13. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Future minimum rental payments required under operating leases, primarily for real property that have noncancelable lease terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2017, are as follows:



Years ending December 31	(In thousands)
2018	$	65,510
2019	55,378
2020	44,036
2021	33,498
2022	23,904
Thereafter	49,150

Rental expense for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $82.0 million, $76.7 million and $70.7 million, respectively.

From time to time, a number of lawsuits and claims have been or may be asserted against us relating to the conduct of its business, including routine litigation relating to commercial and employment matters. The outcome of any litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and some lawsuits may be determined adversely to WESCO. However, management does not believe that the ultimate outcome of any such pending matters is likely to have a material adverse effect on WESCO's financial condition or liquidity, although the resolution in any fiscal period of one or more of these matters may have a material adverse effect on WESCO's results of operations for that period.

WESCO is subject to the laws and regulations of states and other jurisdictions concerning the identification, reporting and escheatment (the transfer of property to the state) of unclaimed or abandoned funds, and is subject to audit and examination for compliance with these requirements. The State of Delaware conducted an audit concerning the identification, reporting and escheatment of unclaimed or abandoned property, and in December 2017, WESCO reached agreement in principle with the State of Delaware to resolve the audit. The settlement amount was not material to the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

In October 2014, WESCO was notified that the New York County District Attorney’s Office was conducting an investigation involving minority and disadvantaged business contracting practices in the construction industry in New York City and that various contractors, minority and disadvantaged business firms, and their material suppliers, including the Company, were part of this investigation. The Company cooperated with the government investigation and, in November 2017, reached an agreement in principle for a civil settlement to resolve the Company’s involvement in the investigation. The settlement amount was not material to the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.