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Organization and Basis of Presentation
12 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Organization and Basis of Presentation
Organization and Basis of Presentation
Organization
Jefferies Group LLC and its subsidiaries operate as a global full service, integrated securities and investment banking firm. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements represent the accounts of Jefferies Group LLC and all our subsidiaries (together “we” or “us”). The subsidiaries of Jefferies Group LLC include Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”), Jefferies Execution Services, Inc. (“Jefferies Execution”), Jefferies International Limited, Jefferies Hong Kong Limited, Jefferies Financial Services, Inc., Jefferies Funding LLC, Jefferies Derivative Products, LLC, Jefferies Financial Products, LLC and Jefferies Leveraged Credit Products, LLC and all other entities in which we have a controlling financial interest or are the primary beneficiary. On September 1, 2014, Jefferies Bache, LLC merged with and into Jefferies (a U.S. broker-dealer), with Jefferies as the surviving entity. On April 9, 2015, we entered into an agreement to transfer certain of the client activities of our Jefferies Bache business to Société Générale S.A. and initiated a plan to substantially exit the remaining aspects of our futures business. At November 30, 2015, we have transferred all of our client accounts to Société Générale S.A. and other brokers. We substantially completed the exit of the Bache business during fiscal 2015. For further information on the exit of the Bache business, refer to Note 24, Exit Costs.
On March 1, 2013, Jefferies Group LLC, through a series of transactions, became an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Leucadia National Corporation (“Leucadia”) (referred to herein as the “Leucadia Transaction”). Each outstanding share of Jefferies Group LLC was converted into 0.81 of a share of Leucadia common stock (the “Exchange Ratio”). Leucadia did not assume nor guarantee any of our outstanding debt securities. Our 3.875% Convertible Senior Debentures due 2029 are convertible into Leucadia common shares (see Note 13, Long-Term Debt, for further details). Jefferies Group LLC operates as a full-service investment banking firm and as the holding company of its various regulated and unregulated operating subsidiaries, retains a credit rating separate from Leucadia and is a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reporting company, filing annual, quarterly and periodic financial reports. Richard Handler, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, is the Chief Executive Officer of Leucadia, as well as a Director of Leucadia. Brian P. Friedman, our Chairman of the Executive Committee, is Leucadia’s President and a Director of Leucadia.
We operate in two business segments, Capital Markets and Asset Management. Capital Markets, which represents substantially our entire business, includes our securities, commodities, futures and foreign exchange trading and investment banking activities, which provides the research, sales, trading, origination and advisory effort for various equity, fixed income and advisory products and services. Asset Management provides investment management services to various private investment funds and separate accounts.
On April 1, 2013, we merged Jefferies High Yield Trading, LLC (our high yield trading broker-dealer) with Jefferies and our high yield activities are now conducted by Jefferies. In addition, during the three months ended May 31, 2013, we redeemed the third party interests in our high yield joint venture.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for financial information.
As more fully described in Note 4, Leucadia and Related Transactions, the Leucadia Transaction is accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting, which requires that the assets, including identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities of Jefferies Group LLC be recorded at their fair values. The application of the acquisition method of accounting has been pushed down and reflected in the financial statements of Jefferies Group LLC as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leucadia. The application of push down accounting represents the termination of the prior reporting entity and the creation of a new reporting entity, which do not have the same bases of accounting. As a result, our consolidated financial statements are presented for periods subsequent to March 1, 2013 for the new reporting entity (the “Successor”), and before March 1, 2013 for the prior reporting entity (the “Predecessor.”) The Predecessor and Successor periods are separated by a vertical line to highlight the fact that the financial information for such periods has been prepared under two different cost bases of accounting.
We have made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. The most important of these estimates and assumptions relate to fair value measurements, compensation and benefits, goodwill and intangible assets, the ability to realize deferred tax assets and the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions. Although these and other estimates and assumptions are based on the best available information, actual results could be materially different from these estimates.
Cash Flow Statement Presentation
Amounts relating to loans and investments in related parties are classified as components of investing activities on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows to conform to the presentation of our Parent company in connection with the establishment of a new accounting entity through the application of push down accounting. These amounts are classified by the Predecessor entity as operating activities for reporting periods prior to the Leucadia Transaction.
Consolidation
Our policy is to consolidate all entities in which we control by ownership a majority of the outstanding voting stock. In addition, we consolidate entities which meet the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which we are the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the party who has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and who has an obligation to absorb losses of the entity or a right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. For consolidated entities that are less than wholly owned, the third-party’s holding of equity interest is presented as Noncontrolling interests in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity. The portion of net earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interests are presented as Net earnings to noncontrolling interests in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.
In situations where we have significant influence, but not control, of an entity that does not qualify as a variable interest entity, we apply either the equity method of accounting or fair value accounting pursuant to the fair value option election under U.S. GAAP, with our portion of net earnings or gains and losses recorded within Other revenues or Principal transaction revenues, respectively. We also have formed nonconsolidated investment vehicles with third-party investors that are typically organized as partnerships or limited liability companies and are carried at fair value. We act as general partner or managing member for these investment vehicles and have generally provided the third-party investors with termination or “kick-out” rights.
Intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.