UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

x  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019

or

oTRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _____ to _____

Commission file number of the issuing entity: 333-172366-01

Central Index Key Number of the issuing entity: 0001532826

WFRBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 2011-C5

(exact name of the issuing entity as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of the depositor: 0000850779

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc.

(exact name of the depositor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of the sponsor: 0000740906

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

(exact name of the sponsor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of the sponsor: 0000729153

NatWest Markets Plc

(exact name of the sponsor as specified in its charter)

(formerly known as The Royal Bank of Scotland plc)

Central Index Key Number of the sponsor: 0001542105

Basis Real Estate Capital II, LLC

(exact name of the sponsor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of the sponsor: 0001541615

RBS Financial Products Inc.

(exact name of the sponsor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of the sponsor: 0001541214

C-III Commercial Mortgage LLC

(exact name of the sponsor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of the sponsor: 0001660492

GE Capital US Holdings, Inc.

(exact name of the sponsor as specified in its charter)

(successor in interest to certain obligations of General Electric Capital Corporation)

New York
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization of the issuing entity) 38-3851385 38-7017733 38-7017734 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Numbers)

c/o Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

as Certificate Administrator

9062 Old Annapolis Road

Columbia, MD

(Address of principal executive offices of the issuing entity)

21045

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(704) 374-6161

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  None.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  o Yes ⌧ No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  o Yes ⌧ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  ⌧ Yes oNo

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Not applicable.

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (Section 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  

Not applicable.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer        o                                                                                                        Accelerated filer                                      o

Non-accelerated filer          ⌧  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)                            Smaller reporting company                     o

                                                                                                                                                        Emerging growth company                     o

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  o Yes ⌧ No

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

Not applicable.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.  o Yes oNo

Not applicable.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Not applicable.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

List hereunder the following documents if incorporated by reference and the Part of the Form 10-K (e.g., Part I, Part II, etc.) into which the document is incorporated: (1) Any annual report to security holders; (2) Any proxy or information statement; and (3) Any prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (c) under the Securities Act of 1933. The listed documents should be clearly described for identification purposes (e.g., annual report to security holders for fiscal year ended December 24, 1980).

Not applicable.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas acts as trustee of the mortgage loans serviced under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement.  Pursuant to the Pooling and Servicing Agreement, the trustee is required to provide an assessment of compliance with applicable servicing criteria solely with respect to Item 1122(d)(2)(iii) of Regulation AB (regarding advances of funds or guarantees regarding collections, cash flows or distributions, and any interest or other fees charged for such advances, are made, reviewed and approved as specified in the transaction agreements). However, during the reporting period, the trustee did not perform any servicing function with respect to the servicing criteria specified in Item 1122(d)(2)(iii) of Regulation AB.  The master servicer or the special servicer, to the extent required, performed the servicing function identified with respect to Item 1122(d)(2)(iii) of Regulation AB, and each such party included Item 1122(d)(2)(iii) of Regulation AB in the assessment of compliance with applicable servicing criteria and accountant’s attestation report for the subject transaction.  As a result, this Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an assessment of compliance with applicable servicing criteria of the trustee. One or more other servicers of the mortgage loans serviced under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement have delivered one or more assessments of compliance with respect to Item 1122(d)(2)(iii) of Regulation AB.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes assessments of compliance with applicable servicing criteria and accountants’ attestation reports from CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc. and National Tax Search, LLC.  These entities were engaged by the master servicer under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement to remit tax payments received from the escrow accounts of borrowers to local taxing authorities, to report tax amounts due, to verify tax parcel information, and to verify non-escrow tax payments. These servicing functions are included within the servicing criteria set forth in Items 1122(d)(4)(xi) and 1122(d)(4)(xii) of Regulation AB.  Therefore, under the principles-based definition of “servicer” set forth in Item 1101(j) of Regulation AB that looks to the functions that an entity performs, these vendors are “servicers” for the purposes of Item 1122 of Regulation AB.  See Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations, Section 301.01 (Item 1101(j)).

