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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Related Party Agreement In June of 2012, we entered into a license agreement (the "License Agreement") with the holder of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC noncontrolling interest, CME Group, which replaced the 2005 license agreement between Indices and CME Group. Under the terms of the License Agreement, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC receives a share of the profits from the trading and clearing of CME Group's equity index products. During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC earned $74 million, $76 million and $63 million of revenue under the terms of the License Agreement, respectively. The entire amount of this revenue is included in our consolidated statement of income and the portion related to the 27% noncontrolling interest is removed in net income attributable to noncontrolling interests. Rental Expense and Lease Obligations We are committed under lease arrangements covering property, computer systems and office equipment. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their economic lives or their lease term. Certain lease arrangements contain escalation clauses covering increased costs for various defined real estate taxes and operating services and the associated fees are recognized on a straight-line basis over the minimum lease period. Rental expense for property and equipment under all operating lease agreements is as follows:
(in millions) | Year ended December 31,
| 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Gross rental expense | $ | 177 |  |  | $ | 179 |  |  | $ | 182 |
Less: sublease revenue | (17 | ) |  | (16 | ) |  | (14 | )
Less: rent credit | — |  |  | — |  |  | (4 | )
Net rental expense | $ | 160 |  |  | $ | 163 |  |  | $ | 164 |
Cash amounts for future minimum rental commitments under existing non-cancelable leases with a remaining term of more than one year, along with minimum sublease rental income to be received under non-cancelable subleases are shown in the following table.
(in millions) | Rent commitment |  | Sublease income |  | Net rent
2018 | $ | 122 |  |  | $ | (17 | ) |  | $ | 105 |
2019 | 109 |  |  | (17 | ) |  | 92 |
2020 | 83 |  |  | (3 | ) |  | 80 |
2021 | 71 |  |  | — |  |  | 71 |
2022 | 69 |  |  | — |  |  | 69 |
2023 and beyond | 516 |  |  | — |  |  | 516 |
Total | $ | 970 |  |  | $ | (37 | ) |  | $ | 933 |
Legal & Regulatory Matters In the normal course of business both in the United States and abroad, the Company and its subsidiaries are defendants in a number of legal proceedings and are often the subject of government and regulatory proceedings, investigations and inquiries. Many of these proceedings, investigations and inquiries relate to the ratings activity of S&P Global Ratings brought by issuers and alleged purchasers of rated securities. In addition, various government and self-regulatory agencies frequently make inquiries and conduct investigations into our compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including those related to ratings activities and antitrust matters. Any of these proceedings, investigations or inquiries could ultimately result in adverse judgments, damages, fines, penalties or activity restrictions, which could adversely impact our consolidated financial condition, cash flows, business or competitive position. The Company believes that it has meritorious defenses to the pending claims and potential claims in the matters described below and is diligently pursuing these defenses, and in some cases working to reach an acceptable negotiated resolution. However, in view of the uncertainty inherent in litigation and government and regulatory enforcement matters, we cannot predict the eventual outcome of these matters or the timing of their resolution, or in most cases reasonably estimate what the eventual judgments, damages, fines, penalties or impact of activity restrictions may be. As a result, we cannot provide assurance that the outcome of the matters described below will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, cash flows, business or competitive position. As litigation or the process to resolve pending matters progresses, as the case may be, we will continue to review the latest information available and assess our ability to predict the outcome of such matters and the effects, if any, on our consolidated financial condition, cash flows, business and competitive position, which may require that we record liabilities in the consolidated financial statements in future periods. With respect to the matters identified below, we have recognized a liability when both (a) information available indicates that it is probable that a liability has been incurred as of the date of these financial statements and (b) the amount of loss can reasonably be estimated. S&P Global Ratings Financial Crisis Litigation The Company and its subsidiaries continue to defend civil cases brought by private and public plaintiffs arising out of ratings activities prior to and during the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. Included in these civil cases are several lawsuits in Australia against the Company and Standard & Poor’s International, LLC relating to alleged investment losses in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) rated by S&P Global Ratings. We can provide no assurance that we will not be obligated to pay significant amounts in order to resolve these matters on terms deemed acceptable. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission As a nationally recognized statistical rating organization registered with the SEC under Section 15E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, S&P Global Ratings is in ongoing communication with the staff of the SEC regarding compliance with its extensive obligations under the federal securities laws. Although S&P Global Ratings seeks to promptly address any compliance issues that it detects or that the staff of the SEC raises, there can be no assurance that the SEC will not seek remedies against S&P Global Ratings for one or more compliance deficiencies. Trani Prosecutorial Proceeding In 2014, the prosecutor in the Italian city of Trani obtained criminal indictments against several current and former S&P Global Ratings managers and ratings analysts for alleged market manipulation, and against Standard & Poor’s Credit Market Services Europe under Italy’s vicarious liability statute, for having allegedly failed to properly supervise the ratings analysts and prevent them from committing market manipulation. The prosecutor’s theories were based on various actions by S&P Global Ratings taken with respect to Italian sovereign debt between May of 2011 and January of 2012. On March 30, 2017, following trial, the court in Trani issued an oral verdict acquitting each of the individual defendants and Standard & Poor’s Credit Market Services Europe of all charges, and on September 27, 2017, the court filed a written opinion supporting the verdict. The prosecutor did not appeal, and the verdict is now final. Shareholder Derivative Actions In August of 2015, two purported shareholders commenced a putative derivative action on behalf of the Company in New York State Supreme Court titled Retirement Plan for General Employees of the City of North Miami Beach and Robin Stein v. Harold McGraw III, et al. The complaint asserts claims for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, and mismanagement against the board of directors and certain former directors and employees of the Company. Plaintiffs seek recovery from the defendants based primarily on allegations that S&P Global Ratings’ credit ratings practices for certain residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations misrepresented the credit risks of those securities, allegedly resulting in losses to the Company. In January of 2016, a different purported shareholder commenced a separate putative derivative action on behalf of the Company in New York State Supreme Court titled L.A. Grika v. Harold McGraw III, et al. The allegations in the complaint are substantially similar to those in the North Miami Beach matter. The complaint asserts claims for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, contribution and indemnification against Harold McGraw III, Douglas L. Peterson, and nine former employees of the Company. The Grika matter was transferred to the judge presiding over the North Miami Beach matter. In December of 2016, the court issued orders granting the Company's motions to dismiss both the North Miami Beach and Grika matters. In January of 2017, the plaintiffs in both matters filed notices of appeal. Briefing on the North Miami Beach appeal is now complete, and oral argument was held on January 23, 2018. The plaintiff in the Grika matter filed a brief in support of his appeal on January 2, 2018, and the Company and the individual defendants filed briefs in opposition to the appeal on January 31, 2018.

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