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Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2015
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 18: Commitments and Contingencies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included Part II, Item 8 in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and should be read in conjunction with the complete descriptions provided in the aforementioned Form 10-K. Ambac is responsible for leases on the rental of office space. The executive office of Ambac is located in New York City under a lease agreement that was modified in September 2015 and extended in October 2015 to allow Ambac to remain in the same office space through September 2019 and on one floor through the end of 2029, with an option to continue to occupy other currently leased floors through the end of 2029. Rent payment under this lease made through September 2019 will result in the periodic reduction of Segregated Account Junior Surplus Notes that were previously issued to the landlord. Ambac leases additional space for its data center, disaster recovery site and for its international locations under lease agreements that expire periodically through October 2020. An estimate of future net minimum lease payments in each of the next five years ending December 31, and the periods thereafter, is as follows:
|  | 2015 (1) |  | 2016 |  | 2017 |  | 2018 |  | 2019 |  | Thereafter |  | Total
Operating lease obligations |  | $ | 1,375 |  |  | $ | 6,168 |  |  | $ | 6,168 |  |  | $ | 6,168 |  |  | $ | 5,046 |  |  | $ | 14,947 |  |  | $ | 39,872 |
(1) Includes October through December 2015 The Segregated Account and Wisconsin Rehabilitation Proceeding On February 27, 2015, the Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, made a motion for allowance of a policy claim that had been disallowed by the Rehabilitator. The Rehabilitator opposed the motion on March 23, 2015 and the trustee filed a reply in further support of its motion on March 26, 2015. On April 6, 2015, the Rehabilitation Court denied the trustee’s motion. On March 18, 2015, the Rehabilitator filed a motion to confirm and declare the reimbursement amounts due with respect to cash claim payments made by Ambac Assurance and the Segregated Account on a certain policy. Objections to the motion were due on April 27, 2015, but no objection was filed. On May 1, 2015, the Rehabilitation Court granted the Rehabilitator’s motion. Litigation 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). Ambac Assurance and the other Bond Insurer Defendants filed a demurrer seeking dismissal of the current amended complaints on September 21, 2011, which was denied on October 20, 2011. On December 2, 2011, Ambac Assurance and the other Bond Insurer Defendants filed a special motion to strike the current amended complaints under California’s Anti-SLAPP statute (Calif. Code of Civ. Proc. Section 425.16). A hearing on the motion was held on March 23, 2012. On May 1, 2012, the Court ruled that the complaints were governed by the Anti-SLAPP statute to the extent they alleged conspiracy to influence the rating agencies’ rating methodologies, but not to the extent that the complaints alleged false or misleading statements or nondisclosures. 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. The court entered an order to this effect on July 9, 2013. On September 9, 2013, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of the July 9th order and on September 30, 2013, Ambac Assurance filed a notice of cross-appeal. On September 9, 2013, the parties filed motions for attorneys’ fees in connection with the portions of the Anti-SLAPP motions on which they were successful. The court denied plaintiffs’ motion for fees from the bench on November 8, 2013. On March 26, 2014, the court granted the defendants’ motions for attorneys’ fees awarding Ambac Assurance approximately $207. The court’s decisions on attorneys’ fees were memorialized in an order initially entered on March 26, 2014 and amended on May 8, 2014. On July 7, 2014, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal from the court’s amended order awarding attorneys’ fees to Ambac Assurance and the other defendants and denying fees to plaintiffs. This appeal was dismissed on December 19, 2014. Plaintiffs have filed a motion to reinstate the appeal, stating that it should only have been dismissed as against one defendant with whom plaintiffs settled. Ambac did not oppose that motion, which was granted on January 29, 2015. Also on July 7, 2014, the Bond Insurer Defendants filed their appellate brief appealing the July 9th Order. Plaintiffs’ opposition to the Bond Insurer Defendants’ appellate brief and plaintiffs’ affirmative brief on their cross-motion were filed on November 5, 2014. The defendants’ brief in opposition to plaintiffs’ appeal and in further support of their cross-appeal was filed on February 3, 2015. Plaintiffs’ reply brief in further support of their appeal was filed on April 24, 2015. The appeal is now fully briefed and awaiting scheduling of oral argument. On July 2, 2015, plaintiffs filed an appeal brief seeking to overturn the Court’s May 8, 2014 amended Order awarding defendants attorneys’ fees and denying an award of attorneys’ fees to plaintiffs. On August 7, 2015, defendants filed a motion to dismiss that appeal insofar as it seeks to reverse the court’s order denying plaintiffs an award of attorneys’ fees. The Court denied that motion. The Bond Insurer Defendants filed their appellate brief in opposition to plaintiffs’ appeal of the Court’s May 8, 2014 order on October 19, 2015. City of New Orleans v. Ambac Assurance Corporation, Ambac Financial Services, LLC, PaineWebber Capital Services, Inc. and UBS Securities LLC (United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, Civil Action No. 08-3949 filed on July 17, 2008). This action was brought by the City of New Orleans ("New Orleans") against Ambac Assurance and Ambac Financial Services on July 17, 2008 in connection with their participation in a New Orleans bond issue. New Orleans issued variable rate demand obligations ("VRDOs"), which were insured by Ambac Assurance, and entered into an interest rate swap agreement with PaineWebber, Inc. in order to fix its interest rate on the VRDOs. PaineWebber in turn entered into an interest rate swap agreement with Ambac Financial Services with terms that mirrored those of the New Orleans/Paine Webber swap. On December 23, 2009, New Orleans filed an Amended Complaint alleging that Ambac Assurance failed to provide credit enhancement as a result of Ambac Assurance's rating being downgraded by the rating agencies in 2008, and seeking damages against Ambac Assurance and Ambac Financial Services for the following causes of action: (1) breach of contract for credit enhancement, (2) unjust enrichment, (3) error in the principal cause, (4) fraud in the inducement of contract, (5) negligent misrepresentation, (6) bad faith, (7) breach of the swap, (8) tortious interference with the swap, (9) breach of and tortious interference with remarketing agreement and (10) detrimental reliance. On October 14, 2010, the Court granted a motion to dismiss all claims against Ambac Assurance and Ambac Financial Services and in late 2011, administratively closed the case and gave New Orleans 180 days to settle or move to re-open the case. In 2014, New Orleans filed a motion to re-open the case as to UBS Securities LLC, which the Court granted. New Orleans and UBS Securities LLC entered into a settlement agreement, and on May 20, 2015, the Court entered a final order and judgment dismissing with prejudice the case against all defendants. The City is appealing the District Court's October 14, 2010 decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and on September 8, 2015 filed its appellate brief. Ambac Assurance’s estimates of projected losses for RMBS transactions consider, among other things, the RMBS transactions’ payment waterfall structure, including the application of interest and principal payments and recoveries, and depend in part on our interpretations of contracts and other bases of our legal rights. From time to time, bond trustees and other transaction participants have employed different contractual interpretations. It is not possible to predict whether disputes will arise, nor the outcomes of any potential litigation. It is possible that there could be unfavorable outcomes in disputes or proceedings and that our interpretations may prove to be incorrect, which could lead to changes to our estimate of loss reserves. Ambac Assurance has periodically received various regulatory inquiries and requests for information with respect to investigations and inquiries that such regulators are conducting. Ambac Assurance has complied with all such inquiries and requests for information. It is not reasonably possible to predict whether additional suits will be filed or whether additional inquiries or requests for information will be made, and it is also not possible to predict the outcome of litigation, inquiries or requests for information. It is possible that there could be unfavorable outcomes in these or other proceedings. Legal accruals for litigation against Ambac which are probable and reasonably estimable, and management's estimated range of loss for such matters, are not material to the operating results or financial position of the Company. For the litigation matters Ambac is defending that do not meet the “probable and reasonably estimable” accrual threshold and where no loss estimates have been provided