Commitments And Contingent Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments And Contingent Liabilities

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

In the ordinary course of business with customers, vendors and others, we issue standby letters of credit, performance bonds, surety bonds and other guarantees. The majority of these financial instruments represent guarantees of our future performance. Additionally, we were the named guarantor on certain letters of credit and performance bonds issued by our former subsidiary, John Bean Technologies Corporation (“JBT”). Pursuant to the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated July 31, 2008, between FMC Technologies and JBT (the “JBT Separation and Distribution Agreement”), we are fully indemnified by JBT with respect to certain residual obligations. Management does not expect any of these financial instruments to result in losses that, if incurred, would have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Contingent liabilities associated with legal matters—We are involved in various pending or potential legal actions in the ordinary course of our business. Management is unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these actions, because of the inherent uncertainty of litigation. However, management believes that the most probable, ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In addition, under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated May 31, 2001, between FMC Corporation and FMC Technologies, FMC Corporation is required to indemnify us for certain claims made prior to our spin-off from FMC Corporation, as well as for other claims related to discontinued operations. Under the JBT Separation and Distribution Agreement, JBT is required to indemnify us for certain claims made prior to the spin-off of our Airport and FoodTech businesses, as well as for certain other claims related to JBT products or business operations. We expect that FMC Corporation will bear responsibility for a majority of these claims initiated subsequent to the spin-off, and that JBT will bear most, if not substantially all, of any responsibility for certain other claims initiated subsequent to the spin-off.

Contingent liabilities associated with liquidated damages—Some of our contracts contain penalty provisions that require us to pay liquidated damages if we are responsible for the failure to meet specified contractual milestone dates and the applicable customer asserts a conforming claim under these provisions. These contracts define the conditions under which our customers may make claims against us for liquidated damages. Based upon the evaluation of our performance and other legal analysis, management believes we have appropriately accrued for probable liquidated damages at March 31, 2013, and December 31, 2012, and that the ultimate resolution of such matters will not materially affect our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows for the year ending December 31, 2013.