Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

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 2016 through 2023.

Future minimum lease payments under the operating leases for the nine months ended December 31, 2016 and each of the years subsequent to December 31, 2016 are as follows (in thousands):

	Amount
Nine months ended December 31, 2016	$	11,780
Years ended December 31:
2017		14,162
2018		11,771
2019		8,185
2020		5,134
Thereafter		3,874
Total	$	54,906

Related rent expense was $4.2 million and $5.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2016, 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, 2015 and 2016, the Company recorded $370,000 and $238,000, respectively, in compensation expense related to these plans.