PART I

Item 1.  Business.

Omitted.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors.

Omitted.

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2.  Properties.

Omitted.

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings.

Omitted.

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Omitted.

Item 6.  Selected Financial Data.

Omitted.

Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Omitted.

Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Omitted.

Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Omitted.

Item 9.  Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

Omitted.

Item 9A.  Controls and Procedures.

Omitted.

Item 9B.  Other Information.

None.

PART III

Item 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Omitted.

Item 11.  Executive Compensation.

Omitted.

Item 12.  Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

Omitted.

Item 13.  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

Omitted.

Item 14.  Principal Accounting Fees and Services.

Omitted.

ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE ITEMS FOR REGULATION AB

Item 1112(b) of Regulation AB, Significant Obligor Financial Information.

The Domain Mortgage Loan (Mortgage Loan Number 1 on Annex A-1 of the prospectus supplement of the registrant relating to the issuing entity filed on November 16, 2011 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)) constitutes a significant obligor within the meaning of Item 1101(k)(2) of Regulation AB as disclosed in the prospectus supplement. In accordance with Item 1112(b) of Regulation AB, the most recent unaudited net operating income of the significant obligor was $28,729,074.00 for the twelve- month period ended December 31, 2019.

Item 1114(b)(2) of Regulation AB, Significant Enhancement Provider Financial Information.

No entity or group of affiliated entities provides any external credit enhancement or other support for the certificates within this transaction as described under Item 1114(a) of Regulation AB.

Item 1115(b) of Regulation AB, Certain Derivatives Instruments (Financial Information).

No entity or group of affiliated entities provides any derivative instruments or other support for the certificates within this transaction as described under Item 1115 of Regulation AB.

Item 1117 of Regulation AB, Legal Proceedings.

The registrant knows of no material pending legal proceeding involving the trust or any party related to the trust, other than routine litigation incidental to the duties of those respective parties, and the following, with respect to Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as certificate administrator and as custodian.

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (“DBTCA”) and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (“DBNTC”) have been sued by investors in civil litigation concerning their role as trustees of certain RMBS trusts.

On June 18, 2014, a group of investors, including funds managed by Blackrock Advisors, LLC, PIMCO-Advisors, L.P., and others, filed an action against DBNTC and DBTCA in New York State Supreme Court alleging that DBNTC and DBTCA failed to perform purported duties, as trustees for 544 private-label RMBS trusts, to enforce breaches of representations and warranties as to mortgage loans held by the trusts and to enforce breaches by servicers of their mortgage loan servicing obligations for the trusts. During the course of the litigation, plaintiffs dismissed the case from New York State Supreme Court and refiled two separate cases, one in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “BlackRock SDNY Case”) and the other in the Superior Court of California, Orange County (the “BlackRock California Case”). Pursuant to a settlement among the parties, the BlackRock SDNY Case was dismissed on December 6, 2018 and the BlackRock California Case was dismissed on January 11, 2019.

On September 27, 2017, DBTCA was added as a defendant to a case brought by certain special purpose entities including Phoenix Light SF Limited in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in which the plaintiffs previously alleged incorrectly that DBNTC served as trustee for all 43 of the trusts at issue. On September 27, 2017, plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint that names DBTCA as a defendant in addition to DBNTC. DBTCA serves as trustee for one of the 43 trusts at issue. DBNTC serves as trustee for the other 42 trusts at issue. Plaintiffs’ third amended complaint brings claims for violation of the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (“TIA”); breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; negligence and gross negligence; violation of New York’s Streit Act; and breach of the covenant of good faith. However, in the third amended complaint, plaintiffs acknowledge that, before DBTCA was added to the case, the court dismissed plaintiffs’ TIA Act claims, negligence and gross negligence claims, Streit Act claims, claims for breach of the covenant of good faith, and certain theories of plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims, and plaintiffs only include these claims to preserve any rights on appeal. Plaintiffs allege damages of “hundreds of millions of dollars.” On November 13, 2017, DBNTC and DBTCA filed an answer to the third amended complaint. On December 7, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed a motion for summary judgment. Also on December 7, 2018, plaintiffs, jointly with Commerzbank AG (see description of Commerzbank case below), filed a motion for partial summary judgment. As of March 1, 2020, both motions for summary judgment have been briefed and are awaiting decision by the court.

