Moelis & Co (MC) FY 2021 MD&A

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10‑K. Actual results and the timing of events may differ significantly from those expressed or implied in such forward‑looking statements due to a number of factors, including those set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward‑Looking Statements” and elsewhere in this Form 10‑K.

Executive Overview

Moelis & Company is a leading global independent investment bank that provides innovative strategic advice and solutions to a diverse client base, including corporations, financial sponsors and governments. We assist our clients in achieving their strategic goals by offering comprehensive integrated financial advisory services across all major industry sectors. With 21 locations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, we advise clients around the world on their most critical decisions, including mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and restructurings, capital markets, and other corporate finance matters. Our ability to provide confidential, independent advisory services to our clients across sectors and regions and through all phases of the business cycle has led to long-term client relationships and a diversified revenue base.

As of December 31, 2021, we served our clients globally with 669 advisory bankers. We generate revenues primarily from providing advisory services on transactions that are subject to individually negotiated engagement letters which set forth our fees. We generally generate fees at key transaction milestones, such as closing, the timing of which is outside of our control. As a result, revenues and net income in any period may not be indicative of full year results or the results of any other period and may vary significantly from year to year and quarter to quarter. The performance of our business depends on the ability of our professionals to build relationships with clients over many years by providing trusted advice and exceptional transaction execution.

Business Environment and Outlook

Economic and global financial conditions can materially affect our operational and financial performance. See “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this Form 10‑K for a discussion of some of the factors that can affect our performance. The M&A market data for announced and completed transactions in 2021 and 2020 referenced throughout this Form 10-K was obtained from Refinitiv, as of January 6, 2022, and January 5, 2021, respectively.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, we earned GAAP revenues of $1,540.6 million, an increase of 63% from the $943.3 million earned during the same period in 2020. This compares favorably with a 56% increase in the number of global completed M&A transactions greater than $100 million in the same period.

Our team of investment banking professionals continues to be very active, providing high quality advice to a growing number of clients around the globe. The twelve months ended December 31, 2021 marked the most active year of M&A announcements of all time. Further, the fourth quarter of 2021 marked six consecutive quarters of 1,000+ global announced transactions greater than $100 million, with associated deal values in excess of one trillion dollars. The underlying drivers of the robust M&A environment remain in place in calendar year 2022, which should allow strong levels of activity to persist in the near to intermediate term, absent any volatility in the markets and dramatic shifts in the regulatory environment. As the health of the global economy and availability of capital and financing solutions has meaningfully improved since the onset of the pandemic, the pace of our new restructuring mandates have slowed dramatically. However, over the longer-term, the record level of corporate debt that has accumulated in the past two years and the financial impact of COVID-19 on certain parts of the economy may provide a solid level of restructuring activity for the Firm. In addition, we continue to grow our capital markets business, which benefits from our SPAC expertise, and we believe we are well positioned to provide advice to companies across all sectors on their capital and liquidity needs.

We believe that while COVID-19 may continue to add uncertainty to the business environment, our Firm remains well positioned due to our business continuity planning, experienced management team, and focused client coverage.

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Results of Operations

The following is a discussion of our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. For a discussion of our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019, refer to “Item 7- Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Revenues

We operate in a highly competitive environment. Each revenue‑generating engagement is separately solicited, awarded and negotiated, and there are usually no long‑term contracted sources of revenue. As a consequence, our fee‑paying client engagements are not predictable, and high levels of revenues in one period are not necessarily predictive of continued high levels of revenues in future periods. To develop new business, our professionals maintain an active dialogue with a large number of existing and potential clients. We add new clients each year as our bankers continue to expand their relationships, as we hire senior bankers who bring their client relationships and as we receive introductions from our relationship network of senior executives, board members, attorneys and other third parties. We also lose clients each year as a result of the sale or merger of clients, changes in clients’ senior management, competition from other financial services firms and other causes.

