Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Contingencies

Contingencies

Many aspects of the Company's business involve substantial risks of liability. In the normal course of business, the Company has been named as defendant or co-defendant in various legal actions, including arbitrations, class actions and other litigation, creating substantial exposure and periodic expenses. Certain of the actual or threatened legal matters include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. These proceedings arise primarily from securities brokerage, asset management and investment banking activities. The Company is also involved, from time to time, in other reviews, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental and self-regulatory agencies regarding the Company's business, which may result in expenses, adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. The investigations include inquiries from the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") and other regulators.

The Company accrues for estimated loss contingencies related to legal and regulatory matters within Other Expenses in the consolidated income statement when available information indicates that it is probable a liability had been incurred and the Company can reasonably estimate the amount of that loss. In many proceedings, however, it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or even possible or to estimate the amount of any loss. In addition, even where a loss is possible or an exposure to loss exists in excess of the liability already accrued with respect to a previously recognized loss contingency, it is often not possible to reasonably estimate the size of the possible loss or range of loss or possible additional losses or range of additional losses.

For certain legal and regulatory proceedings, the Company cannot reasonably estimate such losses, particularly for proceedings that are in their early stages of development or where plaintiffs seek substantial, indeterminate or special damages. Counsel may be required to review, analyze and resolve numerous issues, including through potentially lengthy discovery and determination of important factual matters, and by addressing novel or unsettled legal questions relevant to the proceedings in question, before the Company can reasonably estimate a loss or range of loss or additional loss for the proceeding. Even after lengthy review and analysis, the Company, in many legal and regulatory proceedings, may not be able to reasonably estimate possible losses or range of losses.

For certain other legal and regulatory proceedings, the Company can estimate possible losses, or range of loss in excess of amounts accrued, but does not believe, based on current knowledge and after consultation with counsel, that such losses individually, or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements as a whole.

For legal and regulatory proceedings where there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss or an additional loss may be incurred, the Company estimates a range of aggregate loss in excess of amounts accrued of up to $4 million. This estimated aggregate range is based upon currently available information for those legal proceedings in which the Company is involved, where the Company can make an estimate for such losses. For certain cases, the Company does not believe that it can make an estimate. The foregoing aggregate estimate is based on various factors, including the varying stages of the proceedings (including the fact that some are currently in preliminary stages), the numerous yet-unresolved issues in many of the proceedings and the attendant uncertainty of the various potential outcomes of such proceedings. Accordingly, the Company's estimate will change from time to time, and actual losses may be more than the current estimate.

Beginning on or about August 31, 2021, Oppenheimer was named as a respondent in fifty-one arbitrations, many containing multiple claimants, each filed before FINRA, relating to those claimants’ purported investment in Horizon Private Equity, III, LLC (“Horizon”). Horizon is alleged to be a fraudulent scheme involving, among others, a former Oppenheimer employee John Woods.

Oppenheimer has settled, or settled in principle or an award has been rendered in forty-nine of the Horizon-related arbitrations. The two arbitrations still pending claim specific monetary damages and allege losses of approximately $3.8 million in the aggregate.

On June 16, 2023, Oppenheimer was served with a complaint in an action entitled John and Cynthia Kearney, John & Tera Sargent, Mike Hall et al v. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., et al, filed in Georgia State Court, Fulton County. Plaintiffs allege that Oppenheimer, through its inaction and/or misconduct, is responsible for their alleged losses and are seeking unspecified damages alleging in violations of the Georgia RICO statute and negligence per se. Oppenheimer filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On April 17, 2024 the court issued an order granting plaintiffs John and Tera Sargent’s voluntary dismissal of their claims without prejudice. On April 22, 2024, the court granted Oppenheimer’s motion to dismiss and terminated the case. On April 26, 2024, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of the court’s order dismissing the case.

Additionally, on August 25, 2023, Oppenheimer was served with a complaint in an action entitled Lisa Wright, Billy Ray Boaz, et al v. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., et al, filed in Georgia State Court, Fulton County. Plaintiffs allege that Oppenheimer, through its inaction and/or misconduct, is responsible for their alleged losses and are seeking unspecified damages alleging in violations of the Georgia RICO statute and negligence per se. On October 31, 2023, Oppenheimer filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On April 22, 2024 the court granted Oppenheimer’s motion to dismiss and terminated the case. On April 26, 2024, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of the court’s order dismissing the case.

On June 30, 2022, the Oppenheimer received a "Wells Notice" from the SEC requesting that Oppenheimer make a written submission to the SEC to explain why Oppenheimer should not be charged with violations of Section 15c2-12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and Rule 15c2-12 thereunder as well as Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Rules G-17 and G-27 in relation to its sales of municipal notes pursuant to an exemption from continuing disclosure contained in Rule 15c2-12. On September 13, 2022, the SEC filed a complaint against Oppenheimer in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Court") alleging that Oppenheimer violated Section 15B(c)(1) of the Exchange Act and Rule 15c2-12 thereunder as well as Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Rules. The SEC asked the Court to enter an order enjoining Oppenheimer from violating the above-referenced rules and requiring disgorgement and payment of a civil penalty. On January 30, 2024, Oppenheimer and the SEC reached an agreement in principle to settle the litigation pursuant to which Oppenheimer would pay a civil penalty of $1.2 million. The settlement is subject to Oppenheimer obtaining a waiver of certain statutory disqualifications.