Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

8. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill by operating segment for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, are as follows:


	Corporate Finance & Restructuring			Forensic and Litigation Consulting			Economic Consulting			Technology			Strategic Communications			Total
Balances at December 31, 2014:
Goodwill	$	446,066		$	238,173		$	269,897		$	117,967		$	333,725		$	1,405,828
Accumulated goodwill impairment		—			—			—			—			(194,139	)		(194,139	)

Goodwill, net at December 31, 2014		446,066			238,173			269,897			117,967			139,586			1,211,689

Acquisitions		70			—			—			—			—			70
Foreign currency translation adjustments and other		(5,652	)		(2,185	)		(350	)		(41	)		(4,041	)		(12,269	)

Goodwill		440,484			235,988			269,547			117,926			329,684			1,393,629
Accumulated goodwill impairment		—			—			—			—			(194,139	)		(194,139	)

Goodwill, net at September 30, 2015	$	440,484		$	235,988		$	269,547		$	117,926		$	135,545		$	1,199,490

Other Intangible Assets

Other intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives. For intangible assets with finite lives, we recorded amortization expense of $2.9 million and $8.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively, and $3.4 and $11.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively. Based solely on the amortizable intangible assets recorded as of September 30, 2015, we estimate amortization expense to be $2.9 million during the remainder of 2015, $10.5 million in 2016, $9.8 million in 2017, $8.2 million in 2018, $7.6 million in 2019, $7.4 million in 2020, and $15.3 million in years after 2020. Actual amortization expense to be reported in future periods could differ from these estimates as a result of new intangible asset acquisitions, finalization of asset valuations for newly acquired assets, changes in useful lives, changes in value due to foreign currency translation, and other factors.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

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