above, management is unable to make a meaningful estimate of the amount or range of loss that could result from unfavorable outcomes but, under some circumstances, adverse results in any such proceedings could be material to our business, operations, financial position, profitability or cash flows. The Company believes that it has substantial defenses to the claims above and, to the extent that these actions proceed, the Company intends to defend itself vigorously; however, the Company is not able to predict the outcomes of these actions. Litigation Filed by Ambac In the ordinary course of their businesses, certain of Ambac’s subsidiaries assert claims in legal proceedings against third parties to recover losses already paid and/or mitigate future losses. The amounts recovered and/or losses avoided which may result from these proceedings is uncertain, although recoveries and/or losses avoided in any one or more of these proceedings during any quarter or fiscal year could be material to Ambac’s results of operations in that quarter or fiscal year. Ambac Assurance Corporation v. Adelanto Public Utility Authority (United States District Court, Southern District of New York, filed on June 1, 2009). On December 23, 2014, the parties entered into a Judgment Satisfaction and Release Agreement to resolve the matter and in April 2015, when the Agreement became fully effective, the parties dismissed the Authority’s appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the portion of the action that remained in the District Court and filed instruments of satisfaction of Ambac’s judgment against the Authority in the Southern District of New York and the Central District of California. Ambac Assurance received approximately $7,760 in satisfaction of its judgment against the Authority. Erste Europäische Pfandbriefund Kommunalkreditbank AG In Luxemburg and Ambac Assurance Corporation v. City of San Bernardino, California (United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, Riverside Division, filed on January 7, 2015). On March 13, 2015, the City filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, which plaintiffs opposed. On May 11, 2015, the court heard oral argument and granted the City’s motion to dismiss. On June 8, 2015, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of the court’s order granting the City’s motion to dismiss with the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit, and their appellate brief is due on or before January 5, 2016. Ambac UK v. J.P. Morgan Investment Management (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed May 4, 2009, No. 650259/2009). Ambac UK commenced this action against J.P. Morgan Investment Management asserting claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and gross negligence relating to defendant’s mismanagement of assets supporting bonds issued by Ballantyne Plc and insured by Ambac UK that funded excess reserves for term life insurance required by regulation. (Pursuant to an agreement with Ballantyne Plc, Ambac UK was given the authority to prosecute Ballantyne plc's claims against J.P. Morgan Investment Management.) On March 24, 2010, the court granted defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint. Ambac UK appealed the March 2010 decision and on July 14, 2011, the Appellate Division for the First Department reversed the decision and reinstated Ambac UK's claims in their entirety. Fact discovery was completed on August 13, 2015. Expert discovery is ongoing. 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 RMBS transactions and for failure to comply with the obligation by the sponsors to repurchase ineligible loans, Ambac Assurance has filed various lawsuits:
• | 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 February 17, 2011). On December 18, 2014, defendants filed a motion for partial summary judgment seeking to dismiss the plaintiffs’ claim for fraudulent inducement arguing that as a matter of law, plaintiffs cannot prove justifiable reliance. Ambac Assurance has opposed the motion, which is fully briefed. The court heard oral argument on July 14, 2015. No decision has been issued.
• | 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). On June 13, 2013, the court dismissed Ambac Assurance’s contractual claims but not its claims for fraudulent inducement or successor liability. Ambac Assurance appealed the trial court’s decision. On October 16, 2014, the Appellate Division for the First Department affirmed the trial court’s dismissal. In November 2014, Ambac Assurance filed a motion for leave to re-argue, or in the alternative to appeal, the decision. Defendants opposed the motion. On May 14, 2015, the First Department denied the motion. With respect to the claims that remain in the case, discovery is ongoing.
