2. Significant Accounting Policies

Special Items—We recognize expenses resulting directly from our business combinations, employee termination benefits, certain research and development (“R&D”) agreements, certain contract terminations, consulting and professional fees and asset impairment or loss on disposal charges connected with global restructuring, quality and operational excellence initiatives, and other items as “Special items” in our condensed consolidated statement of earnings. “Special items” included (in millions):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2016		2015
Biomet-related
Consulting and professional fees	$	36.1	$	24.2
Employee termination benefits		4.1		0.4
Dedicated project personnel		21.7		1.0
Relocated facilities		7.1		—
Contract terminations		10.1		—
Information technology integration		1.4		—
Other		4.0		0.2
Other
Consulting and professional fees		6.9		39.7
Employee termination benefits		—		0.1
Dedicated project personnel		1.8		12.4
Impairment/loss on disposal of assets		—		2.3
Relocated facilities		0.2		0.5
Information technology integration		0.1		—
Contingent consideration adjustments		—		2.3
Accelerated software amortization		—		1.5
Other		0.6		2.2

Special items	$	94.1	$	86.8

After the Closing Date of the Biomet merger, we started to implement our integration plans to drive operational synergies. Part of these integration plans included termination of employees and certain contracts. Expenses attributable to the initial phase of these integration plans that were recognized in the three month period ended March 31, 2016 as part of “Special items” related to employee termination benefits and contract termination expense associated with agreements with independent agents, distributors, suppliers and lessors. Our integration plans are expected to last through 2018 and we expect to incur a total of $170 million for employee termination benefits and $130 million for contract termination expense in that time period. As of March 31, 2016, we have incurred a cumulative total of $105.1 million for employee termination benefits and $105.1 million for contract termination expense. The following table summarizes the liabilities related to these integration plans (in millions):


	Employee Termination Benefits			Contract Terminations			Total
Balance at December 31, 2015	$	46.8		$	56.0		$	102.8
Additions		4.1			10.1			14.2
Cash payments		(19.2	)		(26.1	)		(45.3	)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes		0.2			0.1			0.3

Balance at March 31, 2016	$	31.9		$	40.1		$	72.0

Recent Accounting Pronouncements—In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU provides a five-step model for revenue recognition that all industries will apply to recognize revenue when a customer obtains control of a good or service. The ASU will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2018. We are in the initial phases of our adoption plans and, accordingly, we are unable to estimate any effect this may have on our revenue recognition practices.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03—Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. This ASU requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. This ASU does not affect the measurement and recognition of debt issuance costs in our statement of earnings. We adopted ASU 2015-03 during the first quarter of 2016 on a retrospective basis. Accordingly, we reclassified the debt issuance costs on our December 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet, which decreased long-term debt by $58.9 million, other current assets by $9.2 million and other assets by $49.7 million.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02—Leases. This ASU requires lessees to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. This ASU will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The ASU must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the consolidated financial statements. We own most of our manufacturing facilities, but lease various office space throughout the world. We are currently evaluating the impact this ASU will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09—Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This ASU simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payments, including the accounting for employer tax withholding on share-based compensation, forfeitures and the financial statement presentation of excess tax benefits and deficiencies. The ASU also clarifies the statement of cash flows presentation for certain components of share-based awards. The ASU will be effective for us beginning January 1, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on our consolidated financial statements.

There are no other recently issued accounting pronouncements that we have not yet adopted that are expected to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.