Retirement Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2010

Retirement Plans [Abstract]

Retirement Plans

(8) Retirement Plans

We maintain contributory defined benefit pension plans in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Holland to provide retirement benefits to eligible employees. With the second quarter King Sturge acquisition we acquired another defined benefit plan in the United Kingdom. It is our policy to fund the minimum annual contributions required by applicable regulations. We use a December 31st measurement date for our plans.

Net periodic pension cost consisted of the following for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 ($ in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2011			Three Months Ended September 30, 2010			Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011			Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010
Employer service cost - benefits earned during the period	$	1,302			699			2,947			1,972
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		4,700			2,611			10,256			7,582
Expected return on plan assets		(5,952	)		(3,027	)		(12,709	)		(8,728	)
Net amortization/deferrals		317			340			953			992
Recognized actual losses		56			55			168			169
Net periodic pension cost	$	423			678			1,615			1,987

The expected return on plan assets, included in net periodic pension cost, is based on forecasted long-term rates of return on plan assets of each individual plan; across our plans, expected returns range from 3.30% to 7.00%.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, we have made $16.3 million in payments to our defined benefit pension plans, including $11.1 million contributed to the defined benefit plan that was acquired with the King Sturge acquisition. We expect to contribute $3.3 million to our defined benefit pension plans in the fourth quarter of 2011. We made $7.0 million of contributions to these plans in the twelve months ended December 31, 2010.