Investments in Hallwood Energy, L.P.	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Investments in Hallwood Energy, L.P. [Abstract]
Investments in Hallwood Energy, L.P	Note 5—Investments in Hallwood Energy, L.P. Hallwood Energy was a privately held independent oil and gas limited partnership and operated as an upstream energy company engaged in the acquisition, development, exploration, production, and sale of hydrocarbons, with a primary focus on natural gas assets. The Company had invested $75,401,000 in Hallwood Energy comprised of a general partnership interest, Class A and Class C limited partnership interests and convertible notes. Prior to the confirmation of Hallwood Energy’s plan of reorganization in Bankruptcy Court in October 2009 (discussed below), the Company accounted for the investment in Hallwood Energy using the equity method of accounting. In connection with Hallwood Energy’s bankruptcy reorganization, the Company’s general and limited partnership interests in Hallwood Energy were extinguished and the Company no longer accounts for the investment in Hallwood Energy using the equity method of accounting. Bankruptcy Reorganization by Hallwood Energy. In March 2009, Hallwood Energy, Hallwood Energy Management, LLC (the general partner of Hallwood Energy, “HEM”) and Hallwood Energy’s subsidiaries, filed petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The cases were adjudicated in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, in In re Hallwood Energy, L.P., et al Case No. 09-31253. The Company was only an investor in and creditor of Hallwood Energy. The bankruptcy filing did not include the Company or any other of its assets. In October 2009, the Bankruptcy Court confirmed a plan of reorganization of the debtors that, among other things, extinguished Hallwood Energy’s general partnership and limited partnership interests, including those held by the Company. In addition, Hallwood Energy’s convertible notes, including those held by the Company, were subordinated to recovery in favor of Hall Phoenix/Inwood, Ltd. (“HPI”), the secured lender to and an investor in Hallwood Energy. Litigation. In connection with Hallwood Energy’s bankruptcy proceeding, Hallwood Energy and other parties filed lawsuits and had threatened to assert additional claims against the Company and certain related parties alleging actual, compensatory and exemplary damages in excess of $200,000,000, based on purported breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, neglect, negligence and various misleading statements, omissions and misrepresentations. See Note 13. In one of these matters, the Adversary Proceeding, on July 25, 2011, the Bankruptcy Court issued the Proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Judgment Awarding Various Monetary Damages (the “Proposed Findings”) proposing that damages be awarded against the Company totaling approximately $18,700,000 plus prejudgment and postjudgment interest and plaintiff’s attorney’s fees as may be requested and awarded pursuant to a subsequent motion. As a result of the Proposed Findings and taking into consideration the Company’s objections to the Proposed Findings, during 2011 the Company recorded a charge of $7,500,000 in its statement of operations and its balance sheet as an accrual under Hallwood Energy matters – Litigation Reserve in the Adversary Proceeding, in addition to $3,201,000 that was previously recorded in connection with the Equity Support Agreement discussed below for a total reserve of $10,701,000 at December 31, 2011 for the Adversary Proceeding. On April 24, 2012, the United States District Court entered a final judgment (the “Judgment”) substantially adopting the Proposed Findings. Based upon the monetary damages (including prejudgment and postjudgment interest, legal fees and court costs) awarded in the Judgment, the Company, in consultation with the Company’s litigation counsel, recorded an additional charge of $13,200,000 at March 31, 2012 in its statement of operations and balance sheet as an accrual under Hallwood Energy matters – Litigation Reserve. Accordingly, the total reserve at March 31, 2012 for the Adversary Proceeding was $23,901,000. The Company satisfied the Judgment, including prejudgment and postjudgment interest, in two payments; $3,774,000 on May 4, 2012 and $17,947,000 on May 9, 2012. In addition, the Company will be required to pay certain court costs and attorneys’ fees incurred by the plaintiffs. At September 30, 2012, the litigation reserve for the Hallwood Energy matters is $2,079,000. The parties settled the amount of court costs for approximately $101,000, which was paid in August 2012. While the Company will be required to pay some additional amount of money to the plaintiffs as compensation for their attorney fees related to the breach of contract claim they prosecuted against the Company, the amount and timing of that payment are currently unresolved and will be determined by the court. The plaintiffs have alleged that they are entitled to approximately $4,000,000 for attorney fees while the Company contends that they should only recover a small fraction of that amount. In addition, the Company is in the process of appealing to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals the portions of the Judgment awarding a combined $17,947,000 on the plaintiffs’ tort claims. On September 13, 2012, the Company filed its appellate brief in the Fifth Circuit. On