U.S. Bancorp

Pension Fund Class Action to Proceed Against Bank of America and U.S. Bancorp

On December 6, Judge Katherine B. Forrest of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York denied Bank of America and U.S. Bancorp’s motions to dismiss a suit by the Policemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of the City of Chicago.  Plaintiff brought claims against Bank of America and U.S. Bancorp for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and the Trust Indenture of 1939, alleging that defendants failed to protect investors in their role as trustees for RMBS issued by Washington Mutual.  Plaintiff alleges that Bank of America and Bancorp failed to take certain actions required by the pooling and servicing agreements, including taking possession of loan files, reviewing those files to ensure they were complete, or requiring Washington Mutual to repurchase or fix defective loans.  The court limited plaintiff’s ability to pursue claims only to trusts in which it had purchased certificates or on behalf of purchasers of certificates whose certificates are backed by the loan group that back plaintiff’s certificates or whose certificates are cross-collateralized by loan groups that back plaintiff’s certificates.  Decision.

U.S. Bancorp Sued Over Management of Securities Lending Trust

On March 15, 2011, Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, a participant in a securities lending trust formed by U.S. Bancorp, filed a complaint against U.S. Bancorp, and several affiliated individuals and entities, in Delaware Chancery Court. Defendants allegedly were responsible for the investment and oversight of the cash the trust received as collateral from persons borrowing securities placed into the trust by the plaintiff. The complaint alleges, inter alia, that the defendants wrongfully invested the cash collateral in commercial paper issued by SIVs that were backed by mortgage-backed securities, and then hid information from plaintiff about the risks of the investments they had made with the cash collateral. The complaint also alleges that, through a variety of actions, the defendants placed the financial interests of U.S. Bancorp and its affiliates over the interests of the plaintiff. The Complaint asserts claims for breach of fiduciary duty and aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty and seeks money damages in an unspecified amount. Redacted Complaint.