We earn substantially all of our revenues from advisory engagements, and, in many cases, we are not paid until the completion of an underlying transaction. The vast majority of our advisory revenues are recognized over time, although the recognition of our transaction fees are constrained until the engagement is substantially complete.

Complications that may terminate or delay a transaction include failure to agree upon final terms with the counterparty, failure to obtain required regulatory consents, failure to obtain board or stockholder approvals, failure to secure financing, adverse market conditions or unexpected operating or financial problems related to either party to the transaction. In these circumstances, we often do not receive advisory fees that would have been received if the transaction had been completed, despite the fact that we may have devoted considerable time and resources to the transaction. Barriers to the completion of a restructuring transaction may include a lack of anticipated bidders for the assets of our client or the inability of our client to restructure its operations or indebtedness due to a failure to reach agreement with its creditors. In these circumstances, our fees are generally limited to monthly retainer fees and reimbursement of certain out‑of‑pocket expenses.

We do not allocate our revenue by the type of advice we provide because of the complexity of the transactions on which we may earn revenue and our holistic approach to client service. For example, a restructuring engagement may evolve to require a sale of all or a portion of the client, M&A assignments can develop from relationships established on prior restructuring engagements, and capital markets expertise can be instrumental on both M&A and restructuring assignments.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 versus 2020

Revenues were $1,540.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared with $943.3 million for the same period in 2020, representing an increase of 63%. The increase in revenues was primarily driven by greater transaction completions and an increase in average fees earned per completed transaction as compared to the prior year period.

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The number of fee-paying clients increased year‑over‑year from 316 clients in 2020 to 404 clients in 2021, and the number of clients who paid fees equal to or greater than $1 million increased from 205 clients in 2020 to 282 clients in 2021.

Operating Expenses

The following table sets forth information relating to our operating expenses:

Our operating expenses are classified as compensation and benefits expenses and non‑compensation expenses. Compensation and benefits expenses account for the majority of our operating expenses. Non‑compensation expenses, which include the costs of professional fees, travel and related expenses, communication, technology and information services, occupancy, depreciation and other expenses, generally have been less significant in comparison with compensation and benefits expenses.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 versus 2020

Operating expenses were $1,044.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 and represented 68% of revenues, compared with $677.6 million for the same period in 2020 which represented 72% of revenues. The increase in operating expenses was primarily driven by increased compensation and benefits expenses associated with greater revenues.

Compensation and Benefits Expenses

Our compensation and benefits expenses are determined by management based on revenues earned, the mark-to-market impact on investments where our employees and the Moelis advisory platform contributed meaningfully to the value, the competitiveness of the prevailing labor market and anticipated compensation requirements for our employees, the level of recruitment of new Managing Directors and other bankers, the amount of compensation expenses amortized related to equity awards and other relevant factors. As a result, our compensation expenses may fluctuate materially in any particular period. Accordingly, the amount of compensation expenses recognized in any particular period may not be consistent with prior periods or indicative of future periods.

Our compensation expenses consist of base salary and benefits, annual incentive compensation payable as cash bonus awards, including certain amounts subject to clawback and contingent upon a required period of service (“contingent cash awards”) and amortization of equity‑based compensation awards. Base salary and benefits are paid ratably throughout the year. Equity awards are amortized into compensation expenses on a graded basis (based upon the fair value of the award at the time of grant) during the service period over which the award vests, which is typically four or five years. The awards are recorded within equity as they are expensed. Contingent cash awards are amortized into compensation expenses over the required service period. Incentive compensation, which is accrued throughout the year, is discretionary and dependent upon a number of factors including the performance of the Company and is generally awarded and paid during the first two months of the year with respect to prior year performance. The number of equity units granted (subject to a vesting schedule) as a component of the annual incentive award is determined with reference to the Company’s grant date fair value.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 versus 2020

For the year ended December 31, 2021, compensation‑related expenses of $913.9 million represented 59% of revenues, compared with $560.8 million which represented 59% of revenues in the prior year. The increase in compensation expenses was primarily related to higher discretionary bonus expense associated with greater revenues and certain gains recorded in other income and expenses as compared to the prior year period.