• | Ambac Assurance Corporation and The Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation v. Countrywide Securities Corp., Countrywide Financial Corp. (a.k.a. Bank of America Home Loans) and Bank of America Corp. (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed on September 28, 2010). On May 1, 2015, Ambac Assurance filed motions for partial summary judgment, which defendants opposed. Defendants also each filed motions for summary judgment, which Ambac Assurance opposed. The court heard oral argument on July 15, 2015. On October 27, 2015, the court issued a decision granting in part and denying in part the parties’ respective summary judgment motions regarding Ambac Assurance’s claims against Countrywide, and issued a second decision granting Ambac Assurance’s partial motion for summary judgment and denying Bank of America’s motion for summary judgment regarding Ambac Assurance’s secondary-liability claims against Bank of America. Ambac Assurance has filed a notice of appeal from the former decision.
• | 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). On July 12, 2013 defendants filed a motion to dismiss Ambac’s initial complaint which alleged claims for material breach of contract and for the repurchase of loans that breach representations and warranties under the contracts. Ambac opposed the motion. The court held oral argument on November 13, 2013. On September 22, 2014, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint alleging claims for fraudulent inducement, material breach of contract and for the repurchase of loans that breach representations and warranties under the contracts, as well as damages. On October 31, 2014 defendants filed a motion to strike the amended complaint. Ambac Assurance opposed that motion and at the court’s recommendation also filed a cross motion for leave to amend the complaint on November 14, 2014, which the defendants opposed. Defendants also filed a motion to dismiss the fraudulent inducement claim, which Ambac Assurance opposed. All motions are fully briefed. The court heard oral argument on the defendants’ motion to dismiss the fraudulent inducement claim on April 14, 2015. On June 3, 2015, the court denied defendants’ July 2013 motion to dismiss Ambac’s claim for breaches of representations and warranties, but granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss Ambac’s claims for breach of the repurchase protocol and for alter ego liability against Nomura Holding.
• | The Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation and Ambac Assurance Corporation v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (Wisconsin Circuit Court for Dane County, filed on December 30, 2014) (the “Wisconsin Action”). Ambac Assurance alleges a claim for fraudulent inducement in connection with Ambac Assurance’s issuance of insurance policies relating to five residential mortgage-backed securitizations that are not the subject of Ambac Assurance’s previously filed lawsuit against the same defendant. Defendant filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on February 20, 2015, which Ambac Assurance opposed. The court heard oral argument on two of Countrywide’s grounds for dismissal on June 23, 2015, and indicated that it would dismiss the Wisconsin Action without prejudice for lack of personal jurisdiction. The court issued an order to that effect on July 2, 2015. Ambac Assurance is appealing the July 2, 2015 order, and on September 30, 2015, filed its opening appeal brief. Countrywide filed its opposition to that appeal on October 30, 2015. On June 30, 2015, plaintiffs filed a Summons with Notice in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, No. 652321/15 (the “2015 New York Action”), alleging claims identical to the Wisconsin Action. On July 21, 2015, plaintiffs filed a complaint in the 2015 New York Action and a motion to stay the 2015 New York Action pending appeal and litigation of the Wisconsin Action. On August 5, 2015, Countrywide filed its opposition to plaintiffs’ motion to stay and on August 10, 2015, Countrywide filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, which Ambac opposed. The motions are fully briefed and no decisions have been issued.
• | Ambac Assurance Corporation and the Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., Countrywide Securities Corp., Countrywide Financial Corp., and Bank of America Corp. (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed on December 30, 2014). Ambac Assurance alleges a claim for fraudulent inducement in connection with Ambac Assurance’s issuance of insurance policies relating to eight residential mortgage-backed securitizations that are not the subject of Ambac Assurance’s previously filed lawsuits against the same defendants, and asserts successor liability and alter ego claims against Bank of America. On February 20, 2015, the Countrywide defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, which Bank of America joined on February 23, 2015. Ambac Assurance opposed the motion. The motion is fully briefed and no decision has been issued.

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