Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

(9)           Commitments and Contingencies

(a)           Lease Commitments

The Company and its subsidiaries lease office space and office related equipment under noncancelable operating leases with various expiration dates from 2012 through 2019.

Future minimum lease payments under the operating leases for the six months ended December 31, 2012 and in each of the years subsequent to December 31, 2012 are as follows (in thousands):

	Amount
Six months ended December 31, 2012	$	3,961
Year ended December 31:
2013		7,031
2014		5,636
2015		4,458
2016		3,228
Thereafter		4,628
Total	$	28,942

Related rent expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 was $2.2 million and $3.7 million, respectively. Related rent expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 was $2.4 million and $4.7 million, respectively.

(b)           Employee Benefit Plans

The Company and its subsidiaries sponsor separate voluntary defined contribution pension plans under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The plans cover substantially all employees that meet specific age and length of service requirements. The Company and its subsidiaries have various matching and vesting arrangements within their individual plans. The Company did not record any compensation expense related to these plans for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.  For the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company recorded $133,000 and $231,000 in compensation expense related to these plans.

(c)           Letters of Credit

As of December 31, 2011 and June 30, 2012, the Company had $190,000 and $83,000 outstanding under letters of credit which are used to secure two of the Company’s leased office facilities.