The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) launched its Auction Settlement Supplement and Protocol, which is the final stage of the process known as 'hardwiring.' This the process of incorporating auction settlement terms into standard CDS documentation.
The key parts of the process include the incorporation into the standard documentation of the auction settlement provisions that eliminate the need for credit event protocols; resolutions of the determinations committees, comprising dealer and buy-side representatives to determine, such as whether credit events have taken place; and the credit and succession event backstop dates that institute a common standard effective date for CDS trades.
Along with the changes in market practice supporting standard coupons for CDS, these developments will introduce greater certainty to transactional, operational and risk considerations for treatment of CDS. "This is a major milestone in the ongoing refinement of practices and processes for the efficient, liquid and transparent conduct of the CDS business," said Robert Pickel, executive director and chief executive officer at ISDA. "Hardwiring is central to the many improvements ISDA and the industry are making to the CDS contract to further ensure that infrastructure and standards for transacting these important risk management instruments are straightforward, secure and widely implemented."
"The industry's commitment to hardwiring is critical to the success of the project," said David Geen, general counsel at the association. "In recognizing the benefits hardwiring will bring, we must also recognize the insight, hard work and commitment that both buy-side and sell-side participants and the regulatory community have invested in this process."
"ISDA welcomes the commendation of these developments by the senior supervisors group in its report, Observations on Management of Recent Credit Default Swap Credit Events," Pickel added. "Supervisory recognition that these efforts will reduce uncertainty and make credit event management more operationally efficient is extremely encouraging."
The association is currently hosting educational efforts to ensure that all relevant industry players are fully versed in the benefits and requirements of the process.