November 15, 2012, FEI Shale, L.P. (“FEI”), the only appellee, will file its response, and the Company will then file a reply brief, completing the briefing process. It is difficult to determine or even approximate when the Fifth Circuit will rule on the Company’s appeal, but it will likely be several months, if not longer. In the Hallwood Energy litigation matters, other than the Adversary Proceeding, effective February 14, 2012, the Company and certain other parties entered into a Confidential Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release of Claims (the “Settlement Agreement”). The Settlement Agreement effectively settled the claims by HPI, the Trustee of the Hallwood Energy I Creditors’ Trust, and their related parties (the “Plaintiffs”) against the Company and its related parties, other than the claims in the Adversary Proceeding, in which the District Court rendered the Judgment. The terms of the Settlement Agreement included the payment by the Company of $1,800,000, in addition to payments by other defendants and the Company’s insurance carrier for its directors and officers’ liability insurance policy. Under the Settlement Agreement, the Plaintiffs released the Company, its current and former directors and officers, the former directors and officers of the general partner of Hallwood Energy and various entities related to the foregoing persons from all claims asserted in or related to (i) Hall Phoenix/Inwood Ltd. and Hall Performance Energy Partners 4, Ltd. v. The Hallwood Group Incorporated et al. in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, Adversary No. 10-03358; (ii) Ray Balestri, Trustee of the Hallwood Energy I Creditor’s Trust v. Anthony J. Gumbiner, et al. in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, Adversary No. 10-03263; and (iii) another suit in which the Company is not named as a party, and any other claims based on the facts alleged in the foregoing matters or that could have been alleged in the foregoing matters, other than the claims against the Company asserted in the Adversary Proceeding or any claims required to enforce any final judgment entered against the Company in the Adversary Proceeding. Similarly, the defendants released the Plaintiffs from all claims based on the facts alleged in the foregoing matters or that could have been alleged in the foregoing matters, other than any claims or defenses the defendants had in the Adversary Proceeding. The parties entered into the Settlement Agreement for a number of reasons, including to save time and expense, to ensure available insurance proceeds could be used toward the settlement of the disputed claims rather than the payment of expenses and legal fees, and otherwise to resolve the litigation claims. The defendants continue to believe that the claims asserted against them in the lawsuits had no merit and their agreement to settle and compromise those claims should not be deemed as an admission of any liability, wrongdoing, or fault. At December 31, 2011, the Company recorded a charge of $1,800,000 in its statement of operations and balance sheet under Hallwood Energy matters – Litigation Reserve for the full value of the Company’s payment required by the Settlement Agreement. The Company paid the settlement amount of $1,800,000 to the Plaintiffs on February 15, 2012. Equity Support Agreement. In connection with the then ongoing efforts to complete an Acquisition and Farmout Agreement entered into between Hallwood Energy and FEI, the Company loaned Hallwood Energy $2,961,000 in May 2008. Concurrent with the completion of the Acquisition and Farmout Agreement in June 2008, the Company entered into an equity support agreement (the “Equity Support Agreement”) with Hallwood Energy under which the Company committed, under certain conditions, to contribute equity or debt capital to Hallwood Energy to maintain a reasonable liquidity position for Hallwood Energy or prevent or cure any default under Hallwood Energy’s credit facilities with respect to interest payments, up to a maximum of $12,500,000. The Company contributed $2,039,000 at the completion date (for a total amount of $5,000,000) to Hallwood Energy and committed to provide an additional amount of up to $7,500,000 in certain circumstances, under the terms of a $12,500,000 convertible subordinated note agreement (the “Second Convertible Note”) issued by Hallwood Energy in May 2008 and underwritten by the Company. In September 2008, the Company loaned $4,300,000 to Hallwood Energy pursuant to the Equity Support Agreement. An obligation and related additional equity loss were recorded in 2008 to the extent of the Company’s contingent commitment to provide additional financial support to Hallwood Energy pursuant to the Equity Support Agreement, in the amount of $3,201,000. The Equity Support Agreement terminated not later than October 2009 in connection with the confirmation of Hallwood Energy’s plan of reorganization. The Equity Support Agreement is no longer in effect, although (as previously discussed) the obligation to pay the remaining unpaid contingent commitment under the Equity Support Agreement, which was subject to litigation in the Adversary Proceeding, was $3,201,000 and was paid on May 4, 2012. No further amounts are due. Other. For further information on Hallwood Energy’s activities, including its bankruptcy reorganization, refer to Hallwood Group’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

