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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2013
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | 11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES The following commitments and contingencies provide an update of those discussed in “Note 15: Commitments and Contingencies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and should be read in conjunction with the complete descriptions provided in the aforementioned Form 10-K. Chapter 11 Reorganization Under the Bankruptcy Code, the filing of our petition on November 8, 2010 automatically stayed most actions against Ambac. Substantially all of Ambac’s pre-petition liabilities were addressed under the Reorganization Plan, if not otherwise addressed pursuant to orders of the Bankruptcy Court. As further described in Note 1, the Reorganization Plan was substantially consummated on May 1, 2013, primarily through the distribution of new common stock and warrants. In addition to the distributions made on May 1, 2013 pursuant to the Reorganization Plan, the Company may be required to distribute additional new common stock and warrants to claimholders in its Chapter 11 case and will need to make cash payments in respect of allowed administrative claims and professional fees relating to its bankruptcy. See Note 1 for further details. The Segregated Account and Wisconsin Rehabilitation Proceeding The Rehabilitation Court entered an order approving the transactions contemplated in the Mediation Agreement on November 10, 2011 and certain parties appealed such order. On March 1, 2013, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals entered an order dismissing this appeal for lack of standing. The time for appellants to appeal that order to the Wisconsin Supreme Court has expired and appellants have not made such further appeal. Therefore, the order entered by the Rehabilitation Court approving the transactions contemplated in the Mediation Agreement has become final and non-appealable. On June 4, 2012, the Rehabilitation Court issued an order approving Ambac Assurance’s purchase of surplus notes pursuant to the exercise of call options (“Surplus Notes Order”). Fannie Mae filed both a Petition for Leave to Appeal and a Notice of Appeal of the Surplus Notes Order. On March 7, 2013, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals denied Fannie Mae’s Petition for Leave to Appeal the Surplus Notes Order and extended Fannie Mae’s time to respond to the Commissioner’s pending motion to dismiss Fannie Mae’s appeal for lack of jurisdiction and lack of standing to March 25, 2013. On March 21, 2013 Fannie Mae filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal of Appeal and on April 1, 2013 the Wisconsin Court of Appeals dismissed Fannie Mae’s appeal of the Surplus Notes Order. Tax Treatment of Ambac Assurance’s CDS Portfolio On April 3, 2013, Ambac, the Creditors’ Committee, Ambac Assurance, the Segregated Account, OCI and the Rehabilitator submitted to the IRS and the Department of Justice, Tax Division, a letter which modified and supplemented the terms of the Offer Letter to settle the IRS Dispute and related proceedings. On April 4, 2013, the Department of Justice, Tax Division, accepted the Offer Letter as supplemented and modified. On April 8, 2013, Ambac filed a motion with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York seeking approval of the terms of the IRS Settlement. On April 29, 2013, the Bankruptcy Court approved in all respects the IRS Settlement, which settled the IRS Claim, and authorized and directed Ambac, in part, to effectuate the IRS Settlement and to take any other actions as may be reasonably necessary to consummate the settlement, including, without limitation, the execution of a closing agreement with the IRS, and entry of a stipulation dismissing the IRS adversary proceeding with prejudice. On April 30, 2013, Ambac paid to the United States Department of the Treasury $1,900 and the Segregated Account paid the United States Department of Treasury $100,000. Upon confirmation of payment, Ambac and the Internal Revenue Service entered into a closing agreement on April 30, 2013 which resolved with finality all federal income tax liability of Ambac for the 2003 through 2009 tax years and resolved with finality the federal income tax liability of Ambac for the 2010 tax year solely with respect to items of income, gain, deductions or loss related to the CDS contracts. The closing agreement does not resolve the tax treatment of CDS contracts for tax years subsequent to 2010. On May 7, 2013, following execution of the closing agreement and payment of the settlement consideration by Ambac and the Segregated Account, the Bankruptcy Court issued an order dismissing with prejudice the adversary proceeding against the IRS. On the same day, Ambac, the United States and the Creditors’ Committee filed a stipulation withdrawing and dismissing with prejudice the motion to withdraw the reference pending before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. In accordance with the terms of the settlement, the parties also intend to dismiss with prejudice the appeals pending in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Litigation Filed