European Securitization Of The Year

Permanent Master Issuer 2008-2

HBOS’ £500 million ($730 million) deal was lauded by industry participants across the market for being the first residential mortgage-backed securitization placed entirely with third-party investors since the credit crisis began. Until then, issuers had been tapping the European Central Bank’s repurchase agreement facility for funding as investors had fled. “It gave the market a small sign of hope,” said one London-based securitization lawyer. The deal comprised a single AAA tranche backed by prime U.K. mortgages originated by HBOS. The bonds were placed with a small group of banks and insurance companies. Robert Plehn, head of securitization and covered bonds at HBOS, led the effort at the bank, while Jason Mann and Andrew Dennis led the syndication teams at joint lead managers Citi and UBS, respectively.