Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

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 2015 through 2023.

Future minimum lease payments under the operating leases for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and in each of the years subsequent to December 31, 2015 are as follows (in thousands):

	Amount
Nine months ended December 31, 2015	$	9,835
Year ended December 31:
2016		11,335
2017		9,747
2018		7,977
2019		5,423
Thereafter		5,043
Total	$	49,360

Related rent expense was $3.5 million and $4.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, 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, 2014 and 2015, the Company recorded $228,000 and $370,000, respectively, in compensation expense related to these plans.