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10. Income Taxes
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
10.    INCOME TAXES
 
Our effective income tax rate was 33% and 54% for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2014 was higher primarily due to the low pretax income and the resulting effect of losses incurred in foreign jurisdictions for which no income tax benefit was expected.

Our foreign taxes for all periods resulted primarily from income earned in France and Switzerland. Many jurisdictions in which we operate including Switzerland, Russia, the U.K. and Singapore have statutory tax rates that are significantly lower than the U.S. statutory tax rate of 35%. Our effective tax rate may be impacted in the future, either favorably or unfavorably, by many factors including, but not limited to, changes to statutory tax rates, changes in tax laws or regulations, tax audits and settlements, and generation of tax credits.

Our income tax returns are audited by federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues of the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions. We evaluate our exposures associated with our tax filing positions on a quarterly basis.

As of March 31, 2015, based on the expected outcome of certain examinations or as a result of the expiration of statute of limitations for certain jurisdictions, we believe that within the next 12 months it is reasonably possible that our previously unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by approximately $6.1 million. Substantially all such amounts will impact our effective income tax rate.