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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Accounting—The Company prepared the accompanying consolidated and combined financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The consolidated and combined financial statements include the combined operations, assets and liabilities of the Company. Consolidation—The Company’s policy is to consolidate (i) entities, other than limited partnerships, in which it has a controlling financial interest, (ii) variable interest entities where the Company has a variable interest and is deemed to be the primary beneficiary and (iii) limited partnerships where the Company has ownership of the majority of voting interests. When the Company does not have a controlling interest in an entity, but exerts significant influence over the entity’s operating and financial decisions, the Company applies the equity method of accounting in which it records in earnings its share of income or losses of the entity. All intercompany balances and transactions with the Company’s subsidiaries have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates—The preparation of consolidated and combined financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically, and the effects of revisions are reflected in the period in which they are determined to be necessary. In preparing the consolidated and combined financial statements, management makes estimates and assumptions regarding:
| · |  | the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts;
| · |  | the realization of deferred taxes;
| · |  | the measurement of equity‑based compensation; and
| · |  | other matters that affect the reported amounts and disclosures of contingencies in the financial statements.
Cash and Cash Equivalents—Cash and cash equivalents include all short‑term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had cash equivalents of $246,933 (December 31, 2015: $178,872) invested primarily in government securities money market funds and U.S. Treasury Bills. Additionally, as of December 31, 2016, the Company had cash of $71,993 (December 31, 2015: $69,150) maintained in U.S. and non‑U.S. bank accounts, of which most bank account balances had little or no insurance coverage (most balances are held in U.S. and U.K. accounts which exceeded the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and U.K. Financial Services Compensation Scheme coverage limits). Restricted Cash—As of December 31, 2016, the Company held cash of $659 (December 31, 2015: $819) in restricted collateral deposits primarily held by certain non‑U.S. subsidiaries. Receivables—The accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition present accounts receivable balances net of allowance for doubtful accounts based on the Company’s assessment of the collectability of customer accounts. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts that, in management’s opinion, provides for an adequate reserve to cover losses that may be incurred. The Company regularly reviews the allowance by considering factors such as historical experience, credit quality, age of the accounts receivable, and the current economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay such amounts owed to the Company. After concluding that a reserved accounts receivable is no longer collectible, the Company will charge‑off the receivable. This is determined based on several factors including the age of the accounts receivable and the credit worthiness of the customer. This has the effect of reducing both the gross receivable and the allowance for doubtful accounts. Deferred Compensation—Deferred compensation costs represent arrangements with certain employees whereby cash payments are subject to a required period of service subsequent to payment by the Company. These amounts are charged to expenses over the period that the employee is required to provide services in order to vest in the payment. Financial Instruments at Fair Value—Fair value is generally based on quoted prices, however if quoted market prices are not available, fair value is determined based on other relevant factors, including dealer price quotations, price activity for equivalent instruments and valuation pricing models. The Company established a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes and ranks the level of market price observability used in measuring financial instruments at fair value. Market price observability is affected by a number of factors, including the type of instrument, the characteristics specific to the instrument and the state of the marketplace (including the existence and transparency of transactions between market participants). Financial instruments with readily‑available actively quoted prices or for which fair value can be measured from actively‑quoted prices in an orderly market will generally have a higher degree of market price observability and a lesser degree of judgment used in measuring fair value. Financial instruments measured and reported at fair value are classified and disclosed in one of the following categories (from highest to lowest) based on inputs: Level 1—Quoted prices (unadjusted) are available in active markets for identical instruments that the Company has the ability to access as of the reporting date. The Company, to the extent that it holds such instruments, does not adjust the quoted price for these instruments, even in situations in which the Company holds a large position and a sale could reasonably affect the quoted price. Level 2—Pricing inputs are observable for the instruments, either directly or indirectly, as of the reporting date, but are not the same as those used in Level 1. Fair value is determined through the use of models or other valuation methodologies. Level 3—Pricing inputs are unobservable for the instruments and include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the investments. The inputs into the determination of fair value require significant judgment or estimation by the Company’s management. