Quarterly report pursuant to sections 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v2.4.0.8
Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies

10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Lease Commitments

The Company leases office space pursuant to operating leases that are subject to specific escalation clauses. Rent expense charged to operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 amounted to $893, $2,654, $962 and $2,717, respectively. The Company received sub-lease income from subtenants during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 of $180, $653, $181 and $647, respectively. Therefore, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, net rent expense amounted to $713, $2,001, $781 and $2,070, respectively, and is included in general, administrative and other expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations.

During 2006, the Company entered into a lease agreement for office space for its headquarters. The lease commenced on January 1, 2007 and expires September 30, 2017. The lease is subject to escalation clauses and provides for rent free periods of 6 to 9 months and a leasehold improvement allowance of $1,538 provided the Company spends at least an additional $513 on improvements. The Company spent $3,284 on leasehold improvements and received $1,499 of the allowance during 2007; the remaining $39 of the allowance was received in 2008. As security for performance under the leases, the Company is required to maintain letters of credit in favor of the landlord totaling $2,023 that were reduced to $1,013 on August 31, 2010 and can be further reduced to $506 on August 31, 2014. The letter of credit is collateralized by a certificate of deposit in an equal amount.

Future minimum lease payments and rentals under lease agreements which expire through 2017 are as follows:

 

 

Minimum Lease
Commitments

 

  

Non-cancellable
Subleases

 

  

Minimum Net
Rentals

 

Remainder of 2013             

$

  919

  

  

$

(148

)  

  

$

  771

  

2014             

 

  3,675

  

  

 

(394

)  

  

 

  3,281

  

2015             

 

  3,632

  

  

 

(408

)  

  

 

  3,224

  

2016             

 

  3,590

  

  

 

(408

)  

  

 

  3,182

  

2017             

 

  2,780

  

  

 

(313

)  

  

 

  2,467

  

Total             

$

  14,596

  

  

$

(1,671

)  

  

$

  12,925

  

In 2010, an escrow account was funded by a sub-tenant whose sub-lease with the Company commenced on January 1, 2011. Pursuant to the sub-lease, the tenant was required to deposit the first 16 months of rent into the escrow account totaling $452. The initial deposit was depleted as of April 2012, and additional deposits of $99 in June 2012 and $339 in December 2012 were made by the sub-tenant. This account has been recorded as restricted certificates of deposit and escrow on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. As of September 30, 2013, the remaining balance in the escrow account was $57.

The Company recorded a loss on this sub-lease in 2011 of $150 (on a net present value basis). The related unamortized liability that was established in January 2011 was $247 and was reduced by lease payments during 2011 of $85, during 2012 of $85 and during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 of $63, resulting in an ending balance at September 30, 2013 of $14. This liability is included in deferred rent on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

The Company has capital leases for certain office equipment. The principal balance of these leases was $19 and $33 as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.

Contingent Consideration

In connection with its acquisition of MCG in October 2008, SLP entered into a contingent consideration agreement whereby the former members of MCG were entitled to contingent consideration equal to 22% of adjusted annual EBITDA for each of the five years subsequent to the date of acquisition. As the acquisition was completed prior to January 1, 2009, contingent consideration is recognized when the contingency is resolved pursuant to the authoritative guidance on business combinations in effect at the date of the closing of the acquisition. The contingent consideration related to the MCG acquisition is recorded on the date when the contingency is resolved. Contingent consideration payments of $703 and $390 were made during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, related to MCG and are reflected in investing activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Quarterly contingent payments related to the Commodity Advisors acquisition were accrued when the contingency was resolved. The total accrual for these payments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 was $20 and $139, which were recorded as compensation expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.