12. Commitments and Contingencies

Lease Commitments

The Company leases office space under non-cancelable lease agreements expiring at various dates through 2033. Office space leases are subject to escalation based on certain costs incurred by the landlord. Minimum rental commitments as of December 31, 2016 under such operating leases were as follows (in thousands):


2017	$	4,438
2018		4,296
2019		9,205
2020		10,492
2021		10,079
2022 and thereafter		107,815
	$	146,325

Rental expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $4.0 million, $4.1 million and $3.8 million, respectively, and is included in occupancy expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Rental expense has been recorded based on the total minimum lease payments after giving effect to rent abatement and concessions, which are being amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease. The Company is contingently obligated for standby letters of credit amounting to $0.9 million that were issued to landlords for office space.

During 2016, the Company entered into non-cancelable lease agreements for approximately 108,000 square feet of office space with commencement dates on or after December 1, 2016 that expire through December 31, 2033. The aggregate minimum rental commitment under such leases is $127.4 million.

The Company has assigned a lease agreement on a leased property to a third party and is contingently liable should the assignee default on future lease obligations through the November 2020 lease termination date. The aggregate amount of the future lease obligation under this arrangement is $1.0 million as of December 31, 2016.

Legal

In the normal course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries included in the consolidated financial statements may be involved in various lawsuits, proceedings and regulatory examinations. The Company assesses its liabilities and contingencies in connection with outstanding legal proceedings, if any, utilizing the latest information available. For matters where it is probable that the Company will incur a material loss and the amount can be reasonably estimated, the Company would establish an accrual for the loss. Once established, the accrual would be adjusted to reflect any relevant developments. When a loss contingency is not both probable and estimable, the Company does not establish an accrual.

Based on currently available information, the outcome of the Company’s outstanding matters is not expected to have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position. It is not presently possible to determine the ultimate exposure to these matters and there is no assurance that the resolution of the outstanding matters will not significantly exceed any reserves accrued by the Company.

Other

The Company, through two regulated subsidiaries, executes certain bond transactions between and among institutional investor and broker-dealer clients on a matched principal basis by serving as counterparty to both the buyer and the seller in trades which settle through third-party clearing brokers. Settlement typically occurs within one to three trading days after the trade date. Cash settlement of the transaction occurs upon receipt or delivery of the underlying instrument that was traded. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, revenues from matched principal trading were approximately $37.7 million, $16.9 million and $7.4 million, respectively. Under securities clearing agreements with third party clearing brokers, the Company maintains collateral deposits with each clearing broker in the form of cash. As of December 31, 2016, the amount of the collateral deposits included in prepaid expenses and other assets in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition was $1.1 million. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, clearing expenses associated with matched principal transactions were $6.1 million, $3.3 million and $1.3 million, respectively, and are classified under general and administrative expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event a counterparty does not fulfill its obligation to complete a transaction or if there is a miscommunication or other error in executing a matched principal transaction. Pursuant to the terms of the securities clearing agreements, each clearing broker has the right to charge the Company for any losses they suffer resulting from a counterparty’s failure on any of the Company’s trades. The Company did not record any liabilities or losses with regard to this right for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations, warranties and general indemnifications. The Company’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Company that have not yet occurred. However, based on experience, the Company expects the risk of loss to be remote.