VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES

The Company holds ownership interests in alternative energy partnerships, qualified affordable housing partnerships, and the SECT. The Company evaluates its interests in these entities to determine whether they meet the definition of a VIE and whether the Company is required to consolidate these entities. A VIE is consolidated by its primary beneficiary, which is the party that has both (i) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and (ii) a variable interest that could potentially be significant to the VIE. To determine whether or not a variable interest the Company holds could potentially be significant to the VIE, the Company considers both qualitative and quantitative factors regarding the nature, size and form of the Company's involvement with the VIE. The Company has determined that its interests in these entities meet the definition of a variable interest.

Unconsolidated VIEs

Alternative Energy Partnerships

The Company invests in certain alternative energy partnerships (limited liability companies) formed to provide sustainable energy projects that are designed to generate a return primarily through the realization of federal tax credits (energy tax credits). These entities were formed to invest in newly installed residential rooftop solar leases and power purchase agreements. As a result of its investments, the Company has the right to certain investment tax credits and tax depreciation benefits (recognized on the flow through and income statement method in accordance with ASC 740), and to a lesser extent, cash flows generated from the installed solar systems leased to individual consumers for a fixed period of time.

While the Company's interest in the alternative energy partnerships meets the definition of a VIE in accordance with ASC 810, the Company has determined that the Company is not the primary beneficiary because the Company does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the entities including operational and credit risk management activities. As the Company is not the primary beneficiary, the Company did not consolidate the entities. The Company uses the HLBV method to account for these investments in energy tax credits as an equity investment under ASC 970-323-25-17. Under the HLBV method, an equity method investor determines its share of an investee's earnings by comparing its claim on the investee's book value at the beginning and end of the period, assuming the investee were to liquidate all assets at their U.S. GAAP amounts and distribute the resulting cash to creditors and investors under their respective priorities. The difference between the calculated liquidation distribution amounts at the beginning and the end of the reporting period, after adjusting for capital contributions and distributions, is the Company’s share of the earnings or losses from the equity investment for the period. To account for the tax credits earned on investments in alternative energy partnerships, the Company uses the flow-through income statement method. Under this method, the tax credits are recognized as a reduction to income tax expense and the initial book-tax differences in the basis of the investments are recognized as additional tax expense in the year they are earned.

During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, The Company funded $55.4 million and $57.3 million, respectively, and recognized a loss on investment of $30.8 million and $31.5 million, respectively, through its HLBV application. As a result, the balance of its investments was $48.8 million and $25.6 million, respectively, at December 31, 2017 and 2016. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company completed the funding on one of its investments. While the Company had committed $100.0 million to the investment, the amount that was drawn down and funded by the Company was $62.8 million and the remaining $37.2 million of the commitment was canceled. From an income tax benefit perspective, the Company recognized investment tax credits of $38.2 million and $33.4 million, respectively, as well as income tax benefits relating to the recognition of its loss through its HLBV application during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

The following table represents the carrying value of the associated assets and liabilities and the associated maximum loss exposure for the alternative energy partnerships as of the dates indicated:



	December 31,
($ in thousands)	2017		2016
Cash	$	16,518	$	—
Equipment, net of depreciation	246,297		151,721
Other assets	2,444		351
Total unconsolidated assets	$	265,259	$	152,072
Total unconsolidated liabilities	$	7,181	$	—
Maximum loss exposure	$	98,910	$	68,298

The maximum loss exposure that would be absorbed by the Company in the event that all of the assets in the alternative energy partnerships are deemed worthless is $98.9 million, consisting of the investment balance of $48.8 million and unfunded equity commitments of $50.1 million at December 31, 2017. The Company believes that the loss exposure on its investments is reduced considering its return on its investment is provided not only by the cash flows of the underlying customer leases and power purchase agreements, but also through the significant tax benefits, including federal tax credits generated from the investments. In addition, the arrangements include a transition manager to support any transition of the solar company sponsor whose role includes that of the servicer and operation and maintenance provider, in the event the sponsor would be required to be removed from its responsibilities (e.g., bankruptcy, breach of contract, etc.), thereby further limiting the Company’s exposure.

