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Commitments and Contingencies
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3 Months Ended | ||
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Mar. 31, 2012
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| Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract] | |||
| Commitments and Contingencies |
Letters of Credit and Guarantees CBIZ provides letters of credit to landlords (lessors) of its leased premises in lieu of cash security deposits which totaled $2.5 million as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011. In addition, CBIZ provides license bonds to various state agencies to meet certain licensing requirements. The amount of license bonds outstanding at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was $1.6 million. CBIZ acted as guarantor on various letters of credit for a CPA firm with which it has an affiliation, which totaled $5.2 million as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011. CBIZ has recognized a liability for the fair value of the obligations undertaken in issuing these guarantees, which is recorded as other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Management does not expect any material changes to result from these instruments as performance under the guarantees is not expected to be required. Legal Proceedings In May, June, July, August and September of 2010, CBIZ, Inc. and its subsidiary, CBIZ MHM, LLC (fka CBIZ Accounting, Tax & Advisory Services, LLC) (“the CBIZ Parties”), were named as defendants in lawsuits filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona (Robert Facciola, et al v. Greenberg Traurig LLP, et al.) and in the Superior Court for Maricopa County Arizona (Victims Recovery, LLC v. Greenberg Traurig LLP, et al.; Roger Ashkenazi, et al v. Greenberg Traurig LLP, et al.; Mary Marsh, et al v. Greenberg Traurig LLP, et al.; and ML Liquidating Trust v. Mayer Hoffman McCann PC, et al.), respectively. The Maricopa County cases were removed to the United States District Court or Bankruptcy Court and all, have since been remanded to the Superior Court for Maricopa County. Additionally, in November 2009, CBIZ MHM, LLC was named as a defendant in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona (Jeffery C. Stone v. Greenberg Traurig LLP, et al.). The Stone case has been voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiff in that matter. These matters arise out of the bankruptcy proceedings related to Mortgages Ltd., a mortgage lender to developers in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Various other professional firms not related to the Company are also defendants in these lawsuits. The motion phase of these proceedings has commenced.
The plaintiffs, except for those in the Stone and ML Liquidating Trust cases, are all alleged to have directly or indirectly invested in real estate mortgages through Mortgages Ltd. The Victims Recovery, Ashkenazi and Marsh plaintiffs seek monetary damages equivalent to the amounts of their investments. The plaintiff in the ML Liquidating Trust matter asserts errors and omissions and breach of contract claims, and is seeking monetary damages. The plaintiffs in these suits also seek pre- and post-judgment interest, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees. Mortgages Ltd. had been audited by Mayer Hoffman McCann PC (“Mayer Hoffman”), a CPA firm which has an administrative services agreement with CBIZ. The claims against the CBIZ Parties seek to impose auditor-type liabilities upon the Company for audits it did not conduct. Specific claims include securities fraud, common law fraud, negligent misrepresentation, Arizona Investment Management Act violations, control-person liability, aiding and abetting and conspiracy. CBIZ is not a CPA firm, does not provide audits, and did not audit any of the entities at issue in these lawsuits. In June 2011 the Facciola court, in which the plaintiffs were seeking to certify a class of all Mortgages Ltd. investors, granted the motions to dismiss filed by the CBIZ Parties and Mayer Hoffman. After that dismissal order, the plaintiffs’ moved the court to amend their complaint in an attempt to state a claim against the CBIZ Parties and Mayer Hoffman. In November 2011, the Facciola court denied the plaintiffs’ request to amend the complaint as to the CBIZ Parties and Mayer Hoffman. The Facciola case is now proceeding only against the remaining defendants. The CBIZ Parties deny all allegations of wrongdoing made against them in these actions and are vigorously defending the proceedings. The Company has been advised by Mayer Hoffman that it denies all allegations of wrongdoing made against it and that it intends to continue vigorously defending the matters. Although the proceedings are subject to uncertainties inherent in the litigation process and the ultimate disposition of these proceedings is not presently determinable, management believes that the allegations are without merit and that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. In January 2012 the CBIZ Parties were added as defendants to a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of California for Orange County, (Signature Financial Group, Inc., et al, v. Mayer Hoffman McCann, P.C., et al). This lawsuit arises out of a review of the financial statements of Medical Capital Holdings, Inc. (“Medical Capital”) by Mayer Hoffman. In June 2009 Medical Capital was sued by the SEC and a receiver was appointed to liquidate Medical Capital. The plaintiffs in the Signature lawsuit are financial advisors that sold Medical Capital investments to their clients. Those plaintiffs were sued by their clients for losses related to Medical Capital and now seek to recover damages from the CBIZ Parties and Mayer Hoffman for the losses and expenses they incurred in litigation with their respective clients and lost profits. The Signature lawsuit seeks to impose auditor-type liabilities upon the CBIZ Parties for attest services they did not conduct. Specific claims include fraud, intentional misrepresentation and concealment; negligent misrepresentation; equitable indemnity; declaratory relief and respondeat superior. The CBIZ Parties deny all allegations of wrongdoing made against them in the Signature lawsuit and are vigorously defending the proceeding. The Company has been advised by Mayer Hoffman that it denies all allegations of wrongdoing made against it and that it intends to continue vigorously defending the matters. Although the proceedings are subject to uncertainties inherent in the litigation process and the ultimate disposition of these proceedings is not presently determinable, management believes that the allegations are without merit and that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. In addition to those items disclosed above, the Company is, from time to time, subject to claims and suits arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the ultimate disposition of such proceedings is not presently determinable, management does not believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters will have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.
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