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Non‑Compensation Expenses

Our non-compensation expenses include the costs of occupancy, professional fees, communication, technology and information services, travel and related expenses, depreciation and other expenses.

Historically, other than 2020 (the first year of COVID-19), our non-compensation expenses have increased as we have increased headcount which results from growing our business. This trend of growth in non-compensation expense may continue as we expand into new sectors, geographies and products to serve our clients’ growing needs.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 versus 2020

Non‑compensation expenses were $130.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2021, representing 8% of revenues, compared with $116.8 million, or 12% in the prior year. The increase in non-compensation expenses was primarily related to increased professional fees, communication, technology and info services, and travel and related expenses, which is the result of headcount growth, as well as greater transaction related charges associated with higher activity levels and increased business development activities.

Other Income and Expenses

Other income and expenses consists of earnings from equity method investments, gains and losses on investments, interest income and expense, and other infrequent gains or losses.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 versus 2020

Other income and expenses were income of $40.4 million and $4.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The income of $40.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 is primarily related to a $20.2 million gain on the sale of 6.0 million shares of our investment in MA Financial and $9.9 million in dilution gains driven by MA Financial share issuances, partially offset by net unrealized losses of $2.8 million from the mark-to-market impact on shares received in lieu of cash for advisory services provided on certain transactions.

Provision for Income Taxes

The Company’s operations are comprised of entities that are organized as limited liability companies and limited partnerships. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, taxes related to income earned by these entities represent obligations of their interest holders, except for certain foreign, state and local income taxes (for example, the New York City unincorporated business tax ("UBT")). The Company is subject to U.S. corporate, federal, state, and local income tax on its allocable share of results of operations from Group LP.

Years Ended December 31, 2021 versus 2020

The Company’s provision for income taxes and effective tax rates were $113.3 million and 21% and $51.7 million and 19% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The income tax provision and effective tax rate for the aforementioned periods primarily reflect the Company's allocable share of operating results from Group LP at the prevailing U.S. federal, state, and local corporate income tax rate, partially offset by the impact of the excess tax benefit recognized in connection with equity-based compensation delivered at a price above the grant date price.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our current assets have historically been comprised of cash, short-term liquid investments and receivables related to fees earned from providing advisory services. Our current liabilities are primarily comprised of accrued expenses, including accrued employee compensation. We pay a significant portion of incentive compensation during the first two months of each calendar year with respect to the prior year’s results. We also distribute estimated partner tax payments primarily in the first quarter of each year with respect to the prior year’s operating results. Therefore, levels of cash generally decline during the first quarter of each year after incentive compensation has been paid to our employees and estimated tax payments have been distributed to partners. Cash before dividends and share buybacks then typically builds over the remainder of the year.

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We evaluate our cash needs on a regular basis in light of current market conditions. Cash and cash equivalents include all short‑term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had cash equivalents of $385.0 million and $119.0 million, respectively, invested in U.S. Treasury instruments and money market securities. Additionally, as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company had cash of $135.2 million and $83.5 million, respectively, maintained in U.S. and non‑U.S. bank accounts, of which most bank account balances exceeded the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and U.K. Financial Services Compensation Scheme (“FSCS”) coverage limits.

In addition to cash and cash equivalents, we hold various types of government debt securities that are classified as investments on our consolidated statements of financial condition as they have original maturities of three months or more from the date of purchase. As of December 31, 2021, and 2020, the Company held $201.0 million and $172.7 million of U.S. treasury instruments classified as investments, respectively.

Our liquidity is highly dependent upon cash receipts from clients which generally requires the successful completion of transactions. The timing of receivable collections typically occurs within 60 days of billing. As of December 31, 2021, and 2020, accounts receivable were $41.9 million and $89.3 million, respectively, net of allowances of $2.8 million and $3.8 million, respectively.