Qualified Affordable Housing Partnerships

The Company invests in limited partnerships that operate qualified affordable housing projects. The returns on these investments are generated primarily through allocated Federal tax credits and other tax benefits. In addition, these investments contribute to the Company's compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act. These limited partnerships are considered to be VIEs, because either (i) they do not have sufficient equity investment at risk or (ii) the limited partners with equity at risk do not have substantive kick-out rights through voting rights or substantive participating rights over the general partner. As a limited partner, the Company is not the primary beneficiary because the general partner has the ability to direct the activities of the VIEs that most significantly impact their economic performance. Therefore, the Company does not consolidate these partnerships.

The Company funded $4.5 million, $104 thousand and $48 thousand, respectively, into these partnerships and recognized proportional amortization expense of $1.4 million, $394 thousand and $727 thousand, respectively, during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. As a result, the balance of these investments was $22.0 million and $23.2 million, respectively, at December 31, 2017 and 2016. As of December 31, 2017, the Company has funded $13.7 million of its $29.3 million aggregated funding commitments. The Company had an unfunded commitment of $15.6 million at December 31, 2017. From an income tax benefit perspective, the Company recognized investment tax credits of $849 thousand, $435 thousand and $632 thousand, respectively, during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. The maximum loss exposure that would be absorbed by the Company in the event that all of the assets in this investment are deemed worthless is $22.0 million, which is the Company's recorded investment amount at December 31, 2017. The recorded investment amount is included in Other Assets on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and the proportional amortization expense is recorded in Income Tax (Benefit) Expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

As the investments in alternative energy partnerships and qualified affordable housing partnerships represent unconsolidated VIEs to the Company, the assets and liabilities of the investments themselves are not recorded on the Company's statements of financial condition.

Consolidated VIE

On August 3, 2016, the Company established the SECT pursuant to the SECT Trust Agreement, dated as of August 3, 2016, between the Company and Newport Trust Company, as trustee (as successor trustee to Evercore Trust Company, N.A.) to fund employee compensation and benefit obligations of the Company using shares of the Company’s common stock. On August 3, 2016, the Company sold 2,500,000 shares of voting common stock to the SECT at a purchase price of $21.45 per share (the closing price of the voting common stock on August 2, 2016), or $53.6 million in the aggregate, in exchange for a cash amount equal to the aggregate par value of the shares and a promissory note for the balance of the purchase price. The SECT was to terminate on January 1, 2032 unless terminated earlier in accordance with the SECT Trust Agreement, including by the Company’s Board of Directors.

On December 28, 2017, in order to effectuate the early termination of the SECT, as authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors, the Company purchased from the SECT all 2,500,000 shares of voting common stock held by the SECT at a purchase price of $21.00 per share (the closing price per share of the voting common stock on December 27, 2017), or $52.5 million in the aggregate. Following the SECT Termination Sale, such shares of voting common stock were canceled. Of the proceeds from the SECT Termination Sale, $2.7 million will be utilized for the purpose of funding obligations under certain of the Company’s benefit plans to which 126,517 shares of voting common stock had been allocated prior to the SECT Termination Sale, and $49.8 million was remitted by the SECT Trustee to the Company, which was deemed to be in satisfaction and termination of all remaining obligations of the SECT under the promissory note, which had an outstanding principal balance of $50.9 million plus accrued interest.

The Company evaluated its interest in the SECT and determined that it was a VIE for which the Company was the primary beneficiary. As such, the SECT was consolidated by the Company. The entire amount of assets and liabilities of the SECT represented the transactions between the Company and the SECT. As a result, the note receivable on the Company and the note payable on the SECT were eliminated on a consolidated basis. All other transactions, such as note principal and dividend payments and receipts, were also eliminated on a consolidated basis, accordingly.