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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of significant accounting policies | Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and related rules and regulations of the SEC. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates or assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates or assumptions. Principles of consolidation Artisan’s policy is to consolidate all subsidiaries or other entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. The consolidation guidance requires an analysis to determine if an entity should be evaluated for consolidation using the voting interest entity (“VOE”) model or the variable interest entity (“VIE”) model. Under the VOE model, controlling financial interest is generally defined as a majority ownership of voting interests. Under the VIE model, controlling financial interest is defined as (i) the power to direct activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the entity and (ii) the right to receive potentially significant benefits or the obligation to absorb potentially significant losses. Artisan generally consolidates VIEs in which it meets the power criteria and holds an equity ownership interest of greater than 10%. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of APAM and all subsidiaries or other entities in which APAM has a direct or indirect controlling financial interest. All material intercompany balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Artisan serves as the investment adviser to Artisan Funds, Artisan Global Funds and Artisan Private Funds. Artisan Funds and Artisan Global Funds are corporate entities the business and affairs of which are managed by their respective boards of directors. The shareholders of the funds retain voting rights, including rights to elect and reelect members of their respective boards of directors. Each series of Artisan Funds is a VOE and is separately evaluated for consolidation under the VOE model. The shareholders of Artisan Global Funds lack simple majority liquidation rights, and as a result, each sub-fund of Artisan Global Funds is evaluated for consolidation under the VIE model. Artisan Private Funds are also evaluated for consolidation under the VIE model because third-party equity holders of the funds generally lack the ability to divest Artisan of its control of the funds. From time to time, the Company makes investments in Artisan Funds, Artisan Global Funds and Artisan Private Funds. If the investment results in a controlling financial interest, APAM consolidates the fund, and the underlying activity of the entire fund is included in Artisan’s Consolidated Financial Statements. As of December 31, 2019, Artisan had a controlling financial interest in three sub-funds of Artisan Global Funds and one Artisan Private Fund and, as a result, these funds are included in Artisan’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Because these consolidated investment products meet the definition of investment companies under U.S. GAAP, Artisan has retained the specialized industry accounting principles for investment companies in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 6, “Variable Interest Entities and Consolidated Investment Products” for additional details. Operating segments Artisan operates in one segment, the investment management industry. Artisan provides investment management services to separate accounts, mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles. Management assesses the financial performance of these vehicles on a combined basis. Cash and cash equivalents Artisan defines cash and cash equivalents as money market funds and other highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value due to the short-term nature and liquidity of these financial instruments. For disclosure purposes, cash equivalents are categorized as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. Cash and cash equivalents are subject to credit risk and were primarily maintained in demand deposit accounts with financial institutions or treasury money market funds. Interest and dividends related to cash and cash equivalents is recorded in net investment income in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Foreign currency translation Assets and liabilities of foreign operations whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar are translated at prevailing year-end exchange rates. Revenue and expenses of such foreign operations are translated at average exchange rates during the year. The net effect of the translation adjustment for foreign operations is included in other comprehensive income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. The cumulative effect of translation adjustments is included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and noncontrolling interests - Artisan Partners Holdings in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition, based on period-end ownership levels. Accounts receivable Accounts receivable are carried at invoiced amounts and consist primarily of investment management fees that have been earned, but not yet received from clients. Due to the short-term nature of the receivables, the carrying values of these assets approximate fair value. The accounts receivable balance does not include any allowance for doubtful accounts as Artisan believes all accounts receivable balances are fully collectible. There has not been any bad debt expense recorded for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. Investment securities Investment securities consist of unconsolidated investments in shares of Artisan Funds, Artisan Global Funds, and Artisan Private Funds. Investments provide exposure to various risks, including price risk (the risk of a potential future decline in value of the investment) and foreign currency risk. Investments are carried at fair value based on net asset values as of the valuation date. Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on unconsolidated investment securities are recorded in other investment gain (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Dividend income from these investments is recognized when earned and is also included in other investment gain (loss). Prior to 2018, unrealized investments gains (losses) were recorded as a component of other comprehensive income in equity. Property and equipment Property and equipment are carried at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets or the remaining lease term, whichever is shorter. The estimated useful lives of property and equipment as of December 31, 2019 are as follows:
