On May 27, 2020, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee
(ARRC) published best practices for completing the financial
industry's transition away from U.S. dollar (USD)
LIBOR.1 With 19 months remaining before the anticipated
cessation of USD LIBOR at the end of 2021, the ARRC's
recommendations should provide market participants with further
guidance as they continue to prepare for the transition.
Background
Since 2016,2 the ARRC has been conducting research
and analysis in an effort to prepare the financial industry for the
likely cessation of USD LIBOR. In doing so, the ARRC has, among
other things, (1) published a Paced Transition Plan3
that outlines a number of key steps that should be taken to
restructure cash products that reference USD LIBOR; (2) recommended
the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR)4 as the
alternative reference rate to USD LIBOR; (3) proposed a New York
state legislative solution5 for amending legacy
contracts that reference USD LIBOR