Investments in Hallwood Energy, L.P.

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Investments in Hallwood Energy, L.P. [Abstract]

Note 5—Investments in Hallwood Energy, L.P.

Hallwood Energy was a privately held independent oil and gas limited partnership and operated as an upstream energy company engaged in the acquisition, development, exploration, production, and sale of hydrocarbons, with a primary focus on natural gas assets. The Company had invested $75,401,000 in Hallwood Energy comprised of a general partnership interest, Class A and Class C limited partnership interests and convertible notes.

Prior to the confirmation of Hallwood Energy’s plan of reorganization in Bankruptcy Court in October 2009 (discussed below), the Company accounted for the investment in Hallwood Energy using the equity method of accounting. In connection with Hallwood Energy’s bankruptcy reorganization, the Company’s general and limited partnership interests in Hallwood Energy were extinguished and the Company no longer accounts for the investment in Hallwood Energy using the equity method of accounting.

Bankruptcy Reorganization by Hallwood Energy. In March 2009, Hallwood Energy, Hallwood Energy Management, LLC (the general partner of Hallwood Energy, “HEM”) and Hallwood Energy’s subsidiaries, filed petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The cases were adjudicated in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, in In re Hallwood Energy, L.P., et al Case No. 09-31253. The Company was only an investor in and creditor of Hallwood Energy. The bankruptcy filing did not include the Company or any other of its assets.

In October 2009, the Bankruptcy Court confirmed a plan of reorganization of the debtors that, among other things, extinguished Hallwood Energy’s general partnership and limited partnership interests, including those held by the Company. In addition, Hallwood Energy’s convertible notes, including those held by the Company, were subordinated to recovery in favor of Hall Phoenix/Inwood, Ltd. (“HPI”), the secured lender to and an investor in Hallwood Energy.

Litigation. In connection with Hallwood Energy’s bankruptcy proceeding, Hallwood Energy and other parties filed lawsuits and had threatened to assert additional claims against the Company and certain related parties alleging actual, compensatory and exemplary damages in excess of $200,000,000, based on purported breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, neglect, negligence and various misleading statements, omissions and misrepresentations. See Note 13.

In one of these matters, the Adversary Proceeding, on July 25, 2011, the Bankruptcy Court issued the Proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Judgment Awarding Various Monetary Damages (the “Proposed Findings”) proposing that damages be awarded against the Company totaling approximately $18,700,000 plus prejudgment and postjudgment interest and plaintiff’s attorney’s fees as may be requested and awarded pursuant to a subsequent motion. As a result of the Proposed Findings and taking into consideration the Company’s objections to the Proposed Findings, during 2011 the Company recorded a charge of $7,500,000 in its statement of operations and its balance sheet as an accrual under Hallwood Energy matters – Litigation Reserve in the Adversary Proceeding, in addition to $3,201,000 that was previously recorded in connection with the Equity Support Agreement discussed below for a total reserve of $10,701,000 at December 31, 2011 for the Adversary Proceeding.

On April 24, 2012, the United States District Court entered a final judgment (the “Judgment”) substantially adopting the Proposed Findings. Based upon the monetary damages (including prejudgment and postjudgment interest, legal fees and court costs) awarded in the Judgment, the Company, in consultation with the Company’s litigation counsel, recorded an additional charge of $13,200,000 at March 31, 2012 in its statement of operations and balance sheet as an accrual under Hallwood Energy matters – Litigation Reserve. Accordingly, the total reserve at March 31, 2012 for the Adversary Proceeding was $23,901,000. The Company satisfied the Judgment, including prejudgment and postjudgment interest, in two payments; $3,774,000 on May 4, 2012 and $17,947,000 on May 9, 2012. In addition, the Company will be required to pay certain court costs and attorneys’ fees incurred by the plaintiffs. At September 30, 2012, the litigation reserve for the Hallwood Energy matters is $2,079,000. The parties settled the amount of court costs for approximately $101,000, which was paid in August 2012. While the Company will be required to pay some additional amount of money to the plaintiffs as compensation for their attorney fees related to the breach of contract claim they prosecuted against the Company, the amount and timing of that payment are currently unresolved and will be determined by the court. The plaintiffs have alleged that they are entitled to approximately $4,000,000 for attorney fees while the Company contends that they should only recover a small fraction of that amount. In addition, the Company is in the process of appealing to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals the portions of the Judgment awarding a combined $17,947,000 on the plaintiffs’ tort claims. On September 13, 2012, the Company filed its appellate brief in the Fifth Circuit. On November 15, 2012, FEI Shale, L.P. (“FEI”), the only appellee, will file its response, and the Company will then file a reply brief, completing the briefing process. It is difficult to determine or even approximate when the Fifth Circuit will rule on the Company’s appeal, but it will likely be several months, if not longer.

