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Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2015
Loss Contingency [Abstract] |
Contingencies | Contingencies Legal Proceedings We are involved in various investigations, lawsuits, claims, demands, environmental compliance programs and other legal proceedings arising out of or incidental to the conduct of our business. While it is not possible to determine the ultimate disposition of each of these matters, we do not believe that their ultimate disposition will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Pending Litigation Against GrafTech and Brookfield A number of putative class action complaints have been filed relating to the Merger. The lawsuits, which contain substantially similar allegations, include allegations that the transactions do not appropriately value the Company, were the result of an inadequate process, include preclusive deal protection devices, involved conflicts of interests and further allege that the public disclosures made by the Company in connection with such transactions were materially misleading. GrafTech, Brookfield and Brookfield's affiliates are alleged to have aided and abetted the alleged fiduciary breaches. The lawsuits seek a variety of equitable relief, including rescission of the Merger, in addition to damages arising from the defendants’ alleged breaches and attorneys’ fees and costs. The defendants believe that the allegations are without merit and intend to vigorously defend the lawsuits. The lawsuits include:
• | a lawsuit captioned David Widlewski v. Randy Carson, Thomas A. Danjczek, Karen Finerman, Joel L. Hawthorne, David R. Jardini, Nathan Milikowsky, M. Catherine Morris, BCP IV GrafTech Holdings LP, and Athena Acquisition Subsidiary Inc. (Civil Action No. 11086-VCL) filed on June 2, 2015, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware;
• | a lawsuit captioned Walter Watson. v. GrafTech International Ltd., Randy Carson, Thomas A. Danjczek, Karen Finerman, Joel L. Hawthorne, David R. Jardini, Nathan Milikowsky, M. Catherine Morris, Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., Brookfield Capital Partners Ltd., Brookfield Capital Partners IV L.P., BCP IV GrafTech Holdings LP, and Athena Acquisition Subsidiary Inc. (Civil Action No. 11096-VCL) filed on June 4, 2015, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware;
• | a lawsuit captioned CyHyoung Park v. GrafTech International Ltd., Randy Carson, Thomas A. Danjczek, Karen Finerman, Joel L. Hawthorne, David R. Jardini, Nathan Milikowsky, M. Catherine Morris, BCP IV GrafTech Holdings LP, and Athena Acquisition Subsidiary Inc. (Civil Action No. 11125-VCL) filed on June 9, 2015, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware;
• | a lawsuit captioned Charles Daeda v. GrafTech International Ltd., Randy Carson, Thomas A. Danjczek, Karen Finerman, Joel L. Hawthorne, David R. Jardini, Nathan Milikowsky, M. Catherine Morris, Brookfield Asset Management Inc., BCP IV GrafTech Holdings LP, and Athena Acquisition Subsidiary Inc. (Civil Action No. 11145-VCL) filed on June 15, 2015, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware;
• | a lawsuit captioned Abraham Grinberger, v. GrafTech International Ltd., Randy Carson, Thomas A. Danjczek, Karen L. Finerman, Joel L. Hawthorne, David R. Jardini, Nathan Milikowsky, M. Catherine Morris, Brookfield Asset Management Inc., Brookfield Capital Partners Ltd., BCP IV GrafTech Holdings LP, Athena Acquisition Subsidiary Inc. (Civil Action No. 11148-VCL) filed on June 15, 2015, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware;
• | and a lawsuit captioned Bruce Wells v. GrafTech International Ltd., Randy Carson, Thomas A. Danjczek, Karen Finerman, Joel L. Hawthorne, David R. Jardini, Nathan Milikowsky, M. Catherine Morris, BCP IV GrafTech Holdings LP, Athena Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., and Brookfield Capital Partners Ltd. (Civil Action No. 11166-VCL) filed on June 17, 2015, in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware.
Two lawsuits filed in Ohio, a lawsuit captioned Travis J. Kelleher, etc. v. GrafTech International Ltd., et. al. (Case No. CV-15-846032) filed on May 22, 2015, in the Court of Common Pleas in the State of Ohio and a lawsuit captioned Mark O’Neill and Adoracion Guerrero, et. al. v. Joel L. Hawthorne, et. al. (Case No. CV-15-847670) filed on June 29, 2015, in the Court of Common Pleas in the State of Ohio, were dismissed without prejudice by the Court of Common Pleas on September 24, 2015. On October 8, 2014, the General Superintendent of the Administrative Council of Economic Defense ("CADE") in Brazil announced that the agency would be continuing an investigation of anticompetitive activity allegedly affecting the Brazilian market from 1992 to 1998. The investigation was originally commenced in 2002 and was essentially dormant for many years. There were no penalties assessed or asserted against GrafTech. The investigation purportedly related to violations of antitrust laws that were previously investigated in 1997 - 2002 by the U.S. Department of Justice, the European Commission, and other countries in connection with the sale of graphite electrodes. Those antitrust investigations and related lawsuits and claims have long been resolved. Several of the investigations and related lawsuits and claims resulted in fines and settlements, all of which were timely paid many years ago. GrafTech has cooperated in all of these legacy investigations, including having timely responded to requests for information from the Brazilian agency several years ago. On October 14, 2015, CADE's Commissioners unanimously decided to terminate the investigation. Product Warranties We generally sell products with a limited warranty. We accrue for known warranty claims if a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. We also accrue for estimated warranty claims incurred based on a historical claims charge analysis. Claims accrued but not yet paid and the related activity within the accrual for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, are presented below:
| (Dollars in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2014 | $ | 923 |
Product warranty adjustments | 892 |
Payments and settlements | (483 | )
Balance as of September 30, 2015 | $ | 1,332 |

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