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the determination of which category within the fair value hierarchy is appropriate for any given investment is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the instrument. For level 3 investments in which pricing inputs are unobservable and limited market activity exists, management’s determination of fair value is based on the best information available, may incorporate management’s own assumptions and involves a significant degree of judgment. Equity Method Investments—The Company accounts for its equity method investments under the equity method of accounting as the Company does not control these entities but has the ability to exercise significant influence. The amounts recorded on the consolidated statements of financial condition reflects the Company’s share of contributions made to, distributions received from, and the equity earnings and losses of, the investments. The Company reflects its share of gains and losses of the investment in income (loss) from equity method investments in the consolidated and combined statements of operations. Equipment and Leasehold Improvements—Office equipment and furniture and fixtures are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation, which is determined using the straight‑line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, ranging from three to seven years, respectively. Leasehold improvements are stated at cost less accumulated amortization, which is determined using the straight‑line method over the lesser of the term of the lease or the estimated useful life of the asset. Major renewals and improvements are capitalized and minor replacements, maintenance and repairs are charged to expenses as incurred. Upon retirement or disposal of assets, the cost and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are removed from the consolidated statements of financial condition and any gain or loss is reflected in the consolidated and combined statements of operations. Deferred Tax Asset and Amount Due Pursuant to Tax Receivable Agreement—In conjunction with the IPO, the Company was treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as having directly purchased Class A partnership units in Group LP from the existing unitholders. Additional Group LP Class A partnership units may be exchanged for shares of Class A common stock in the Company. The initial purchase and future exchanges are expected to result in an increase in the tax basis of Group LP’s assets attributable to the Company’s interest in Group LP. These increases in the tax basis of Group LP’s assets attributable to the Company’s interest in Group LP would not have been available but for the initial purchase and future exchanges. Such increases in tax basis are likely to increase (for tax purposes) depreciation and amortization deductions and therefore reduce the amount of income tax the Company would otherwise be required to pay in the future. As a result, the Company records a deferred tax asset for such increase in tax basis. The Company has entered into a tax receivable agreement with its eligible Managing Directors that will provide for the payment by the Company to its eligible Managing Directors of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that the Company actually realizes as a result of (a) the increases in tax basis attributable to exchanges by its eligible Managing Directors and (b) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed to be paid by the Company as a result of this tax receivable agreement. The Company expects to benefit from the remaining 15% of cash savings, if any, in income tax that it realizes and record any such estimated tax benefits as an increase to additional paid‑in‑capital. For purposes of the tax receivable agreement, cash savings in income tax will be computed by comparing the Company’s actual income tax liability to the amount of such taxes that it would have been required to pay had there been no increase to the tax basis of the tangible and intangible assets of Group LP as a result of the exchanges and had it not entered into the tax receivable agreement. The term of the tax receivable agreement commenced upon consummation of the IPO and will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless the Company exercises its right to terminate the tax receivable agreement for an amount based on an agreed value of payments remaining to be made under the agreement. The Company has recorded the estimated tax benefits related to the increase in tax basis and imputed interest as a result of the initial purchase and subsequent exchanges described above as a deferred tax asset in the consolidated statements of financial condition. The amount due to its eligible Managing Directors related to the tax receivable agreement as a result of the initial purchase and subsequent exchanges described above is recorded as amount due pursuant to tax receivable agreement in the consolidated statements of financial condition. The amounts recorded for the deferred tax asset and the liability for our obligations under the tax receivable agreement are estimates. Any adjustments to our estimates subsequent to their initial establishment will be included in net income (loss). Future exchanges of Class A partnership units in Group LP for Class A common shares in the Company will be accounted for in a similar manner. Revenue and Expense Recognition—The Company recognizes revenues from providing advisory services when earned and collection is reasonably assured. Upfront fees are recognized over the estimated period that the related services are performed. Transaction‑related fees are recognized when all services for a transaction have