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RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
General. Certain of our executive officers and directors, and their related interests, are customers of, or have had transactions with the Bank in the ordinary course of business, including deposits, loans and other financial services related transactions. From time to time, the Bank may make loans to executive officers and directors, and their related interests, in the ordinary course of business and on substantially the same terms and conditions, including interest rates and collateral, as those of comparable transactions with non-insiders prevailing at the time, in accordance with the Bank’s underwriting guidelines, and do not involve more than the normal risk of collectability or present other unfavorable features. As of the date of this filing, no related party loans were categorized as nonaccrual, past due, restructured or potential problem loans.
The Bank also has an Employee Loan Program which is available to all employees and offers executive officers, directors and principal stockholders that meet the eligibility requirements the opportunity to participate on the same terms as employees generally, provided that any loan to an executive officer, director or principal stockholder must be approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors. The sole benefit provided under the Employee Loan Program is a reduction in loan fees.
Transactions with Current Related Parties
The Company and the Bank have engaged in transactions described below with the Company’s directors, executive officers, and beneficial owners of more than 5 percent of the outstanding shares of the Company’s voting common stock and certain persons related to them.
Indemnification for Costs of Counsel in Connection with Special Committee Investigation, SEC Investigation and Related Matters. On November 3, 2016, in connection with an investigation by the Special Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, the Company Board authorized and directed the Company to provide indemnification, advancement and/or reimbursement for the costs of separate independent counsel retained by any then-current officer or director, in their individual capacity, with respect to matters related to the investigation, and to advise them on their rights and obligations with respect to the investigation. At the direction of the Company Board, this indemnification, advancement and/or reimbursement is, to the extent applicable, subject to the indemnification agreement that each officer and director previously entered into with the Company, which includes an undertaking to repay any expenses advanced if it is ultimately determined that the officer or
director was not entitled to indemnification under such agreements and applicable law. In addition, the Company is providing indemnification, advancement and/or reimbursement for costs related to (i) a formal order of investigation issued by the SEC on January 4, 2017 directed primarily at certain of the issues that the Special Committee reviewed and (ii) any related civil or administrative proceedings against the Company as well as officers currently or previously associated with the Company (collectively, the “Indemnity Matters”).
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, indemnification costs paid by the Company included $2 thousand and $149 thousand, respectively, incurred by the Company's General Counsel Emeritus John Grosvenor, who retired from that position effective April 15, 2019. Indemnification costs were paid on behalf of other executive officers and directors in lesser amounts for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019.
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, indemnification costs paid by the Company included $233 thousand and $272 thousand, respectively, incurred by director Halle J. Benett; $233 thousand and $272 thousand, respectively, incurred by director Jonah F. Schnel; and $233 thousand and $272 thousand, respectively, incurred by director Robert Sznewajs. Indemnification costs were paid on behalf of other executive officers and directors in lesser amounts for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.
Sabal Loan. On September 5, 2017, John A. Bogler became the Chief Financial Officer of the Company and the Bank. Mr. Bogler is a founding member, and since 2015 and up until his employment with the Company, was a board member and Chief Financial Officer, of Sabal Capital Partners, LLC and Sabal Investment Advisors, LLC. Sabal Capital Partners, LLC is the sole owner of Sabal Opportunities Fund I, LLC, which in turn is the sole owner of Sabal TL1, LLC; Sabal Investment Advisors, LLC is the investment manager of SIA Debt Opportunities Fund, LP. SDOF GP, LLC is the general partner of Sabal Investment Advisors, LLC (together, Sabal). As of September 1, 2018, Mr. Bogler had completely divested his ownership in Sabal, except for an investment in SDOF GP, LLC that represents only a right of Mr. Bogler to receive his pro-rata share of pass through distributions (net of expenses) by SIA Debt Opportunities Fund, LP with respect to underlying investments that were made by the fund. Effective June 26, 2015, the Bank provided a $35.0 million committed revolving repurchase facility, which was increased to $40.0 million effective June 11, 2017, to Sabal TL1, LLC, with a maximum funding amount of $100.0 million in certain situations. On June 6, 2018, the revolving repurchase facility was extended for 90 days beyond its original maturity date of June 10, 2018. The repurchase facility's outstanding balance was $3.5 million before it was completely paid off in August 2018. The extension was not renewed and expired on September 10, 2018.