Against Ambac County of Alameda et al. v. Ambac Assurance Corporation et al. (Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Francisco, second amended complaint filed on or about August 23, 2011); Contra Costa County et al. v. Ambac Assurance Corporation et al. (Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Francisco, third amended complaint filed on or about October 21, 2011); The Olympic Club v. Ambac Assurance Corporation et al. (Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Francisco, fourth amended complaint filed on or about October 21, 2011). After oral argument on March 21, 2013, the court dismissed claims related to the conspiracy branch of the complaint under the California Antitrust Law (the Cartwright Act) and after oral argument on April 22, 2013 denied defendants’ motion to dismiss claims under the California Unfair Competition Law. Broadbill Partners LP et al. v. Ambac Assurance Corporation (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed November 8, 2012). Ambac Assurance filed a motion to dismiss on January 15, 2013. The court has not yet decided the motion. Water Works Board of the City of Birmingham v. Ambac Financial Group, Inc. and Ambac Assurance Corporation (United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division, filed on November 10, 2009). The plaintiff appealed the dismissal of its claims to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and on January 25, 2011, the Circuit Court stayed the appeal in light of Ambac’s bankruptcy proceedings. Ambac has informed the Circuit Court that Second Modified Fifth Amended Plan of Reorganization has taken effect and that the automatic stay imposed pursuant to section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. § 362) is no longer in effect. Litigation Filed by Ambac Ambac Assurance Corporation v. Adelanto Public Utility Authority (United States District Court, Southern District of New York, filed on June 1, 2009). On January 11, 2013 the court granted Ambac Assurance’s motion for summary judgment and denied defendant’s motion. At a March 13, 2013 conference, the court requested that the parties prepare submissions regarding the amount of damages and fees Ambac Assurance is entitled to recover, and Ambac Assurance served its submissions upon the defendant on April 23, 2013. In connection with Ambac Assurance’s efforts to seek redress for breaches of representations and warranties and fraud related to the information provided by both the underwriters and the sponsors of various transactions and for failure to comply with the obligation by the sponsors to repurchase ineligible loans, Ambac Assurance has filed various lawsuits, which are listed and described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, as supplemented and updated below:
| • |  | Ambac Assurance Corporation and The Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation v. EMC Mortgage LLC (formerly known as EMC Mortgage Corporation), J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. (formerly known as Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.), and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed March 30, 2012 and amended on August 14, 2012). Oral argument on defendants’ motion to dismiss was held on February 21, 2013. The court has not yet decided the motion.
| • |  | Ambac Assurance Corporation and The Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation v. First Franklin Financial Corporation, Bank of America, N.A., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., Merrill Lynch Mortgage Lending, Inc., and Merrill Lynch Mortgage Investors, Inc. (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed April 16, 2012). Oral argument on the defendants’ motion to dismiss was held on May 6, 2013. The court has not yet decided the motion.
| • |  | Ambac Assurance Corporation and the Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation v. DLJ Mortgage Capital, Inc. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed on January 12, 2010). On March 1, 2013, the parties filed a stipulation discontinuing the litigation with prejudice.
| • |  | Ambac Assurance Corporation and The Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation v. Capital One, N.A., as successor by merger to Chevy Chase Bank, F.S.B. (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, filed on October 24, 2012). Defendants filed a motion to dismiss on February 6, 2013, which Ambac Assurance opposed in a brief filed on February 20, 2013. The motion was fully briefed and filed on March 5, 2013. The court held oral argument on March 7, 2013 and has not yet decided the motion.
| • |  | Ambac Assurance Corporation and The Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation v. Nomura Credit & Capital, Inc. and Nomura Holding America Inc. (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed on April 15, 2013). Ambac Assurance alleges claims for material breach of contract and for the repurchase of loans that breach representations and warranties under the contracts, as well as damages. Ambac has also asserted alter ego claims against Nomura Holding America Inc. Defendants have not yet answered or otherwise responded to the complaint.

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