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Commitments, Contingencies and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments, Contingencies and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements |
15. | Commitments, Contingencies and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
In connection with our investing and operating activities, we have entered into certain contractual obligations and commitments. See Notes 7 and 13 to these consolidated financial statements for additional discussion of these obligations and commitments. Our future minimum cash payments, including interest, associated with our contractual obligations pursuant to the note purchase agreements, Credit Agreement, Premium Financing Debt Facility, operating leases and purchase commitments at December 31, 2017 were as follows (in millions):
|  | Payments Due by Period |
Contractual Obligations |  | 2018 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2020 |  |  | 2021 |  |  | 2022 |  |  | Thereafter |  |  | Total |
Note purchase agreements |  | $ | 100.0 |  |  | $ | 100.0 |  |  | $ | 100.0 |  |  | $ | 75.0 |  |  | $ | 200.0 |  |  | $ | 2,223.0 |  |  | $ | 2,798.0 |
Credit Agreement |  |  | 190.0 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 190.0 |
Premium Financing Debt Facility |  |  | 151.1 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 151.1 |
Interest on debt |  |  | 120.6 |  |  |  | 115.1 |  |  |  | 110.7 |  |  |  | 105.7 |  |  |  | 100.5 |  |  |  | 368.2 |  |  |  | 920.8 |
Total debt obligations |  |  | 561.7 |  |  |  | 215.1 |  |  |  | 210.7 |  |  |  | 180.7 |  |  |  | 300.5 |  |  |  | 2,591.2 |  |  |  | 4,059.9 |
Operating lease obligations |  |  | 103.2 |  |  |  | 88.5 |  |  |  | 74.3 |  |  |  | 62.5 |  |  |  | 47.2 |  |  |  | 104.5 |  |  |  | 480.2 |
Less sublease arrangements |  |  | (0.7 | ) |  |  | (0.4 | ) |  |  | (0.4 | ) |  |  | (0.4 | ) |  |  | (0.2 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | (2.1 | )
Outstanding purchase obligations |  |  | 42.9 |  |  |  | 19.5 |  |  |  | 8.3 |  |  |  | 2.2 |  |  |  | 2.0 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 74.9 |
Total contractual obligations |  | $ | 707.1 |  |  | $ | 322.7 |  |  | $ | 292.9 |  |  | $ | 245.0 |  |  | $ | 349.5 |  |  | $ | 2,695.7 |  |  | $ | 4,612.9 |
The amounts presented in the table above may not necessarily reflect our actual future cash funding requirements, because the actual timing of the future payments made may vary from the stated contractual obligation. Note Purchase Agreements, Credit Agreement and Premium Financing Debt Facility - See Note 7 to these consolidated financial statements for a summary the amounts outstanding under the note purchase agreements, the Credit Agreement and Premium Debt Facility. Operating Lease Obligations - Our corporate segment’s executive offices and certain subsidiary and branch facilities of our brokerage and risk management segments are located at 2850 Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, Illinois, where we own approximately 360,000 square feet of space and will accommodate 2,000 employees at peak capacity. Our prior headquarters was located at Two Pierce Place, Itasca, Illinois, where we leased approximately 306,000 square feet of space, or approximately 60% of the building. The lease commitment on the Itasca property expires February 28, 2018. During first quarter 2017, we relocated our corporate office headquarters to the Rolling Meadows location and totally exited the leased space in third quarter 2017. We recognized move related costs and lease abandonment charges of $13.2 million in 2017. Relating to the development of our new corporate headquarters, we expect to receive property tax related credits under a tax-increment financing note from Rolling Meadows and an Illinois state Economic Development for a Growing Economy (which we refer to as EDGE) tax credit. Incentives from these two programs could total between $60.0 million and $80.0 million over a fifteen-year period. We generally operate in leased premises at our other locations. Certain of these leases have options permitting renewals for additional periods. In addition to minimum fixed rentals, a number of leases contain annual escalation clauses which are generally related to increases in an inflation index. Total rent expense, including rent relating to cancelable leases and leases with initial terms of less than one year, amounted to $137.7 million in 2017, $134.2 million in 2016 and $121.6 million in 2015. We have leased certain office space to several non-affiliated tenants under operating sublease arrangements. In the normal course of business, we expect that certain of these leases will not be renewed or replaced. We adjust charges for real estate taxes and common area maintenance annually based on actual expenses, and we recognize the related revenues in the year in which the expenses are incurred. These amounts are not included in the minimum future rentals to be received in the contractual obligations table above. Outstanding Purchase Obligations - We typically do not have a material amount of outstanding purchase obligations at any point in time. The amount disclosed in the contractual obligations table above represents the aggregate amount of unrecorded purchase obligations that we had outstanding at December 31, 2017. These obligations represent agreements to purchase goods or services that were executed in the normal course of business. Off-Balance Sheet Commitments - Our total unrecorded commitments associated with outstanding letters of credit, financial guarantees and funding commitments at December 31, 2017 were as follows (in millions):
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Total |
