Aaron M. Rubin

Partner

Orange County


Read full biography at www.orrick.com

Aaron Rubin helps financial services clients navigate all stages of high-stakes litigation. In particular, Aaron's practice primarily focuses on two types of investments: pursuing and defending claims for fund clients related to life insurance investments and defending mortgage servicers in litigation related to RMBS.

An accomplished litigator, Aaron advises leading investment banks, financial institutions, mortgage servicers, non-bank lenders, and alternative asset managers on the unique issues impacting the finance sector, from major commercial disputes to securities litigation and enforcement actions. Leveraging his dispute resolution expereince, Aaron serves as a trusted partner to clients, advising on best practices for mitigating risk long before there is the threat of litigation.

In 2018, Aaron moved to the firm’s Orange County office from New York. The move served his New York-based traditional financial institution clients needing counsel on the West Coast, while also expanding his practice.

Posts by: Aaron Rubin

Deutsche Bank Settles DOJ RMBS Claims for $7.2 Billion

 

On December 23, 2016, Deutsche Bank AG (“Deutsche Bank“) announced that it had reached a settlement in principle with the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ“) to resolve possible civil claims arising from Deutsche Bank’s issuance and underwriting of RMBS in the years leading up to the financial crisis. The $7.2 billion settlement includes a $3.1 billion civil penalty, with an additional $4.1 billion paid in the form of consumer relief (including loan modifications and other types of borrower assistance).

RBS Settles RMBS Suit for $1.1 Billion

On September 27, 2016, the Royal Bank of Scotland (“RBS”) announced a $1.1 billion settlement with the National Credit Union Administration (“NCUA”) in connection with two federal securities litigations concerning RBS’s underwriting and sale of RMBS. The NCUA, as liquidating agent for Western Corporate Federal Credit Union and U.S. Central Federal Credit Union, brought these actions against RBS and other defendants, claiming that the defendants had misled the credit unions about the risks of RMBS and made various misrepresentations in the offering documents.  Further details of the settlement are not publicly available.

U.S. Bank and WMC Settle Four RMBS Lawsuits

On September 22, 2016, RMBS Trustee U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”) and loan originator WMC Mortgage LLC (“WMC”) filed a stipulation of dismissal in four RMBS lawsuits in light of a settlement reached between the parties. The details of the settlement are not publicly available.  The settlement resolves three lawsuits initiated by U.S. Bank, alleging that WMC misrepresented the quality of loans it sold in 2006 and 2007 RMBS offerings, as well as a lawsuit brought by WMC against U.S. Bank, seeking a declaratory judgment regarding WMC’s performance under the governing agreements of an RMBS deal.  Two of U.S. Bank’s lawsuits include claims against loan originator Equifirst Corporation, but these claims are not part of the settlement. Stipulation of Dismissal.

MassMutual and RBS Settle RMBS Litigation

On August 12, 2016, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (“MassMutual”) and RBS jointly moved to dismiss MassMutual’s $235 million RMBS claim, stating that the parties had reached a confidential settlement agreement. MassMutual filed the lawsuit in 2011, alleging violations of the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act.  MassMutual claimed that the defendants made material misrepresentations about the characteristics of mortgage loans that RBS securitized in transactions in which MassMutual invested between 2005 and 2007.  The court entered a final dismissal order on August 15, 2016.  Joint Motion of Dismissal. Order of Dismissal. MassMutual settled similar claims against Barclays Capital Inc. on March 29, 2016 (covered here).

Ninth Circuit Revives RMBS Claims against Nomura

On August 15, 2016, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Central District of California’s order dismissing claims brought by the National Credit Union Administration Board (“NCUA”), as liquidating agent of Western Corporate Federal Credit Union (“Wescorp”), against Nomura Home Equity Loan, Inc. (“Nomura”) under the Securities Act of 1933.  In 2014, the district court granted Nomura’s motion to dismiss claims that it had made materially false and misleading statements in the offering documents in respect of certificates sold to Wescorp in 2006 and 2007, holding that the NCUA’s claims were barred by the statute of repose established in Section 13 of the 1933 Act, which runs three years after the securities were offered or sold.  The Ninth Circuit disagreed with the district court, concluding that both the text and the legislative purpose of the Extender Statute in the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (“FIRREA”) indicate that Congress intended it to supplant the 1933 Act statute of repose and to further a policy of “protecting the government’s right to recovery.” Opinion at 13.  The Ninth Circuit further concluded that, although the text of the Extender Statute only mentions contract and tort claims, because its dictate is to cover “all actions” brought by the NCUA, it also applies to statutory claims, such as the 1933 Act claims at issue in this case.  Thus, the Ninth Circuit held that the NCUA’s claims against Nomura are not time-barred and remanded the case to the Central District for further proceedings. Summary.

