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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

The Company prepared the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q. The condensed consolidated financial statements, including these notes, are unaudited and exclude some of the disclosures required in annual financial statements. Management believes it has made all necessary adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring items) so that the condensed consolidated financial statements are presented fairly and that estimates made in preparing its condensed consolidated financial statements are reasonable and prudent. The operating results presented for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the entire year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Intercompany transactions have been eliminated for all periods presented.

For a comprehensive disclosure of the Company’s significant accounting policies, see Note 2. “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in “Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

During the second quarter of 2019, a misstatement was identified in the presentation of changes in the Company’s ownership interest in PJT Partners Holdings LP, which resulted in a reclassification from Non-Controlling Interests to Additional Paid-In Capital. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, the Company evaluated the materiality of the misstatement from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, and concluded that it was immaterial to the prior periods. Consequently, the Company revised the historical consolidated financial information presented herein. The immaterial correction resulted in reclassifications between Additional Paid-In Capital and Non-Controlling Interests. The adjustment decreased Additional Paid-In Capital by $6.8 million, with a corresponding increase to Non-Controlling Interests as of December 31, 2017. The adjustments as of March 31, 2018, June 30, 2018, September 30, 2018, December 31, 2018 and March 31, 2019 increased Additional Paid-In Capital by $76.8 million, $37.7 million, $32.8 million, $60.0 million and $169.2 million, respectively, with corresponding decreases to Non-Controlling Interests. This immaterial correction had no impact on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Statements of Cash Flows.

Recent Accounting Developments

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance regarding leases. The guidance requires lessees to recognize, on the balance sheet, assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by leases. The lease-related assets will be amortized to expense over the life of the leases and the liability, and related interest expense, will be reduced as lease payments are made over the life of the lease. Entities are also required to provide enhanced disclosure about leasing arrangements. The amendments retain lease classifications, distinguishing finance leases from operating leases, using criteria that are substantially similar for distinguishing capital leases from operating leases in previous guidance.

The Company adopted the new guidance as of January 1, 2019 using the transition method that allows such guidance to be applied initially at the adoption date without restating comparative periods. The Company elected the transition package of practical expedients to alleviate certain operational complexities related to the adoption.

The impact of adoption of the lease guidance as of January 1, 2019 was as follows:

	December 31, 2018		Adjustments			January 1, 2019
Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets	$	—	$	129,479		$	129,479
Other Assets		26,935		(866	)		26,069
Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities		24,657		(1,190	)		23,467
Operating Lease Liabilities		—		146,220			146,220
Deferred Rent Liability		16,417		(16,417	)		—

In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance regarding the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. The new guidance replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance that allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with an option to apply it in the period of adoption or on a retrospective basis for each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate is recognized. Early adoption of the new guidance is permitted for reporting periods for which financial statements have not yet been issued. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2019 with no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued updated guidance on the accounting for implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement. The updated guidance requires the capitalization of the implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement to be aligned with the requirements for capitalizing costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The updated guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Upon adoption, the Company may elect to apply the new guidance on either a prospective or retrospective basis. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued updated guidance that modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. The updated guidance removes and modifies various disclosures under current guidance and includes additional requirements. The updated guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Leases

The Company adopted the new lease accounting guidance as of January 1, 2019, which is further discussed in Note 2. “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies—Recent Accounting Developments.” The Company determines if an arrangement is, or contains, a lease at inception.

The Company leases office space under non-cancelable lease agreements, which expire at various dates through 2030. The lease arrangements for office space typically contain payments to the lessor for common area maintenance charges and reimbursement for certain other costs that are not fixed. The Company accounts for these costs as variable lease costs and does not include them in the lease component. Such amounts recorded during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 are included in the table below. The Company has also entered into arrangements to sublease a portion of its office space, which expire at various dates through 2025.

The Company leases certain office equipment pursuant to finance leases, which expire at various dates through 2022. The Company does not elect the practical expedient to include the non-lease component with the lease component as a single lease component.

Right-of-Use Assets (“ROU assets”) represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. The Company’s lease agreements generally do not provide an implicit rate, so the Company estimates the incremental borrowing rate considering the collateral, term and the economic environment of the lease arrangement with reference to the Company’s term loan. Certain leases may include options to extend or terminate; however, the Company only reflects such renewal or termination option in the lease term when it is reasonably certain to exercise the option.

The Company records ROU assets and lease liabilities for operating leases in Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets and Operating Lease Liabilities, respectively, on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. The Company records ROU assets and lease liabilities for finance leases in Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net and Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities, respectively, on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

The Company does not record ROU assets or lease liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less. Lease expense for such leases is recognized on a straight-line basis.