Property and Equipment Type |  | Useful Life
Computers and equipment |  | Five years
Computer software |  | Three years
Furniture and fixtures |  | Seven years
Leasehold improvements |  | Three to 14 years
Property and equipment is tested for impairment when there is an indication that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When an asset is determined to not be recoverable, the impairment loss is measured based on the excess, if any, of the carrying value of the asset over its fair value. Leases Artisan has lease commitments for office space, parking structures, and equipment, which are all accounted for as operating leases. Artisan records expense for operating leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Any lease incentives received by Artisan are also amortized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Artisan assesses its contractual arrangements for the existence of a lease at inception. Operating leases with an initial term greater than 12 months are recorded as operating lease assets and operating lease liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Lease components (e.g. fixed rental payments) and non-lease components (e.g. fixed common-area maintenance costs) are generally accounted for as a single component. Operating lease liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Operating lease assets are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term, adjusted for prepaid rent and the remaining balance of lease incentives received. Artisan's lease agreements generally do not provide an implicit interest rate, and therefore the present value calculation uses Artisan's estimated incremental borrowing rate. A market-based approach was used to estimate the incremental borrowing rate for each individual lease using observable market interest rates and Artisan specific inputs. The lease terms include periods covered by options to extend or exclude periods covered by options to terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that Artisan will exercise that option. Restricted cash Restricted cash represents cash that is restricted as collateral on a standby letter of credit related to a lease obligation. Cash and cash equivalents of consolidated investment products Cash and cash equivalents of consolidated investment products consist of highly liquid investments, including money market funds. See Note 6, “Variable Interest Entities and Consolidated Investment Products” for additional details. Investment assets and liabilities of consolidated investment products Investment assets and liabilities of consolidated investment products primarily consist of equity and fixed income securities. The carrying value of the investment assets and liabilities is also their fair value. Changes in the fair value of the investments are recognized as gains and losses in earnings. Equity securities are generally valued based upon closing market prices of the security on the principal exchange on which the security is traded. Fixed income securities include corporate bonds, convertible bonds and bank loans. Fixed income securities are generally valued based on the judgment of pricing vendors. See Note 6, “Variable Interest Entities and Consolidated Investment Products” for additional details. Redeemable noncontrolling interests Redeemable noncontrolling interests represent third-party investors’ ownership interest in consolidated investment products. Third-party investors in consolidated investment products generally have the right to withdraw their capital, subject to certain conditions. Noncontrolling interests of consolidated investment products that are currently redeemable or convertible for cash or other assets at the option of the holder are classified as temporary equity. Revenue recognition Artisan’s revenue is derived from contracts with customers in the form of investment management fees, performance-based fees and incentive allocations. Investment Management Fees Investment management fees are generally computed as a percentage of assets under management and are recognized as revenue at the end of each distinct service period. Fees for providing investment advisory services are computed and billed in accordance with the underlying investment management agreements, which is generally on a monthly or quarterly basis. Investment management fees are presented net of cash rebates and fees waived pursuant to contractual expense limitations of certain funds or voluntary waivers. Performance Fees A number of investment management agreements provide for performance-based fees or incentive allocations, collectively “performance fees”. Performance fees, if earned, are recognized upon completion of the contractually determined measurement period, which is generally quarterly or annually. Performance fees are not subject to claw back as a result of performance declines subsequent to the most recent measurement date. Revenue