Banking and Finance Law Commons^™

Subordination Agreements, Bruce Macdougall

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Subordination agreements are not novel concepts in Canadian law, but the PPSAs ensure their more widespread use. Subordination agreements usefully provide flexibility to creditors and consequently permit enhanced access to credit for debtors. The adaptability of the subordination agreement presents difficult legal problems, the most important of which relates to characterization of their legal nature. Other problems include the resolution of multiple subordinations and the question of the enforceability of subordination agreements in bankruptcy. This paper explores those issues and cautions against undue restrictions being placed on either the availability or the characterization of subordination agreements.