In the Hallwood Energy litigation matters, other than the Adversary Proceeding, effective February 14, 2012, the Company and certain other parties entered into a Confidential Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release of Claims (the “Settlement Agreement”). The Settlement Agreement effectively settled the claims by HPI, the Trustee of the Hallwood Energy I Creditors’ Trust, and their related parties (the “Plaintiffs”) against the Company and its related parties, other than the claims in the Adversary Proceeding, in which the District Court rendered the Judgment.

The terms of the Settlement Agreement included the payment by the Company of $1,800,000, in addition to payments by other defendants and the Company’s insurance carrier for its directors and officers’ liability insurance policy. Under the Settlement Agreement, the Plaintiffs released the Company, its current and former directors and officers, the former directors and officers of the general partner of Hallwood Energy and various entities related to the foregoing persons from all claims asserted in or related to (i) Hall Phoenix/Inwood Ltd. and Hall Performance Energy Partners 4, Ltd. v. The Hallwood Group Incorporated et al. in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, Adversary No. 10-03358; (ii) Ray Balestri, Trustee of the Hallwood Energy I Creditor’s Trust v. Anthony J. Gumbiner, et al. in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, Adversary No. 10-03263; and (iii) another suit in which the Company is not named as a party, and any other claims based on the facts alleged in the foregoing matters or that could have been alleged in the foregoing matters, other than the claims against the Company asserted in the Adversary Proceeding or any claims required to enforce any final judgment entered against the Company in the Adversary Proceeding. Similarly, the defendants released the Plaintiffs from all claims based on the facts alleged in the foregoing matters or that could have been alleged in the foregoing matters, other than any claims or defenses the defendants had in the Adversary Proceeding.

The parties entered into the Settlement Agreement for a number of reasons, including to save time and expense, to ensure available insurance proceeds could be used toward the settlement of the disputed claims rather than the payment of expenses and legal fees, and otherwise to resolve the litigation claims. The defendants continue to believe that the claims asserted against them in the lawsuits had no merit and their agreement to settle and compromise those claims should not be deemed as an admission of any liability, wrongdoing, or fault.

At December 31, 2011, the Company recorded a charge of $1,800,000 in its statement of operations and balance sheet under Hallwood Energy matters – Litigation Reserve for the full value of the Company’s payment required by the Settlement Agreement. The Company paid the settlement amount of $1,800,000 to the Plaintiffs on February 15, 2012.

Equity Support Agreement. In connection with the then ongoing efforts to complete an Acquisition and Farmout Agreement entered into between Hallwood Energy and FEI, the Company loaned Hallwood Energy $2,961,000 in May 2008. Concurrent with the completion of the Acquisition and Farmout Agreement in June 2008, the Company entered into an equity support agreement (the “Equity Support Agreement”) with Hallwood Energy under which the Company committed, under certain conditions, to contribute equity or debt capital to Hallwood Energy to maintain a reasonable liquidity position for Hallwood Energy or prevent or cure any default under Hallwood Energy’s credit facilities with respect to interest payments, up to a maximum of $12,500,000. The Company contributed $2,039,000 at the completion date (for a total amount of $5,000,000) to Hallwood Energy and committed to provide an additional amount of up to $7,500,000 in certain circumstances, under the terms of a $12,500,000 convertible subordinated note agreement (the “Second Convertible Note”) issued by Hallwood Energy in May 2008 and underwritten by the Company. In September 2008, the Company loaned $4,300,000 to Hallwood Energy pursuant to the Equity Support Agreement. An obligation and related additional equity loss were recorded in 2008 to the extent of the Company’s contingent commitment to provide additional financial support to Hallwood Energy pursuant to the Equity Support Agreement, in the amount of $3,201,000.

The Equity Support Agreement terminated not later than October 2009 in connection with the confirmation of Hallwood Energy’s plan of reorganization. The Equity Support Agreement is no longer in effect, although (as previously discussed) the obligation to pay the remaining unpaid contingent commitment under the Equity Support Agreement, which was subject to litigation in the Adversary Proceeding, was $3,201,000 and was paid on May 4, 2012. No further amounts are due.

Other. For further information on Hallwood Energy’s activities, including its bankruptcy reorganization, refer to Hallwood Group’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for equity method investments and joint ventures. Equity method investments are investments that give the investor the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of an investee. Joint ventures are entities owned and operated by a small group of businesses as a separate and specific business or project for the mutual benefit of the members of the group.

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