been provided, specified conditions have been met and the transaction closes. Underwriting revenues are recognized when the offering is deemed complete and is presented net of related expenses. Deferred revenues are recorded for fees received that have not yet been earned. Expenses are reflected on the consolidated and combined statements of operations, net of client reimbursements. Reimbursable expenses billed to clients totaled $16,369, $13,678 and $9,990 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Equity‑based Compensation—The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for an equity instrument award. The cost is based on its grant‑date fair value based on quoted market prices at the time of grant amortized over the service period required by the award’s vesting terms. Prior to the Company’s IPO, the measurement of the grant‑date fair value required the Company’s Parent to make estimates about its future operating results and the appropriate risk‑adjusted discount rates. The methods used to estimate the fair value of equity‑based compensation generally included the market approach and the income approach, each of which involve a significant degree of judgment. Subsequent to the Company’s IPO, the grant‑date fair value of equity awards is based on quoted market prices at the time of grant. The Company recognizes such amounts in compensation and benefits expenses in the accompanying consolidated and combined statements of operations and as an increase to equity in the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition and consolidated and combined statements of changes in equity. The Company records as treasury stock shares repurchased from its employees for the purpose of settling tax liabilities incurred upon the vesting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”). The Company records dividends in kind, net of forfeitures, on outstanding RSUs as a dividend payment and a charge to equity. Dividends in kind on RSUs are subject to the same vesting conditions as the underlying RSUs on which they were accrued. Dividends in kind will be forfeited if the award does not vest. For the purposes of calculating diluted net income (loss) per share to holders of Class A common stock, unvested service‑based awards are included in the diluted weighted average shares of Class A common stock outstanding using the treasury stock method. See Note 9 for further discussion. The Company generally permits a retiring employee to retain and not forfeit certain qualifying incentive RSUs granted during employment if at retirement the employee meets certain requirements. For qualifying awards issued prior to December 1, 2016, the employee must (i) be at least 54 years old and (ii) have provided at least 8 consecutive years of service to the Company. For qualifying awards issued on or after December 1, 2016, (i) the employee must be at least 56 years old, (ii) the employee must have provided at least 5 consecutive years of service to the Company and (iii) the total of (i) and (ii) must be equal to at least 65 years. Any such RSUs will continue to vest on their applicable vesting schedule, subject to noncompetition and other terms. Over time a greater number of employees may become retirement eligible and the related requisite service period over which we will expense these awards will be shorter than the stated vesting period. Any unvested RSUs prior to meeting the stated requisite service period or retirement eligibility date are eligible to receive dividends in kind; however, the right to dividends in kind will be forfeited if the underlying award does not vest. Income Taxes—The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”), which requires the recognition of tax benefits or expenses on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of its assets and liabilities by applying the enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Such net tax effects on temporary differences are reflected on the Company’s consolidated statements of financial condition as deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when the Company believes that it is more‑likely‑than‑not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. ASC 740‑10 prescribes a two‑step approach for the recognition and measurement of tax benefits associated with the positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return that affect amounts reported in the financial statements. The Company has reviewed and will continue to review the conclusions reached regarding uncertain tax positions, which may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on ongoing analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, no unrecognized tax benefit was recorded. To the extent that the Company’s assessment of the conclusions reached regarding uncertain tax positions changes as a result of the evaluation of new information, such change in estimate will be recorded in the period in which such determination is made. The Company reports income tax‑related interest and penalties relating to uncertain tax positions, if applicable, as a component of income tax expense. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, no such amounts were recorded. Foreign Currency Translation—Assets and liabilities held in non‑U.S. dollar denominated (functional) currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the end of the reporting period. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates during the reporting period. A charge or credit is recorded to other comprehensive income to reflect the translation of these amounts to the extent the non‑U.S. currency is designated the functional currency of the subsidiary. Non‑functional currency related transaction gains and losses are immediately recorded in the consolidated and combined statements of operations.

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