COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Indemnification Arrangements

Consistent with standard business practices in the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts that contain indemnities for affiliates of the Company, persons acting on behalf of the Company or such affiliates and third parties. The terms of the indemnities vary from contract to contract and the Company’s maximum exposure under these arrangements cannot be determined and has not been recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. As of December 31, 2016, the Company has not had prior claims or losses pursuant to these contracts and expects the risk of loss to be remote.

Commitments

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company had aggregate unfunded commitments of $535.3 million and $436.4 million, respectively, including commitments to both non-consolidated funds and Consolidated funds.

As of December 31, 2016, Company had $34.5 million in unfunded commitments to invest in certain funds managed by Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P.

In connection with the acquisition of EIF, contingent consideration is payable to EIF’s former membership interest holders if certain funds and co-investment vehicles meet certain revenue and fee paying commitment targets during their commitment periods. The fair value of the liability for contingent consideration as of the acquisition date was $59.2 million and is subject to change until the liability is settled with the related impact recorded to the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations within other income (expense), net. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company reduced its contingent consideration liability, resulting in gains of $17.8 million and $21.1 million, respectively, that were recorded within other income, net within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration liability was $20.3 million and $38.1 million, respectively, as a result of subsequent remeasurement of future fee payments.

ARCC and American Capital, Ltd. Merger Agreement

On January 3, 2017, ARCC and American Capital, Ltd. (“ACAS”) completed a definitive merger agreement valued at approximately $4.2 billion (the "ARCC-ACAS Transaction"). To support the ARCC-ACAS Transaction, the Company, through its subsidiary Ares Capital Management LLC, which serves as the investment adviser to ARCC, provided approximately $275 million of cash consideration, or $1.20 per share of ACAS common stock, payable to ACAS shareholders in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the merger agreement at the closing of the ARCC-ACAS Transaction. In addition, the Company agreed to waive up to $10 million per quarter of ARCC's Part I fees for ten calendar quarters, beginning in the second quarter of 2017.

Operating Leases

The Company's operating lease agreements are generally subject to escalation provisions on base rental payments, as well as certain costs incurred by the property owner and are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease agreement. Rent expense includes base contractual rent. Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $26.4 million, $18.5 million and $17.9 million, respectively, and is recorded within general, administrative and other expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The leases expire in various years ranging from 2017 to 2027.

The future minimum commitments for the Company's operating leases are as follows:



2017	$	23,940
2018	25,615
2019	25,351
2020	21,333
2021	17,018
Thereafter	69,564
Total	$	182,821

Guarantees

The Company guaranteed loans provided to certain professionals to support the professionals investments in affiliated co-investment entities, permitting these professionals to invest alongside the Company and its investors in the funds managed by the Company. The total committed and outstanding loan balances were not material as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.

On July 30, 2014, AM LLC agreed to provide credit support to a $75.0 million credit facility, (the “Guaranteed Facility”) entered into by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (“ACRE”) with a national banking association. The Guaranteed Facility was extended through September 30, 2016, at which time the credit facility was repaid and the Guaranteed Facility expired.

Performance Fees

Generally, if at the termination of a fund (and increasingly at interim points in the life of a fund), the fund has not achieved investment returns that (in most cases) exceed the preferred return threshold or (in all cases) the general partner receives net profits over the life of the fund in excess of its allocable share under the applicable partnership agreement, the Company will be obligated to repay carried interest that was received by the Company in excess of the amounts to which the Company is entitled. This contingent obligation is normally reduced by income taxes paid by the Company related to its carried interest.

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, if the Company assumed all existing investments were worthless, the amount of performance fees subject to potential repayment, net of tax, which may differ from the recognition of revenue, would have been approximately $418.3 million and $322.2 million, respectively, of which approximately $323.9 million and $247.9 million, respectively, is reimbursable to the Company by certain professionals. Management believes the possibility of all of the investments becoming worthless is remote. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, if the funds were liquidated at their fair values, there would be no repayment obligation, and accordingly, the Company did not record a contingent repayment liability as of either date.

Litigation

From time to time, the Company is named as a defendant in legal actions relating to transactions conducted in the ordinary course of business. Although there can be no assurance of the outcome of such legal actions, in the opinion of management, the Company does not have a potential liability related to any current legal proceeding or claim that would individually or in the aggregate materially affect its results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.