<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001104659-17-071862.txt : 20180118
<SEC-HEADER>0001104659-17-071862.hdr.sgml : 20180118
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20171205124122
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001104659-17-071862
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20171205

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;"><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;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">CRA INTERNATIONAL,&nbsp;INC.<br> 200 CLARENDON STREET<br> BOSTON, MA 02116</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;">December&nbsp;5, 2017</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;">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<br> Assistant Director<br> AD Office 11 - Telecommunications<br> Division of Corporate Finance<br> Securities and Exchange Commission<br> 100 F Street, NE<br> 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="font-size:10.0pt;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><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; </font><b>CRA International,&nbsp;Inc.<br> Form&nbsp;10-K for Fiscal Year Ended December&nbsp;31, 2016<br> Filed March&nbsp;15, 2017<br> File No.&nbsp;000-24049</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; or &#147;CRA&#148;) in response to the comment of the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#147;Staff&#148;) set forth below, which was initially made in your letter to us dated September&nbsp;5, 2017, as well as the additional comments with respect thereto made by the Staff in teleconferences held on October&nbsp;23, 2017, November&nbsp;2, 2017 and December&nbsp;4, 2017 (the &#147;Staff Calls&#148;). This letter supplements and modifies our previous written response dated October&nbsp;3, 2017.</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;8-K filed July&nbsp;27, 2017</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;">Exhibit&nbsp;99.1</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;">Unaudited Adjusted EBITDA Including a Reconciliation to Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA</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="font-size:10.0pt;margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">4.</font></i><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><i>We note you exclude amortization of forgivable loans from Adjusted EBITDA. We also note that the expense associated with the forgiveness of the principal amount of these loans is recorded as compensation expense over the employee and non-employee expert&#146;s service period, which is consistent with the term of the loans. Please explain to us why this is not a normal, recurring cash operating expense necessary to operate</i></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;">&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;">your business. See Question 100.01 of the updated Non-GAAP Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations issued on May&nbsp;17, 2016.</font></i></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;"><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Response to Comment No.&nbsp;4</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 response to our discussions with the Staff in the Staff Calls, we are modifying our response to this comment to read as follows: If, in any filed disclosure relating to a fiscal period within our 2018 fiscal year or beyond, we elect to report the metric Adjusted EBITDA (or its margin) for such fiscal period, then (i)&nbsp;we will no longer exclude the amortization of forgivable loans from such metric and (ii)&nbsp;we may elect to report the amount of the amortization of forgivable loans for such fiscal period separately, without adding such amount to the metric Adjusted EBITDA reported for such period.&#160; In addition, in any disclosure relating to a fiscal period within our 2017 fiscal year or before, we may elect to report for such fiscal period our historical metric Adjusted EBITDA (or its margin), which excludes the amortization of forgivable loans.</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="font-size:10.0pt;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">*</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;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </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;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </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;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </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;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </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;">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 (312) 377-2322.</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/   Chad M. Holmes</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;">Chad   M. Holmes</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, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer</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="font-size:10.0pt;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>Carlos Pacho, Senior Assistant Chief Accountant <br> Joseph Cascarano, Senior Staff Accountant<br> Mr.&nbsp;Jonathan D. Yellin,&nbsp;Esq., Executive Vice President and General Counsel<br> Mr.&nbsp;William R. Kolb,&nbsp;Esq., of Foley Hoag LLP</p>
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