To provide for additional working capital and other general corporate purposes, we maintain a $65.0 million revolving credit facility. In addition, Moelis & Company LLC ("U.S. Broker Dealer") maintains a $30.0 million revolving credit facility agreement pre-approved by FINRA to provide additional regulatory capital as necessary.

Unless the lender of the $65.0 million facility issues a notice of termination at least 60 days prior to the maturity date of June 30, 2022, this facility will automatically extend to June 30, 2023. Advances on the facility bear interest at the greater of a fixed rate of 3.50% per annum or at the Company’s option of (i) LIBOR plus 1% or (ii) Prime minus 1.50%. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had no borrowings under the credit facility.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s available credit under this facility was $64.2 million as a result of the issuance of an aggregate amount of $0.8 million of various standby letters of credit, which were required in connection with certain office leases and other agreements. The Company incurs a 1% per annum fee on the outstanding balances of issued letters of credit.

Under the $30.0 million facility, U.S. Broker Dealer may borrow capital until May 24, 2022, the end of the credit period, and must repay aggregate principal balances by the maturity date of May 24, 2023. Borrowings on the facility bear interest equal to the Prime rate, payable quarterly in arrears on the last day of March, June, September, and December of each calendar year. U.S. Broker Dealer had no borrowing under the credit facility and the available credit under this facility was $30.0 million as of December 31, 2021.

During February 2022, the Board of Directors of Moelis & Company declared a dividend of $0.60 per share to be paid on March 28, 2022 to Class A common stockholders of record on February 22, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company paid aggregate dividends of $6.80 per share which included special dividends of $4.50 per share and regular quarterly dividends of $2.30 per share.

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company repurchased 1,914,097 and 1,201,525 shares, respectively, pursuant to the Company’s share repurchase program and shares repurchased from its employees for the purpose of settling tax liabilities incurred upon delivery of equity-based compensation awards. In July 2021, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $100 million of shares of Class A common stock and/or Class A partnership units of Group LP with no expiration date. The remaining balance of shares authorized for repurchase under the program was $148.1 million as of December 31, 2021.

Regulatory Capital

We actively monitor our regulatory capital base. Our principal subsidiaries are subject to regulatory requirements in their respective jurisdictions to ensure general financial soundness and liquidity. This requires, among other things, that we comply with certain minimum capital requirements, record‑keeping, reporting procedures, experience and training requirements for employees and certain other requirements and procedures. These regulatory requirements may restrict the flow of funds to and from affiliates. See Note 11 of the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2021 for further information. These regulations differ in the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and other countries in which we operate a registered broker‑dealer. The license under which we operate in each

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such country is meant to be appropriate to conduct an advisory business. We believe that we provide each of our subsidiaries with sufficient capital and liquidity, consistent with their business and regulatory requirements.

Tax Receivable Agreement

In connection with the IPO in April 2014, we entered into a tax receivable agreement with our eligible Managing Directors that provides for the payment to eligible Managing Directors of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we realize as a result of (a) the increases in tax basis attributable to exchanges by our eligible Managing Directors and (b) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed to be paid by us as a result of this tax receivable agreement. The Company expects to benefit from the remaining 15% of income tax cash savings, if any, that we realize.

For purposes of the tax receivable agreement, income tax cash savings will be computed by comparing our actual income tax liability to the amount of such taxes that we would have been required to pay had there been no increase to the tax basis of the tangible and intangible assets of Group LP as a result of the exchanges and had we not entered into the tax receivable agreement. The term of the tax receivable agreement commenced upon consummation of the IPO and will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless we exercise our right to terminate the tax receivable agreement for an amount based on an agreed value of payments remaining to be made under the agreement.

Payments made under the tax receivable agreement are required to be made within 225 days of the filing of our tax returns. Because we generally expect to receive the tax savings prior to making the cash payments to the eligible selling holders of Group LP partnership units, we do not expect the cash payments to have a material impact on our liquidity.

