April 26, 2012
Exhibit 5.3
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New York
Menlo Park
Washington DC
São Paulo
London
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Paris
Madrid
Tokyo
Beijing
Hong Kong
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Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 00000
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000 000 0000 tel
000 000 0000 fax
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Lloyds TSB Bank plc
00 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
London EC2V 7HN
United Kingdom
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Lloyds TSB Bank plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of England and Wales (the “Issuer”), and Lloyds Banking Group plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of Scotland (the “Guarantor”), have filed a registration statement on Form F-3, File No. 333-167844 (the “Registration Statement”) for the purpose of registering under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the offering by the Issuer of certain securities, including U.S.$11,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Senior Callable CMS Steepener Notes due April 26, 2027 (the “Notes”), which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor (the “Guarantee,” and together with the Notes, the “Securities”). The Securities are to be issued pursuant to the senior debt securities indenture dated as of January 21, 2011 (the “Senior Indenture”) among the Issuer, the Guarantor and The Bank of New York Mellon, acting through its London Branch, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the first supplemental indenture dated as of June 6, 2011 among the Issuer, the Guarantor and the Trustee (the “First Supplemental Indenture”, and together with the Senior Indenture, the “Indenture”).
We, as your special United States counsel, have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of rendering this opinion.
In rendering the opinions expressed herein, we have, without independent inquiry or investigation, assumed that (i) all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and complete, (ii) all documents submitted to us as copies conform to authentic, complete originals, (iii) all signatures on all documents that we reviewed are genuine, (iv) all natural persons executing documents had and have the legal capacity to do so, (v) all statements in certificates of public officials and officers of the Issuer and the Guarantor that we reviewed were and are accurate and (vi) all representations made by the Issuer and the Guarantor as to matters of fact in the documents that we reviewed were and are accurate.
Based upon the foregoing, we advise you that in our opinion:
1. The Notes, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered to the purchasers thereof against payment therefor, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Issuer entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, enforceable against the Issuer in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.
2. The Guarantees, when the Notes have been validly issued, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Guarantor entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.
We are members of the Bar of the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New York. Insofar as the foregoing opinion involves matters governed by Scots law, we have relied, without independent inquiry or investigation, on the opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx XX LLP, special legal counsel in Scotland for the Issuer and the Guarantor, dated as of April 26, 2012, to be filed as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K concurrently with this opinion, and our opinion is subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations set forth therein. Insofar as the foregoing opinion involves matters governed by English law, we have relied, without independent inquiry or investigation, on the opinion of Linklaters LLP, special legal counsel in England for the Issuer and the Guarantor, dated as of April 26, 2012, to be filed as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K concurrently with this opinion, and our opinion is subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations set forth therein.
In rendering the opinion above, we have assumed that the Trustee is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. In addition, we have assumed that the execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture (1) are within the corporate powers of the Trustee, (2) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws or other constitutive documents of the Trustee, (3) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (4) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Issuer, the Guarantor or the Trustee, and that the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and that the Indenture is a valid, binding and enforceable agreement of the Trustee.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K to be filed by the Guarantor on the date hereof and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
