Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

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 2013 through 2023.

Future minimum lease payments under the operating leases for the nine months ended December 31, 2013 and in each of the years subsequent to December 31, 2013 are as follows (in thousands):

	Amount
Nine months ended December 31, 2013	$	8,737
Year ended December 31:
2014		10,264
2015		8,869
2016		6,152
2017		4,286
Thereafter		6,819
Total	$	45,127

Related rent expense was $2.3 million and $3.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2013, respectively.

(b)               Employee Benefit Plans

The Company and certain of its subsidiaries each sponsor separate voluntary defined contribution pension plans. The plans cover employees that meet specific age and length of service requirements. The Company and certain of its subsidiaries have various matching and vesting arrangements within their individual plans. For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2013, the Company recorded $98,000 and $139,000 in compensation expense related to these plans, respectively.