Recognition Artisan accounts for asset management services as a single performance obligation that is satisfied over time, using a time-based measure of progress to recognize revenue. Customer consideration is variable due to the uncertainty of the value of assets under management during each distinct service period. At the end of each quarter, Artisan records revenue for the actual amount of investment management fees earned for that quarter because the uncertainty has been resolved. Performance fees are subject to the uncertainty of market volatility, and as a result, the entire amount of the variable consideration related to performance fees is constrained until the end of each measurement period. At the end of the quarterly or annual measurement period, revenue is recorded for the actual amount of performance fees earned during that period because the uncertainty has been resolved. For performance fees with annual measurement periods, revenue recognized in the current quarter relates to performance obligations that were partially satisfied in prior periods. Customer Rebates, Waivers and Expense Reimbursements Artisan has contractually agreed to waive its investment management fees or reimburse for expenses incurred to the extent necessary to limit annualized ordinary operating expenses incurred by certain funds to not more than a fixed percentage of the funds’ average daily net assets. Artisan may also contractually agree to pay fee rebates to certain clients. Artisan accounts for all waivers, reimbursements, and rebates as a reduction of the transaction price (and, hence, of revenue) because the billing adjustments and payments represent consideration payable to customers and Artisan does not receive any distinct goods or services from the customers in exchange. Pre-offering related compensation - share-based awards Prior to the IPO Reorganization, Holdings granted Class B share-based awards to certain employees. These awards vested over a period of five years and became fully vested on July 1, 2017. Share-based compensation Share-based compensation expense is recognized based on the estimated grant date fair value on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award. The initial requisite service period is generally five years for restricted share-based awards. The Company’s accounting policy is to record the impact of forfeitures when they occur. Distribution, servicing and marketing Artisan Funds has authorized certain financial services companies, broker-dealers, banks or other intermediaries, and in some cases other organizations designated by an authorized intermediary, to accept purchase, exchange, and redemption orders for shares of Artisan Funds on the funds’ behalf. Many intermediaries charge a fee for accounting and shareholder services provided to fund shareholders on the funds’ behalf. Those services typically include recordkeeping, transaction processing for shareholders’ accounts, and other services. The fee is either based on the number of accounts to which the intermediary provides such services or a percentage of the average daily value of fund shares held in such accounts. The funds pay a portion of such fees directly to the intermediaries, which are intended to compensate the intermediary for its provision of services of the type that would be provided by the funds’ transfer agent or other service providers if the shares were registered directly on the books of the funds’ transfer agent. Artisan pays the balance of those fees which includes compensation to the intermediary for its distribution, servicing and marketing of Artisan Funds shares. Artisan Global Funds also have arrangements pursuant to which Artisan is required to pay a portion of its investment management fee for distribution, servicing and marketing of Artisan Global Funds shares. Distribution, servicing and marketing fees paid by Artisan are presented as an operating expense as Artisan is the principal in its role as the primary obligor related to these services. Fees paid to intermediaries were as follows:
| For the Years Ended December 31, |  |  |  |
| 2019 |  | 2018 |  | 2017
Fees paid with respect to Artisan Funds | $ | 20,096 |  |  | $ | 22,822 |  |  | $ | 25,697 |
Fees paid with respect to Global Funds | 424 |  |  | 1,002 |  |  | 1,731 |
Other marketing expenses | 2,650 |  |  | 2,737 |  |  | 2,192 |
Total distribution, servicing and marketing | $ | 23,170 |  |  | $ | 26,561 |  |  | $ | 29,620 |
Accrued fees to intermediaries were $3.3 million and $2.7 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and are included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Loss contingencies Artisan considers the assessment of loss contingencies as a significant accounting policy because of the significant uncertainty relating to the outcome of any potential legal actions and other claims and the difficulty of predicting the likelihood and range of the potential liability involved, coupled with the material impact on Artisan’s results of operations that could result from legal actions or other claims and assessments. Artisan recognizes estimated costs to defend as incurred. Potential loss contingencies are reviewed at least quarterly and are adjusted to reflect the impact and status of settlements, rulings, advice of counsel and other information pertinent to a particular matter. Significant differences could exist between the actual cost required to investigate, litigate and/or settle a claim or the ultimate outcome of a suit and management’s estimate. These differences could have a material impact on Artisan’s results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. Recoveries of losses are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations when receipt is deemed probable. No loss