<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001104659-14-007101.txt : 20140321
<SEC-HEADER>0001104659-14-007101.hdr.sgml : 20140321
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20140206141100
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001104659-14-007101
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20140206

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			CRA INTERNATIONAL, INC.
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001053706
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SERVICES-LEGAL SERVICES [8111]
		IRS NUMBER:				042372210
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			MA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		200 CLARENDON STREET
		STREET 2:		T-33
		CITY:			BOSTON
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			02116
		BUSINESS PHONE:		6174253000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		200 CLARENDON STREET
		STREET 2:		T-33
		CITY:			BOSTON
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			02116

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19980126
</SEC-HEADER>
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<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
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<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">CRA INTERNATIONAL,&nbsp;INC.</font></b></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">200 CLARENDON STREET</font></b></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">BOSTON, MA 02116</font></b></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">February&nbsp;6, 2014</font></p>    </td>   </tr>  </table>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">VIA EDGAR</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Mr.&nbsp;Larry Spirgel</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Assistant Director</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Division of Corporate Finance</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Securities and Exchange Commission</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">100 F Street, NE</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.5in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Re:</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">CRA International,&nbsp;Inc.</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Form&nbsp;10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December&nbsp;29, 2012</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">File No.&nbsp;000-24049</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Filed March&nbsp;8, 2013</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Dear Mr.&nbsp;Spirgel:</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">This letter is submitted by and on behalf of CRA International,&nbsp;Inc. (&#147;we,&#148; &#147;CRA&#148; or the &#147;Company&#148;) in response to the comments of the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the &#147;Staff&#148;) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#147;Commission&#148;) set forth in your letter to us dated January&nbsp;27, 2014 (the &#147;Comment Letter&#148;).</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">For reference purposes, the text of the Comment Letter has been reproduced herein with responses below each numbered comment.</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Form&nbsp;10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December&nbsp;29, 2012 (the &#147;2012 Form&nbsp;10-K&#148;)</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Financial Statements</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">2. Prepaid and Other Assets, FS-16</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">5. Other Assets, page&nbsp;FS-18</font></b></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">1. We note from your response to comment two that you account for your forgivable loans as amortizable &#147;deferred compensation arrangements&#148;.&#160; As such, they differ from your term loan receivables which are &#147;repaid&#148; and which do not represent deferred compensation.&#160; In future filings, please disclose these assets separately in accordance with Rules&nbsp;5-02.8 and 5-02.17 of Regulation S-X.</font></i></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Response to Comment No.&nbsp;1</font></u></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">In future filings, CRA will revise the footnotes in accordance with the Staff&#146;s comment and Rules&nbsp;5-02.8 and 5-02.17.</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">2. We note in the second paragraph on page&nbsp;17 that on occasion you may forgo legal action or recovery for violation of restrictive covenant agreements.&#160; Tell us whether your practice of such forbearance extends to collection of forgivable loans.&#160; If so, explain to us how you determine that your forgivable loans ordinarily benefit future periods through the full contract term of the forgivable loan.&#160; Also, quantify for us the amounts of principle and accrued interest not collected when due in each reporting period as a result of a decision to not pursue collection upon termination of a relation with an expert.</font></i></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Response to Comment No.&nbsp;2</font></u></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The practice of occasionally forgoing legal action or recovery for violation of restrictive covenant agreements does not extended to the collection of forgivable loans.&#160; The Company&#146;s practice is to pursue collection of the forgivable loans through legal action or other methods of collection.&#160; All forgivable loans with experts that were outstanding at any point during the three-year fiscal period ending December&nbsp;29, 2012 were either collected or are outstanding in accordance with the expert&#146;s forgivable loan terms.</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">3. We note in your response, term loans were repaid upon commencement of the relationship with the company.&#160; Tell us if it has been your practice to rollover a term loan into a forgivable loan upon the commencement date of the relationship.&#160; If so, explain to us your consideration of this practice when determining to classify a term loan as a current asset.</font></i></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Response to Comment No.&nbsp;3</font></u></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Term loans and forgivable loans extended are separate contractual arrangements. It is not the Company&#146;s practice, nor has it been done historically, to rollover a term loan into a forgivable loan upon the commencement date of a relationship.</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*</font></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">In connection with the Company&#146;s responses contained in this letter, the Company acknowledges that:</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">the Company may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</font></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Thank you for your continued courtesy and consideration in these matters.&#160; If you have any questions regarding this letter or if you require additional information, please do not hesitate to call me at (617) 425-3740.</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Sincerely</font></p>    </td>   </tr>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">/s/ Wayne D. Mackie</font></p>    </td>   </tr>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>    </td>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Wayne D. Mackie</font></p>    </td>   </tr>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Executive Vice President, Treasurer and</font></p>    </td>   </tr>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Chief Financial Officer</font></p>    </td>   </tr>  </table>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 3.0in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">cc:</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Joseph M. Kempf, Senior Staff Accountant</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Robert S. Littlepage, Accountant Branch Chief</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Mr.&nbsp;Jonathan D. Yellin, Vice President and General Counsel of CRA</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Mr.&nbsp;William R. Kolb,&nbsp;Esq., of Foley Hoag LLP</font></p>
<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
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