ISDA MasterClass: Derivatives Documentation

The documentation supporting the majority of the world’s derivatives transactions has been standardized to some extent since the introduction of the first form of ISDA Master Agreement in 1987.  The ever-evolving landscape of regulations, products and market innovations, however, have required a growing yet nuanced architecture of comprehensive derivatives documentation to ensure the market can operate in the most safe and efficient manner possible.

This comprehensive two-day course will introduce you to the key uses and risks of derivatives and provide an in-depth review of the foundational documents related to derivatives transactions. You will learn to identify key elements of derivatives documents including the ISDA Master Agreement, initial margin and variation margin credit support documentation, gain an understanding of key considerations related to negotiating these documents, and learn how to use the ISDA Create platform to turn those negotiations into legal documents.  This course will also cover special document-related developments emerging in derivatives, including those related to environmental trading, securities financing transactions, and digital currencies.

Led by a team of seasoned industry practitioners, the ISDA Masterclass on Documentation will equip you with a deep practical knowledge of the key elements of ISDA’s documentation and support your confidence in negotiating these documents, as well as provide insight into the latest developments in market documentation.

This course is designed to be both instructional and interactive. Participants will be encouraged to ask questions throughout and will be given the opportunity to work first hand with ISDA Create to simulate a real contract negotiation. If there is something specific you would like to learn in this course you can submit your question to the speakers ahead of the conference and we will do our best to have them answered the day of the event.

• All materials for this course will be distributed electronically prior to the start of the course, no printouts will be provided on-site. Power outlets will be provided for portable devices.

• A laptop is required to participate the course workshops. We will not be able to provide laptops on-site.

• Technical Requirements:

  • Devices must be able to connect to WiFi

  • Complete the technical test here to ensure your browser can access CreateiQ.
    (Supported browsers include Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. If your organization does not pre-install Edge, Chrome or Firefox, you must arrange access prior to the day of the course)

Have a question for our speakers? Submit your question to the speakers ahead of the conference and we will do our best to have them answered the day of the event. Questions can be submitted up to 48 hours prior to the conference.

This course is designed for attorneys, business or operational individuals at law firms, financial institutions, regulators and corporates who want to understand the fundamental concepts of derivatives documentation and practical considerations for negotiating derivatives documentation. It is particularly relevant for: 

• Individuals at law firms or in legal or documentation departments of financial institutions, regulators and corporates who want to gain a thorough grounding in derivatives documentation, so they can be trusted advisors on managing risk effectively and efficiently documenting and executing derivatives transactions.
• Mid-to senior-level legal managers working in finance, banking, corporate institutions or in sectors such as energy or commodities, who are aiming to gain a deep understanding of how derivatives are used to manage risk and how to approach risks in documenting derivatives transactions.
• Legal, regulatory reporting and compliance specialists/officers who want to better understand the role derivatives plan in managing risk and the legal documentation requirements related thereto.
• Executives and managers responsible for business and tactical initiatives looking to understand the role derivatives can play and how to effectively and appropriately document derivatives transactions.

• Introduction to derivative products, uses and risks, as well as elements of how netting and close out functions.
• Promote a deeper understanding by examining a case study of 2 negotiating parties that we will follow through the duration of the course.
• Architecture of ISDA documents (Master Agreement, credit support docs, definitions, confirmations, protocols) and how they function together. What can the documentation do to mitigate risk and what can’t it do.
• Deep dive into the Master Agreement and credit support docs for Variation Margin and Initial Margin, with focus on the most heavily negotiated/focused on elements/elections/sections using live examples of sets of counterparties. We'll follow these counterparties to understand why they would make certain elections or choose particular negotiating positions across the documents and the consequences of those selections. This section will take up the majority of the Masterclass
• Developments in documentation focusing on Emerging docs including SFT, digital assets, ESG, ISDA 2021 Definitions and digitized documents.

• Registration must be received 24 hours prior to the event. 
• All in-person attendees will be required to agree to a COVID-19 Safety Acknowledgement form at the time of registration. You can preview the form here.
• By registering you must agree to adhere to ISDA guidelines for attendance outlined in the policies on the registration form, subject to change in accordance with local government guidance and mandates.