contingencies were recorded at December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. Currently, there are no legal or administrative proceedings that management believes may have a material effect on Artisan’s consolidated financial position, cash flows or results of operations. Income taxes Artisan accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be realized or settled. Artisan recognizes a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Artisan accounts for uncertain income tax positions by recognizing the impact of a tax position in its consolidated financial statements when Artisan believes it is more likely than not that the tax position would not be sustained upon examination by the appropriate tax authorities based on the technical merits of the position. Comprehensive income (loss) Total comprehensive income (loss) includes net income and other comprehensive income. Other comprehensive income (loss) consists of foreign currency translation. Prior to 2018, other comprehensive income (loss) also includes the change in unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale investments, net of related tax effects. Partnership distributions Artisan makes distributions to its partners for purposes of paying income taxes as required under the terms of Artisan Partners Holdings’ partnership agreement. Tax distributions are calculated utilizing the highest combined individual federal, state and local income tax rate among the various locations in which the partners, as a result of owning their interests in the partnership, are subject to tax, assuming maximum applicability of the phase-out of itemized deductions contained in the Internal Revenue Code for tax years prior to 2018. Artisan also makes additional distributions under the terms of the partnership agreement. Distributions are recorded in the financial statements on the declaration date. Earnings per Share Basic earnings per share is computed under the two-class method by dividing income available to Class A common stockholders by the weighted average number of Class A common shares outstanding during the period. Unvested restricted share-based awards are excluded from the number of Class A common shares outstanding for the basic earnings per share calculation because the shares have not yet been earned by employees. Income available to Class A common stockholders is computed by reducing net income attributable to APAM by earnings (both distributed and undistributed) allocated to participating securities, according to their respective rights to participate in those earnings. Unvested share-based awards are participating securities because the awards include non-forfeitable dividend rights during the vesting period. Class B and Class C common shares do not share in profits of APAM and therefore are not reflected in the calculations. Diluted earnings per share is computed by increasing the denominator by the amount of additional Class A common shares that would have been outstanding if all potential Class A common shares had been issued. The numerator is also increased for the net income allocated to the potential Class A common shares. Potential dilutive Class A common shares consist of (1) the Class A common shares issuable upon exchange of Holdings limited partnership units for APAM Class A common stock and (2) unvested restricted share-based awards. Recent accounting pronouncements Accounting standards adopted as of January 1, 2019 In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which introduced a lessee model that brings most leases on the balance sheet. The Company adopted the new standard on January 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective transition method that does not adjust comparative periods. The adoption had no impact on previously reported results, and did not result in a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. In accordance with the adoption of the new lease standard, the Company recorded operating lease assets and operating lease liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. The adoption of ASU 2016-02 had no impact on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2019, and did not impact operating, financing or investing cash flows in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2019. Artisan elected to adopt the short-term lease exemption, which allows companies to exclude contracts that have an initial term of 12 months or less. Artisan also elected the package of practical expedients available for existing contracts which allowed the Company to carry forward historical assessments of (1) whether contracts are or contain leases, (2) lease classification, and (3) initial direct costs. Additionally, Artisan elected the practical expedient to account for lease and non-lease components as a single component. See Note 16, “Leases” for additional information. Accounting standards not yet adopted In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The capitalized implementation costs will be expensed over the term of the hosting arrangement. The Company currently expenses implementation costs in hosting arrangements as the costs are incurred. The new guidance was effective on January 1, 2020. The Company expects certain types of costs will be capitalized that would have previously been expensed as incurred, but does not expect the impact to be material to the consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses, which requires entities to measure credit losses on financial assets based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. The guidance was effective on January 1, 2020 and requires a modified retrospective approach to adoption. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

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