Commitments and Contingencies |
12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Company leases certain facilities and equipment under various lease contracts with terms that meet the accounting definition of operating leases. These arrangements may include fair value renewal or purchase options. Rental expense for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $2.9 million, $3.0 million and $2.4 million, respectively. The following table represents future minimum lease payment commitments as of December 31, 2015:
From time to time the Company may enter into purchase agreements with suppliers under which there is a commitment to buy a minimum amount of product. Purchase commitments outstanding at December 31, 2015 were $99.2 million. These commitments are not reflected as liabilities in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Legal Proceedings
The Company is subject to various legal proceedings, claims, and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of these matters is currently not determinable, we do not expect these matters will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the results of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty. Should the Company fail to prevail in any legal matter or should several legal matters be resolved against the Company in the same reporting period, then the financial results of that particular reporting period could be materially adversely affected.
On December 29, 2010, Lufthansa Technik AG (“Lufthansa”) filed a Statement of Claim in the Regional State Court of Mannheim, Germany. Lufthansa’s claim asserts that our subsidiary, Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp. (“AES”) sold, marketed and brought into use in Germany a power supply system which infringes upon a German patent held by Lufthansa. The relief sought by Lufthansa includes requiring AES to stop selling and marketing the allegedly infringing power supply system, a recall of allegedly infringing products sold to commercial customers since November 26, 2003 and compensation for damages. The claim does not specify an estimate of damages and a damages claim will be made by Lufthansa only if it receives a favorable ruling on the determination of infringement. The value of the dispute has been set by the court to be €2 million. This is an estimate of the commercial value of the matter.
On February 6, 2015, the Regional State Court of Mannheim, Germany rendered its decision that the patent was infringed. The judgment does not require AES to recall products which are already installed in aircraft or have been sold to other end users. On July 15, 2015, Lufthansa advised AES of their intention to enforce the accounting provisions of the decision, which require AES to provide certain financial information regarding sales of the infringing product to enable Lufthansa to make an estimate of requested damages. Additionally, if Lufthansa provides the required bank guarantees specified in the decision, the Company may be required to offer a recall of products which are in the distribution channels in Germany, and provide certain financial information regarding sales of the infringing product to enable Lufthansa to make an estimate of requested damages. No such bank guarantees have been issued to date.
The Company appealed and believes it has valid defenses to refute the decision. The appeal process is estimated to extend up to two years. The enforcement of the accounting provision of the decision, as discussed above, has no impact on the appeals process. As a result, we do not currently have sufficient information to provide an estimate of AES’s potential exposure related to this matter. As loss exposure is neither probable nor estimable at this time, the Company has not recorded any liability with respect to this litigation as of December 31, 2015.
On November 26, 2014, Lufthansa filed a complaint in the United States District for the Western District of Washington. Lufthansa’s complaint in this action alleges that AES manufactures, uses, sells and offers for sale a power supply system which infringes upon a U.S. patent held by Lufthansa. The patent at issue in the U.S. action is based on technology similar to that involved in the German action. However, the U.S. court will not be bound by the ultimate determination made by the German court. The Company believes it has valid defenses to refute Lufthansa’s claims and intends to contest this matter vigorously. As this matter is in the early stages of fact discovery, we do not currently have sufficient information to provide an estimate of AES’s potential exposure related to this matter. As loss exposure is neither probable nor estimable at this time, the Company has not recorded any liability with respect to this litigation as of December 31, 2015.
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