quite deliberate design. Everyone in the market knows the ISDA intimately, and there is good comfort in knowing, when it comes to that terrible moment when, as the world goes to hell, you have to understand your rights and obligations, that you don't have to read the 19 pages of the pre-print as well. Even the pagination and line-layout is sacrosanct: Some connoisseurs cherish the Schedule amendment which purports to excise “the third word of the second line of limb (b) of Section {{isdaprov|5(a)(viii)}}”. Honestly.
*'''You ''do'' amend it''': But, of course, an {{isdama}} is nothing without a long and pointless negotiation to amend, augment or clarify this agreement! And to be sure you can amend an ISDA, but you do this is by providing for an amendment in your ... </ref>
'''{{isdaprov|Schedule}}''': <br>
'''{{isdaprov|Confirmation}}''': <br>

Revision as of 08:04, 18 January 2020

ISDA Anatomy™
incorporating our exclusive ISDA in a Nutshell™


In a Nutshell Section Preamble:

2002 ISDA Master Agreement

between

[SPECIFY] and [SPECIFY]

will be entering into “Transactions” governed by this 2002 Master Agreement and its “Schedule”, and a “Confirmation” evidencing those Transactions. The 2002 Master Agreement with its Schedule are the “Master Agreement”.
So:―
view template

2002 ISDA full text of Section Preamble:

ISDA ®
International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.


Dated as of ……………………



…………………… (“Party A”) and ………………… (“Party B”)

have entered and/or anticipate entering into one or more transactions (each a “Transaction”) that are or will be governed by this 2002 Master Agreement, which includes the schedule (the “Schedule”), and the documents and other confirming evidence (each a “Confirmation”) exchanged between the parties or otherwise effective for the purpose of confirming or evidencing those Transactions. This 2002 Master Agreement and the Schedule are together referred to as this “Master Agreement”.
Accordingly, the parties agree as follows:―
view template

Click here for the text of Section Preamble in the 1992 ISDA


Index: Click to expand:Navigation
The Varieties of ISDA Experience
Subject 2002 (wikitext) 1992 (wikitext) 1987 (wikitext)
Preamble Pre Pre Pre
Interpretation 1 1 1
Obligns/Payment 2 2 2
Representations 3 3 3
Agreements 4 4 4
EODs & Term Events 5

Events of Default
FTPDBreachCSDMisrepDUSTCross DefaultBankruptcyMWA
Termination Events
IllegalityTax EventTEUMCEUMATE

5

Events of Default
FTPDBreachCSDMisrepDUSTCross DefaultBankruptcyMWA
Termination Events
IllegalityTax EventTEUMCEUMATE

5

Events of Default
FTPDBreachCSDMisrepDUSTCross DefaultBankruptcyMWA
Termination Events
IllegalityFMTax EventTEUMCEUMATE

Early Termination 6

Early Termination
ET right on EODET right on TEEffect of DesignationCalculations

6

Early Termination
ET right on EODET right on TEEffect of DesignationCalculationsSet-off

6

Early Termination
ET right on EODET right on TEEffect of DesignationCalculationsSet-off

Transfer 7 7 7
Contractual Currency 8 8 8
Miscellaneous 9 9 9
Offices; Multibranch Parties 10 10 10
Expenses 11 11 11
Notices 12 12 12
Governing Law 13 13 13
Definitions 14 14 14
Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule
Termination Provisions Part 1 Part 1 Part 1
Tax Representations Part 2 Part 2 Part 2
Documents for Delivery Part 3 Part 3 Part 3
Miscellaneous Part 4 Part 4 Part 4
Other Provisions Part 5 Part 5 Part 5

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The preamble is the only place where the concept of the “Transaction” — being the actual swaps you put on under one of these confounded agreements — is defined in the ISDA Master Agreement, which talks in somewhat laboured terms about the architecture is the ISDA contract.

ISDA architecture

The legal documentation for an ISDA swap transaction comes in three main parts, but —of course— there are complications. But let's start at the beginning.

The ISDA Master Agreement

The ISDA Master Agreement is the basic framework which applies to anyone who touches down on planet ISDA. There are three existing versions:

  • the state-of-the-art 2002 ISDA;[1]
  • the still-popular-with-traditionalists-and-Americans 1992 ISDA, and
  • the all-but-retired-but-don’t-forget-there-are-still-soldiers-in-the-Burmese-jungle 1987 ISDA[2]
  • the interesting-only-for-its-place-in-the-fossil-record-and-witty-acrostic 1985 ISDA Code; and
  • there isn’t a 2008 ISDA. That’s a little running JC in-joke.[3]

All three versions have a tri-partite form: Pre-printed Master, {{{{{1}}}|Schedule}} and — well, this is controversial: for is it, or is it not, part of the ISDA Master Agreement? — Credit Support Annex.

See also

References

  1. There is no such thing as a 2008 ISDA. That was a joke on our part.
  2. Seriously: proceed with caution with one of these. 1987 ISDAs don’t have a lot of safety features a modern derivatives counterparty relies on, so only for real specialists and weirdos. Think of it like flying a spitfire rather than a 737 Max. Um, okay, bad metaphor.
  3. Talking to yourself might not be the first sign of madness, but having in-jokes with yourself might be.