On November 30, 2017, DBTCA was added as a defendant to a case brought by Commerzbank AG (“Commerzbank”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in which Commerzbank previously alleged incorrectly that DBNTC served as trustee for all 50 of the trusts at issue. On November 30, 2017, Commerzbank filed a second amended complaint that names DBTCA as a defendant in addition to DBNTC. DBTCA serves as trustee for 1 of the 50 trusts at issue. DBNTC serves as trustee for the other 49 trusts at issue. Commerzbank’s second amended complaint brings claims for violation of the TIA; breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; negligence; violation of the Streit Act; and breach of the covenant of good faith. However, in the second amended complaint, Commerzbank acknowledges that, before DBTCA was added to the case, the court dismissed Commerzbank’s TIA claims for the trusts governed by pooling and servicing agreements, as well as its Streit Act claims and claims for breach of the covenant of good faith, and Commerzbank only includes these claims to preserve any rights on appeal. The second amended complaint alleges that DBNTC and DBTCA caused Commerzbank to suffer “hundreds of millions of dollars in losses,” but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On January 29, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed an answer to the second amended complaint. On December 7, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed a motion for summary judgment. Also on December 7, 2018, Commerzbank, jointly with the Phoenix Light plaintiffs, filed a motion for partial summary judgment. As of March 1, 2020, both motions for summary judgment have been briefed and are awaiting decision by the court.

On December 30, 2015, IKB International, S.A. in Liquidation and IKB Deutsche Industriebank A.G. (collectively, “IKB”), as an investor in 37 RMBS trusts, filed a summons with notice in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, against DBNTC and DBTCA as trustees of the trusts. On May 27, 2016, IKB served its complaint asserting claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest, violation of the Streit Act, violation of the TIA, violation of Regulation AB, and violation of Section 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. IKB alleges that DBNTC and DBTCA are liable for over U.S. $268 million in damages. On October 5, 2016, DBNTC and DBTCA, together with several other trustees defending lawsuits by IKB, filed a joint motion to dismiss. On January 6, 2017 and June 20, 2017, IKB voluntarily dismissed with prejudice all claims as to seven trusts. As of March 1, 2020, DBNTC and DBTCA’s motion to dismiss has been briefed and is awaiting decision by the court.

It is DBTCA’s belief that it has no pending legal proceedings (including, based on DBTCA’s present evaluation, the litigation disclosed in the foregoing paragraphs) that would materially affect its ability to perform its duties under the related servicing agreement for this transaction.

Beginning on June 18, 2014, a group of institutional investors filed civil complaints in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, and later the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, against

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., (“Wells Fargo Bank”) in its capacity as trustee for certain residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”) trusts. The complaints against Wells Fargo Bank alleged that the trustee caused losses to investors and asserted causes of action based upon, among other things, the trustee's alleged failure to: (i) notify and enforce repurchase obligations of mortgage loan sellers for purported breaches of representations and warranties, (ii) notify investors of alleged events of default, and (iii) abide by appropriate standards of care following alleged events of default. Relief sought included money damages in an unspecified amount, reimbursement of expenses, and equitable relief. In November 2018, Wells Fargo Bank reached an agreement, in which it denied any wrongdoing, to resolve such claims on a classwide basis for the 271 RMBS trusts at issue. On May 6, 2019, the court entered an order approving the settlement agreement. Separate lawsuits against Wells Fargo Bank making similar allegations filed by certain other institutional investors concerning several RMBS trusts in New York federal and state court are not covered by the agreement. With respect to such litigations, Wells Fargo Bank believes plaintiffs' claims are without merit and intends to contest the claims vigorously, but there can be no assurances as to the outcome of the litigations or the possible impact of the litigations on Wells Fargo Bank or the RMBS trusts.

