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Add commercial-identity-nuance-settlement.md resolving control_basis, binding_trigger, cross-registry Synonymity strengths, OPI branch modeling, escrow commitment type, reputation portability, payment edge cases, CRM renewal rules, Person Account adapters, and eIDAS wallet scope. Update canon, OpenQuestions, and all commercial-identity source notes.
3.9 KiB
3.9 KiB
LEI and GLEIF Legal Entity Identifier
Source Type
Standard and registry. ISO 17442 Legal Entity Identifier; GLEIF global LEI index.
Domain
Regulated financial markets, legal entity identification, and ownership transparency.
Why This Source Matters
LEI is the post-2008-crisis global standard for identifying legal entities in financial transactions. It encodes who and who owns whom, making it a canonical example of commercially binding identity with regulatory renewal requirements.
Key Concepts
- LEI: 20-character ISO 17442 identifier for a legal entity.
- Legal entity (LEI scope): organization participating in financial transactions; individuals cannot obtain LEI.
- GLEIF: Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation; oversees LOUs and data quality.
- LOU (Local Operating Unit): issuer/registrar for LEIs in a jurisdiction.
- Level 1 data: business card data — legal name, address, jurisdiction.
- Level 2 data: ownership — direct and ultimate parent relationships.
- Renewal: LEI valid one year; annual renewal required for continued use.
- Regulatory mandate: 45+ jurisdictions require LEI for certain financial reporting.
Relevant Terminology
| Term | Source meaning |
|---|---|
| LEI | Legal Entity Identifier code. |
| Legal entity | Juridical person in financial markets. |
| Level 1 | Entity reference data. |
| Level 2 | Parent/ownership reference data. |
| GLEIF | Global LEI system operator. |
| LOU | Local issuing organization. |
| Renewal | Annual reaffirmation of LEI validity. |
| Regulator reporting | MiFIR, derivatives reporting, etc. |
Modeling Assumptions
- LEI identifies legal entities only, not natural persons or login accounts.
- Ownership is first-class in LEI Level 2 (parent chains).
- Identity persistence is maintained by renewal, not immutability of business facts.
- Public global directory enables counterparty verification.
- LEI does not prove good behavior; it proves identifiable legal presence.
- One LEI per legal entity for global financial identification.
Identity-Canon Implications
- LEI maps to Registry Identifier (
scheme: 0199,authority_class: regulatory_global,renewal_required: true) for Legal Entity / Organization actors. - Level 2 parent data maps to Ownership or structural Organization relationships.
- LEI record maps to Commercial Record or authoritative Identity Record with registry Evidence Source.
- Renewal maps to Lifecycle State on Identifier/Commercial Record.
- LEI exemplifies commercial binding: regulatory participation requires stable, renewed legal identity.
- Distinct from DUNS (credit/commerce) and from OIDC sub (authentication).
Terminology Conflicts
- Legal entity (LEI) vs. Legal Entity (canon): aligned when jurisdictionally recognized.
- Legal entity vs. Organization: not every organization has LEI; LEI subset is regulated finance participants.
- LEI vs. company registration number: national registry ID vs. global LEI.
Candidate Canonical Mappings
| LEI concept | Candidate canonical concept |
|---|---|
| LEI code | Registry Identifier (regulatory_global, ICD 0199) |
| Legal entity | Legal Entity / Organization |
| Level 1 data | Commercial Record / registry Profile |
| Level 2 parent | Ownership Relationship |
| GLEIF registry | Evidence Source (authoritative) |
| Annual renewal | Lifecycle State maintenance |
| LOU issuance | Issuer Scope + Trust Relationship |
Open Questions
(none — settled in commercial-identity-nuance-settlement.md)
Settled
- Registry Identifier subtype; LEI↔company reg strong; LEI↔DUNS medium.
References
- ISO 17442 — https://www.iso.org/standard/78829.html
- GLEIF, Introducing the LEI — https://www.gleif.org/en/about-lei/introducing-the-legal-entity-identifier-lei
- Wikipedia, Legal Entity Identifier — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_Entity_Identifier