|  | Amount of Commitment Expiration by Period |  |  | Amounts |
Off-Balance Sheet Commitments |  | 2018 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2020 |  |  | 2021 |  |  | 2022 |  |  | Thereafter |  |  | Committed |
Letters of credit |  | $ | 0.7 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 16.5 |  |  | $ | 17.2 |
Financial guarantees |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 0.2 |  |  |  | 1.1 |  |  |  | 2.1 |
Funding commitments |  |  | 0.4 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 0.4 |
Total commitments |  | $ | 1.3 |  |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | 0.2 |  |  | $ | 17.6 |  |  | $ | 19.7 |
Since commitments may expire unused, the amounts presented in the table above do not necessarily reflect our actual future cash funding requirements. See Note 13 to these consolidated financial statements for a discussion of our funding commitments related to our corporate segment and the Off-Balance Sheet Debt section below for a discussion of other letters of credit. All of the letters of credit represent multiple year commitments that have annual, automatic renewing provisions and are classified by the latest commitment date. Since January 1, 2002, we have acquired 459 companies, all of which were accounted for using the acquisition method for recording business combinations. Substantially all of the purchase agreements related to these acquisitions contain provisions for potential earnout obligations. For all of our acquisitions made in the period from 2013 to 2017 that contain potential earnout obligations, such obligations are measured at fair value as of the acquisition date and are included on that basis in the recorded purchase price consideration for the respective acquisition. The amounts recorded as earnout payables are primarily based upon estimated future potential operating results of the acquired entities over a two- to three-year period subsequent to the acquisition date. The aggregate amount of the maximum earnout obligations related to these acquisitions was $567.9 million, of which $264.2 million was recorded in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017 based on the estimated fair value of the expected future payments to be made. Off-Balance Sheet Debt - Our unconsolidated investment portfolio includes investments in enterprises where our ownership interest is between 1% and 50%, in which management has determined that our level of influence and economic interest is not sufficient to require consolidation. As a result, these investments are accounted for under the equity method. None of these unconsolidated investments had any outstanding debt at December 31, 2017 or 2016 that was recourse to us. At December 31, 2017, we had posted two letters of credit totaling $9.7 million in the aggregate, related to our self-insurance deductibles, for which we had a recorded liability of $12.8 million. We have an equity investment in a rent-a-captive facility, which we use as a placement facility for certain of our insurance brokerage operations. At December 31, 2017, we had posted seven letters of credit totaling $6.3 million to allow certain of our captive operations to meet minimum statutory surplus requirements and for additional collateral related to premium and claim funds held in a fiduciary capacity, one letter of credit totaling $0.7 million to support our potential obligation under a client’s insurance program, for which we had a recorded liability of $0.7 million, and one letter of credit totaling $0.5 million as a security deposit for a 2015 acquisition’s lease. These letters of credit have never been drawn upon. Our commitments associated with outstanding letters of credit, financial guarantees and funding commitments at December 31, 2017 were as follows (all dollar amounts in table are in millions):
|  |  |  |  | Compensation |  |  | Maximum |  |  | Liability |
Description, Purpose and Trigger |  | Collateral |  |  | to Us |  |  | Exposure |  |  | Recorded |
Venture capital funds |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Funding commitment to one fund - funded in January 2018 Trigger - Agreed conditions met |  |  | None |  |  |  | None |  |  | $ | 0.4 |  |  | $ | — |
Other |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Credit support under letters of credit for deductibles due by us on our own insurance coverages - expires after 2022 Trigger - We do not reimburse the insurance companies for deductibles the insurance companies advance on our behalf |  |  | None |  |  |  | None |  |  |  | 9.7 |  |  |  | 12.8 |
Credit enhancement under letters of credit for our captive insurance operations to meet minimum statutory capital requirements - expires after 2022 Trigger - Dissolution or catastrophic financial results of the operation |  |  | None |  |  |  | Reimbursement of LOC fees |  |  |  | 6.3 |  |  |  | — |
Credit support for our obligation under a client’s insurance program - expires 2018 Trigger - claim payments are made |  |  | None |  |  |  | None |  |  |  | 0.7 |  |  |  | 0.7 |
Credit support under letters of credit in lieu of a security deposit for an acquisition’s lease - expires 2023 Trigger - Lease payments do not get made |  |  | None |  |  |  | None |  |  |  | 0.5 |  |  |  | — |
Financial guarantees of loans to 6 Canadian-based employees - expires when loan balances are reduced to zero through May 2029 - Principal and interest payments are paid quarterly Trigger - Default on loan payments |  |  | (1) |  |  |  | None |  |  |  | 2.1 |  |  |  | — |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 19.7 |  |  | $ | 13.5 |
(1) | The guarantees are collateralized by shares in minority holdings of our Canadian operating companies.