Under the Sabal repurchase facility, commercial mortgage loans originated by Sabal were purchased from Sabal by the Bank, together with a simultaneous agreement by Sabal to repurchase the commercial mortgage loans from the Bank at a future date. The advances under the Sabal repurchase facility were secured by commercial mortgage loans that had a market value in excess of the balance of the advances under the facility. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the largest aggregate amount of principal outstanding under the Sabal repurchase facility was $32.5 million. The Sabal repurchase facility was paid off during the year ended December 31, 2018.
Interest on the outstanding balance under the Sabal repurchase facility accrued at the six month LIBOR rate plus a margin. $210.4 million in principal and $370 thousand in interest were paid by Sabal on the facility to the Bank during the year ended December 31, 2018.
Transactions with Former Related Parties
In addition to the transactions described above with the Company’s current directors, executive officers, and 5% or greater stockholders, and related persons, the Company and the Bank have engaged in transactions described below with the Company’s then (now former) directors and executive officers, and certain persons related to them.
Indemnification for Costs of Counsel for Former Executive Officers and Former Directors in Connection with the Indemnity Matters.
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, indemnification costs paid by the Company in connection with the Indemnity Matters included $4.7 million and $6.9 million, respectively, incurred by the Company’s former Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer Steven A. Sugarman; and $186 thousand and $741 thousand, respectively, jointly incurred by the Company’s former Interim Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer J. Francisco A. Turner and the Company’s former Chief Financial Officer James J. McKinney; and $139 thousand and $142 thousand, incurred by the Bank’s former director Cynthia Abercrombie. Indemnification costs were paid on behalf of other former executive officers and other former directors in lesser amounts e for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019.
During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, indemnification costs paid by the Company included $1.8 million and $2.0 million, respectively, incurred by the Company’s former Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer Steven A. Sugarman; $64 thousand and $135 thousand, respectively, incurred by the Bank’s former Management Vice Chair Jeffrey T. Seabold; and $173 thousand and $287 thousand, respectively, incurred by the Bank’s former director Cynthia Abercrombie; and $233 thousand and $272 thousand, respectively, incurred by the Company’s former director Jeffrey Karish. Indemnification
costs were paid on behalf of other former executive officers and other former directors in lesser amounts for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.
Settlement Agreement. On September 5, 2017, Jeffrey T. Seabold, the Bank’s former Management Vice Chair, submitted a notice of termination of employment pursuant to his employment agreement with the Bank and, that same day, filed a complaint in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, against the Company and the Bank and multiple unnamed defendants asserting claims for breach of contract, wrongful termination, retaliation and unfair business practices. On January 19, 2018, the parties reached a settlement in principle through mediation and a final settlement agreement was entered into by the Company, the Bank and Mr. Seabold on February 14, 2018 (the "Settlement Agreement"). Under the Settlement Agreement, which provided for a mutual release of claims and the dismissal of Mr. Seabold’s complaint with prejudice, Mr. Seabold received lump sum cash payments from the Company and the Bank aggregating $4.3 million, less applicable withholdings for the portions of such payments representing employee compensation. Included within this amount were cash payments totaling $576 thousand representing a benefit with respect to Mr. Seabold's unvested stock options and restricted stock awards. Mr. Seabold also received a cash payment of $38 thousand as reimbursement for his premiums for health care coverage for the period October 1, 2017 through March 2019. In addition, in accordance with the Settlement Agreement the Bank paid $650 thousand of attorneys’ fees incurred by Mr. Seabold in connection with his lawsuit and the Settlement Agreement. All the cash payments to Mr. Seabold under the Settlement Agreement were made during the three months ended March 31, 2018. The Settlement Agreement contains certain standstill provisions that, prior to December 31, 2018, generally restricted Mr. Seabold and his affiliates from, among other things, acquiring beneficial ownership of any shares of the Company’s common stock or common stock equivalents to the extent this would result in Mr. Seabold beneficially owning in excess of 4.99 percent of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding, soliciting proxies in opposition to any matter not recommended by the Company’s Board of Directors or in favor of any matter not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors or initiating any stockholder proposal.