SEC Company Response from Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. (BBAR) (CIK 0000913059) (BBAR) — Mar 12, 2009
Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. (BBAR) (CIK 0000913059)
Date: March 12, 2009 · CIK: 0000913059 · Accession: 0000950103-09-000526
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 001-12568
Referenced dates: February 26, 2009
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CORRESP
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filename1.htm
March 12,
2009
VIA EDGAR SUBMISSION AND
FACSIMILE
Mr.
Michael R. Clampitt
Staff
Attorney
Securities
and Exchange Commission
Division
of Corporation Finance
100 F
Street, N.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Re:
BBVA
Banco Frances S.A.
Form
20-F for the year ended December 31,
2007
Filed
March 31, 2007
File
No. 001-12568
Dear Mr.
Clampitt:
By letter dated February 26, 2009, you
provided comments on behalf of the staff (the “Staff”) of the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) with respect to the Company’s annual report
on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 (“Form 20-F”). In
response to your comments and on behalf of the Company, we have duly noted those
comments as indicated below. The text set forth in bold-faced type, immediately
following each paragraph number, is a verbatim reproduction of the comments
included in your letter and appears in the order set forth therein.
BBVA
Banco Francés S.A. Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2007
Item 7 Major Shareholders
and Related Party Transactions
Related Party
Transactions
1.
We
note that the company has not identified the names of the key management
personnel included in the related party transactions table on page
134. In future filings,
please
Mr.
Michael R. Clampitt
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
March
12, 2009
identify
the director, senior management member or other related party required to
be described by Item 7.B of Form 20-F who received the loan. In the
alternative, please confirm that the company will comply with
Instruction 2 or 3 to Item 7.B of Form 20-F, if
applicable.
Response:
We duly note the Staff’s comment and we
confirm that the company will comply with Instruction 2 to Item 7.B of Form
20-F, as applicable. To this effect the following text
will be added as a reference to the table captioned “Transactions Between
Related Parties”:
Key
Management Personnel (*)
(*)
includes directors, senior managers, members of the audit committee and managers
with relevant authority.
The
transactions included in this section (a) were made in the ordinary course of
business, (b) were made on substantially the same terms, including interest
rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable
transactions with other persons, and (c) did not involve more than the normal
risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features.
Exhibit 12.1 and
12.2
Section
302—Certifications
2.
We
note that paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 5 of your certifications included as
Exhibit 12.1 and 12.2 to the Form 20-F contain modifications of the exact
form of certification as set forth in the instructions to the exhibits in
Form 20-F. For example, the certifications include a reference
to the “Annual Report” rather than referring only to the “report” and use
the word “registrant” instead of “company”. In future filings,
please ensure that the certifications are in the exact form as set forth
in the instructions to the exhibits in Form 20-F, except
as
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Mr.
Michael R. Clampitt
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
March
12, 2009
otherwise
indicated in Commission statements or staff
interpretations.
Response:
We duly note the Staff’s
comment.
* * *
*
In addition, as requested, the company
acknowledges that:
·
the
company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in
the filings;
·
staff
comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the
filings; and
·
the
company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities
laws of the United States.
If you have any questions regarding
this matter, please feel free to call me at 011-54-11-4341-5083 or Andrés V. Gil
of Davis Polk & Wardwell, our U.S. legal counsel, at
212-450-4779.
Yours sincerely,
/s/
Martin Ezequiel Zarich
Martin Ezequiel Zarich
Chief Financial Officer
BBVA
Banco Frances S.A.
cc
Mr.
Andrés V. Gil, Esquire, Davis Polk &
Wardwell.
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