Item 1119 of Regulation AB, Affiliations and Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.

The information regarding this Item has been previously provided in a prospectus supplement of the Registrant relating to the issuing entity filed on November 16, 2011 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5).

Item 1122 of Regulation AB, Compliance with Applicable Servicing Criteria.

The reports on assessments of compliance with the servicing criteria for asset-backed securities and related attestation reports on such assessments of compliance with respect to the mortgage loans are attached hereto under Item 15 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Attached as Schedule III to the Pooling and Servicing Agreement incorporated by reference as Exhibit 4 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K is a chart identifying the entities participating in a servicing function for the transaction responsible for each applicable servicing criteria set forth in Item 1122(d).

Item 1123 of Regulation AB, Servicer Compliance Statement.

The servicer compliance statements are attached as Exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

(a) The following is a list of documents filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

(1) Not applicable

(2) Not applicable

(3) See below

4              Pooling and Servicing Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2011, by and among Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc., as Depositor, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Master Servicer, Midland Loan Services, a Division of PNC Bank, National Association, as Special Servicer, TriMont Real Estate Advisors, Inc., as Trust Advisor, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator, as Tax Administrator and as Custodian, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Trustee (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed on August 8, 2012 under Commission File No. 333-172366-01 and incorporated by reference herein).

31            Rule 13a-14(d)/15d-14(d) Certifications.

33            Reports on assessment of compliance with servicing criteria for asset-backed securities.

33.1         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Master Servicer

33.2         Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer

33.3         Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Trustee (Omitted. See Explanatory Notes.)

33.4         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator

33.5         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian

33.6         TriMont Real Estate Advisors, Inc., as Trust Advisor

33.7         CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing Function Participant

33.8         National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant

34            Attestation reports on assessment of compliance with servicing criteria for asset-backed securities.

34.1         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Master Servicer

34.2         Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer

34.3         Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Trustee (Omitted. See Explanatory Notes.)

34.4         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator

34.5         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Custodian

34.6         TriMont Real Estate Advisors, Inc., as Trust Advisor

34.7         CoreLogic Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc., as Servicing Function Participant

34.8         National Tax Search, LLC, as Servicing Function Participant

35            Servicer compliance statements.

35.1         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Master Servicer

35.2         Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, as Special Servicer

35.3         Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Certificate Administrator

99.1         Mortgage Loan Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2011, between Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (filed as Exhibit 99.2 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 16, 2011 under Commission File No. 333-172366-01 and incorporated by reference herein)

99.2         Mortgage Loan Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2011, between Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc. and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 16, 2011 under Commission File No. 333-172366-01 and incorporated by reference herein)

99.3         Mortgage Loan Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2011, among Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc., Basis Real Estate Capital II, LLC and Basis Investment Group LLC (filed as Exhibit 99.3 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 16, 2011 under Commission File No. 333-172366-01 and incorporated by reference herein)

99.4         Mortgage Loan Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2011, between Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc. and RBS Financial Products Inc. (filed as Exhibit 99.4 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 16, 2011 under Commission File No. 333-172366-01 and incorporated by reference herein)

99.5         Mortgage Loan Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2011, between Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc. and C-III Commercial Mortgage LLC (filed as Exhibit 99.5 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 16, 2011 under Commission File No. 333-172366-01 and incorporated by reference herein)

99.6         Mortgage Loan Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2011, between Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc. and General Electric Capital Corporation (filed as Exhibit 99.6 to the registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 16, 2011 under Commission File No. 333-172366-01 and incorporated by reference herein)

(b)   The exhibits required to be filed by the Registrant pursuant to Item 601 of Regulation S-K are listed above.

(c)    Not Applicable.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc.
(Depositor)

/s/ Anthony Sfarra

Anthony Sfarra, President

(senior officer in charge of securitization of the depositor)

Date: March 18, 2020