Acquisitions

Valuations of acquired companies are based on a number of factors, including specialized know-how, reputation, competitive position and service offerings. The Company’s acquisition strategy has been focused on acquiring the expertise of an assembled workforce in order to continue to build upon the core capabilities of its various strategic business platforms to better serve the Company’s clients. The Company’s strategy includes acquiring ownership stakes in well-managed businesses with strong reputations in the industry. The Company’s model of “Perpetual Partnership” often involves acquiring a majority interest rather than a 100% interest and leaving management owners with a significant financial interest in the performance of the acquired entity for a minimum period of time, typically not less than five years. The Company’s acquisition model in this scenario typically provides for (i) an initial payment at the time of closing, (ii) additional contingent purchase price obligations based on the future performance of the acquired entity, and (iii) an option by the Company to purchase (and in some instances a requirement to so purchase) the remaining interest of the acquired entity under a predetermined formula. The Company expenses acquisition related costs as incurred. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, $335 and $711, respectively, and $242 and $476 respectively, of acquisition related costs were charged to operations.

Contingent purchase price obligations. The Company’s contingent purchase price obligations are generally payable within a five-year period following the acquisition date, and are based on (i) the achievement of specific thresholds of future earnings, and (ii) in certain cases, the growth rate of those earnings. Contingent purchase price obligations are recorded as deferred acquisition consideration on the balance sheet at the acquisition date fair value and adjusted at each reporting period through operating income or net interest expense, depending on the nature of the arrangement. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, $5,065 and $2,480 of income, respectively, and $4,306 and $15,737 of expense, respectively, related to changes in such estimated values and was recorded in results of operations. On occasion, the Company may initiate a renegotiation of previously acquired ownership interests and any resulting change in the estimated amount of consideration to be paid is adjusted in the reporting period through operating income or net interest expense, depending on the nature of the arrangement.

See Note 9 and 12 of the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included here in for additional information on deferred acquisition consideration.

Options to purchase. When acquiring less than 100% ownership, the Company may enter into agreements that give the Company an option to purchase, or require the Company to purchase, the incremental ownership interests under certain circumstances. Where the option to purchase the incremental ownership is within the Company’s control, the amounts are recorded as noncontrolling interests in the equity section of the Company’s balance sheet. Where the incremental purchase may be required of the Company, the amounts are recorded as redeemable noncontrolling interests in mezzanine equity at their estimated acquisition date redemption value and adjusted at each reporting period for changes to their estimated redemption value through additional paid-in capital (but not less than their initial redemption value), except for foreign currency translation adjustments. On occasion, the Company may initiate a renegotiation to acquire an incremental ownership interest and the amount of consideration paid may differ materially from the balance sheet amounts. See Note 12 of the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for additional information on redeemable noncontrolling interests.

Employment conditions. From time to time, specifically when the projected success of an acquisition is deemed to be dependent on retention of specific personnel, such acquisition may include deferred payments that are contingent upon employment terms as well as financial performance. The Company accounts for those payments through operating income as stock-based compensation over the required retention period. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, stock-based compensation included $3,486 and $2,460, respectively, and $6,315 and $5,728, respectively, of expense relating to those payments.

Distributions to noncontrolling shareholders. If noncontrolling shareholders have the right to receive distributions based on the profitability of an acquired entity, the amount is recorded as income attributable to noncontrolling interests. However, there are circumstances when the Company acquires a majority interest and the selling shareholders waive their right to receive distributions with respect to their retained interest for a period of time, typically not less than five years. Under this model, the right to receive such distributions typically begins concurrently with the purchase option period and, therefore, if such option is exercised at the first available date, the Company may not record any noncontrolling interest over the entire period from the initial acquisition date through the acquisition date of the remaining interests.

2018 Acquisitions

On April 2, 2018, the Company purchased 51% of the membership interests of Instrument LLC (“Instrument”), a digital creative agency based in Portland, Oregon, for an aggregate estimated purchase price of $35,591. The acquisition is expected to facilitate the Company’s growth and help to build its portfolio of modern, innovative and digital-first agencies. The purchase price consisted of a cash payment of $28,561 and the issuance of 1,011,561 shares of the Company’s Class A subordinate voting stock with an acquisition date fair value of $7,030. The Company issued these shares in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

The preliminary purchase price allocation resulted in tangible assets of $10,304, identifiable intangibles of $23,130, consisting primarily of customer lists and a trade name, and goodwill of $29,514. In addition, the Company has recorded $27,357 as the fair value of noncontrolling interests, which was derived from the Company’s purchase price less a discount related to the noncontrolling parties’ lack of control. The identified assets have a weighted average useful life of approximately six years and will be amortized in a manner represented by the pattern in which the economic benefits of such assets are expected to be realized. The goodwill is tax deductible. Instruments’ results are included in the All Other category from a segment reporting perspective. The Company has a controlling financial interest in Instrument through its majority voting interest, and as such, has aggregated the acquired Partner Firm's financial data into the Company's consolidated financial statements.The operating results of Instrument in the current and prior year are not material.

Effective January 1, 2018, the Company acquired the remaining 24.5% ownership interest of Allison & Partners LLC for an aggregate purchase price of $10,023, comprised of a closing cash payment of $300 and additional deferred acquisition payments with an estimated present value at the acquisition date of $9,723. The deferred payments are based on the future financial results of the underlying business from 2017 to 2020 with final payments due in 2021. As a result of the transaction, the Company reduced redeemable noncontrolling interests by $8,857. The difference between the purchase price and the noncontrolling interest of $1,166 was recorded in additional paid-in capital.

2017 Acquisitions

In 2017, the Company entered into various non-material transactions in connection with certain of its majority-owned entities. As a result of the foregoing, the Company made total cash closing payments of $3,352, increased fixed deferred consideration liability by $7,208, reduced redeemable noncontrolling interests by $269, reduced noncontrolling interests by $11,947, and increased additional paid-in capital by $2,652. In addition, a stock-based compensation charge of $997 has been recognized representing the consideration paid in excess of the fair value of the interest acquired.

Noncontrolling Interests

Changes in the Company’s ownership interests in our less than 100% owned subsidiaries during the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to MDC Partners Inc. and

Transfers (to) from the Noncontrolling Interests



	Three Months Ended June 30,					Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017			2018			2017
Net loss attributable to MDC Partners Inc.	$	3,406	$	11,253		$	(26,010	)	$	687
Transfers from the noncontrolling interest:
Decrease in MDC Partners Inc. paid-in capital for purchase of equity interests in excess of Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests and Noncontrolling Interests	—		(11,947		)	(1,166		)	(11,947		)
Net transfers from noncontrolling interests	$	—	$	(11,947	)	$	(1,166	)	$	(11,947	)
Change from net loss attributable to MDC Partners Inc. and transfers to noncontrolling interests	$	3,406	$	(694	)	$	(27,176	)	$	(11,260	)