Since commitments may expire unused, the amounts presented in the table above do not necessarily reflect our actual future cash funding requirements. Litigation, Regulatory and Taxation Matters - We are a defendant in various legal actions incidental to the nature of our business including but not limited to matters related to employment practices, alleged breaches of non-compete or other restrictive covenants, theft of trade secrets, breaches of fiduciary duties and related causes of action. We are also periodically the subject of inquiries, investigations and reviews by regulatory and taxing authorities into various matters related to our business, including our operational, compliance and finance functions. Neither the outcomes of these matters nor their effect upon our business, financial condition or results of operations can be determined at this time. In July 2014, we were named in a lawsuit which asserts that we and other defendants are liable for infringement of a patent held by Nalco Company. The complaint sought a judgment of infringement, damages, costs and attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief. Along with the other defendants, we disputed the allegation of infringement and have defended this matter vigorously. We filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on behalf of all defendants, alleging no infringement of Nalco’s intellectual property. This motion and similar motions attacking amended complaints filed by Nalco, were granted. On April 20, 2016, the court dismissed Nalco’s complaint and disallowed any further opportunity to amend or refile. Nalco appealed this ruling to the Federal Circuit Court and we are expecting a ruling during the first quarter of 2018. We continue to believe that the probability of a material loss is remote. However, litigation is inherently uncertain and it is not possible for us to predict the ultimate disposition of this proceeding. Our micro-captive advisory services are under investigation by the IRS. Additionally, the IRS has initiated audits for the 2012 tax year of over 100 of the micro-captive underwriting enterprises organized and/or managed by us. Among other matters, the IRS is investigating whether we have been acting as a tax shelter promoter in connection with these operations. While the IRS has not made specific allegations relating to our operations, if the IRS were to successfully assert that the micro-captives organized and/or managed by us do not meet the requirements of IRC Section 831(b), we could be held liable to pay monetary claims by the IRS and/or our micro-captive clients, and our future earnings from our micro-captive operations could be materially adversely affected, any of which events, could negatively impact the overall captive business and adversely affect our consolidated results of operations and financial condition. Due to the fact that the IRS has not made any allegation against us or completed all of its audits of our clients, we are not able to reasonably estimate the amount of any potential loss in connection with this investigation. Contingent Liabilities -We purchase insurance to provide protection from errors and omissions (which we refer to as E&O) claims that may arise during the ordinary course of business. We currently retain the first $5.0 million of each and every E&O claim. Our E&O insurance provides aggregate coverage for E&O losses up to $175.0 million in excess of our retained amounts. We have historically maintained self-insurance reserves for the portion of our E&O exposure that is not insured. We periodically determine a range of possible reserve levels using actuarial techniques that rely heavily on projecting historical claim data into the future. Our E&O reserve in the December 31, 2017 consolidated balance sheet is above the lower end of the most recently determined actuarial range by $1.7 million and below the upper end of the actuarial range by $7.6 million. We can make no assurances that the historical claim data used to project the current reserve levels will be indicative of future claim activity. Thus, the E&O reserve level and corresponding actuarial range could change in the future as more information becomes known, which could materially impact the amounts reported and disclosed herein. Tax-advantaged Investments No Longer Held - Between 1996 and 2007, we developed and then sold portions of our ownership in various energy related investments, many of which qualified for tax credits under IRC Section 29. We recorded tax benefits in connection with our ownership in these investments. At December 31, 2017, we had exposure on $108.0 million of previously earned tax credits. In 2004, 2007 and 2009, the IRS examined several of these investments and all examinations were closed without any changes being proposed by the IRS. However, any future adverse tax audits, administrative rulings or judicial decisions could disallow previously claimed tax credits. Due to the contingent nature of this exposure and our related assessment of its likelihood, no reserve has been recorded in our December 31, 2017 consolidated balance sheet related to this exposure.

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