 

New York Court of Appeals Hears Arguments on RMBS Put-Back Claim Statute of Limitations

On April 30, 2015, New York’s highest court heard arguments in ACE Securities Corp. v. DB Structured Products Inc. regarding the accrual date for RMBS put-back claims – i.e., the date on which the statute of limitations begins to run.  Plaintiff ACE appealed an intermediate appellate court’s ruling that claims for breaches of representations and warranties are time-barred unless brought within six years of the transaction’s closing date.  ACE argued that the claim does not accrue, and the statute of limitations does not begin to run, until a demand for cure or repurchase has been made and rejected, contending that investors may not know of the alleged representation and warranty breaches within six years of closing.  The defendant argued that if the Court adopted plaintiff’s approach and ruled that a put-back claim does not accrue until demand is made, plaintiffs would be able to tactically take a “wait and see” attitude.  Depending on how the deal performs, they potentially could wait for decades after a transaction was entered into before making a repurchase demand, and only then bring suit if the demand is rejected.

Assured Guaranty Discontinues Lawsuit Against DB Structured Products

On November 17, 2014, Justice Shirley Werner Kornreich of the Supreme Court for the State of New York, New York County approved the stipulation of voluntary discontinuance between Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp., DB Structured Products, Inc., and ACE Securities Corp. DB Structured Products’s third-party claim against Greenpoint Mortgage Funding, Inc. was also voluntarily discontinued.  Monoline insurer Assured filed the action in 2010, alleging breaches of representations and warranties in a 2006 RMBS transaction.  Stipulation of Voluntary Discontinuance.

Court Finds FHFA Claims Against Nomura Are Not Time-Barred

On November 18, Judge Denise Cote of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s motion for partial summary judgment on the statute of limitations defense asserted by Nomura and related entities.  FHFA, as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, alleges that Nomura made materially false statements in offering documents for RMBS between 2005 and 2007 in violation of Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933.   Judge Cote found that Fannie and Freddie did not have sufficient information by September 2007 to determine whether the offering documents contained misstatements, and that a reasonably diligent investor in their position would not have investigated the offering documents or discovered the misstatements by that date.  As a result, the Court held that FHFA’s claims were not barred by the statute of limitations.  Opinion & Order.

Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Settle RMBS Lawsuit with FDIC

On November 17, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch settled securities claims brought by the FDIC related to RMBS sold to United Western Bank.  The FDIC, as the receiver for United Western Bank, alleged claims under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Colorado Securities Act against Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and RBS Securities related to $110 million in RMBS. The case against Morgan Stanley and RBS remains pending.  Stipulation.

Court Dismisses U.S. Bank’s RMBS Repurchase Claims Against Citigroup as Too Speculative

 On November 14, Judge George B. Daniels of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed several of U.S. Bank’s repurchase claims against Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp.  U.S. Bank alleged that Citigroup breached representations and warranties with respect to loans underlying $832 million of RMBS.  The Court dismissed the trustee’s claim for breach of contract as to loans for which the trustee had not requested repurchase, holding that U.S. Bank did not sufficiently allege that Citigroup actually discovered any breaches of representations and warranties as to those loans.  The Court also dismissed the trustee’s claim for anticipatory breach of contract based on repurchase requests sent to Citigroup the same day as the complaint was filed.  In addition, Judge Daniels dismissed claims against servicer CitiMortgage, Inc., holding the trustee’s allegations suggesting CitiMortgage should have discovered breaches of representations and warranties in the course of servicing were conclusory and speculative.  The case remains pending against Citigroup as to claims for breach of contract with respect to the failure to repurchase 466 loans identified in pre-suit repurchase demands.  Order.