In addition, the tax receivable agreement provides that, upon a merger, asset sale, or other form of business combination or certain other changes of control or if, at any time, we elect an early termination of the tax receivable agreement, our (or our successor’s) obligations with respect to exchanged or acquired units (whether exchanged or acquired before or after such change of control or early termination) will be based on certain assumptions, including that we would have sufficient taxable income to fully utilize the deductions arising from the increased tax deductions and tax basis and other benefits related to entering into the tax receivable agreement, and, in the case of an early termination election, that any units that have not been exchanged are deemed exchanged for the market value of the Class A common stock at the time of termination. Consequently, it is possible, in these circumstances, that the actual cash tax savings realized by us may be significantly less than the corresponding tax receivable agreement payments.

Cash Flows

Our operating cash flows are primarily influenced by the amount and timing of receipt of advisory fees, which are generally collected within 60 days of billing, and the payment of operating expenses, including payments of incentive compensation to our employees. We pay a significant portion of incentive compensation during the first two months of each calendar year with respect to the prior year’s results. Our investing and financing cash flows are primarily influenced by activities to fund investments and payments of dividends and estimated partner taxes. A summary of our operating, investing and financing cash flows is as follows:

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Year Ended December 31, 2021

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash were $521.0 million as of December 31, 2021, an increase of $317.7 million from $203.3 million as of December 31, 2020. Operating activities resulted in a net inflow of $937.0 million primarily attributable to cash collected from clients, net of cash operating expense outflows, including discretionary bonuses paid during the period. Investing activities resulted in a net outflow of $17.0 million primarily attributable to cash outflows for purchases of investments. Financing activities resulted in a net outflow of $602.5 million primarily related to the payment of dividends and tax distributions and treasury stock purchases.

Year Ended December 31, 2020

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash were $203.3 million as of December 31, 2020, an increase of $34.7 million from $168.6 million as of December 31, 2019. Operating activities resulted in a net inflow of $429.2 million primarily attributable to cash collected from clients, net of cash operating expense outflows, including discretionary bonuses paid during the period. Investing activities resulted in a net outflow of $40.0 million primarily attributable to cash outflows for construction in progress. Financing activities resulted in a net outflow of $351.8 million primarily related to the payment of dividends and tax distributions and treasury stock purchases.

Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2021, the Company has a total payable of $307.4 million due pursuant to the tax receivable agreement in the consolidated financial statements and of this amount an estimated $5.7 million will be due in less than one year. These amounts represent management’s best estimate of the amounts currently expected to be owed under the tax receivable agreement. Payments made under the tax receivable agreement are required to be made within 225 days of the filing of our tax returns. We generally expect to receive the tax savings prior to making the cash payments to the eligible selling holders of Group LP partnership units. We do not expect the cash payments to have a material impact on our liquidity. There were payments of $18.6 million made pursuant to the tax receivable agreement during 2021.

Additionally, the Company has contractual obligations related to its leases for corporate office space and an aircraft. Please see Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements for details regarding when these obligations are due.

Market Risk and Credit Risk

Our business is not capital‑intensive and we do not invest in derivative instruments or, generally, borrow through issuing debt. As a result, we are not subject to significant market risk (including interest rate risk, foreign currency exchange rate risk and commodity price risk) or credit risk.

Risks Related to Cash and Short‑Term Investments

Our cash and cash equivalents include all short‑term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase. We invest most of our cash in highly-rated municipal bonds, U.S. government agency debt securities and U.S. treasury instruments. Cash is maintained in U.S. and non‑U.S. bank accounts. Most U.S. and U.K. account balances exceed the FDIC and FSCS coverage limits. In addition to cash and cash equivalents, we hold various types of U.S. treasury instruments that are classified as investments on our consolidated statement of financial condition as they have original maturities of three months or more (but less than twelve months) from the date of purchase. We believe our cash and short‑term investments are not subject to any material interest rate risk, equity price risk, credit risk or other market risk.

Credit Risk

We regularly review our accounts receivable and allowance for credit losses by considering factors such as historical experience, credit quality, age of the accounts receivable, and the current economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay such amounts owed to the Company. We maintain an allowance for credit losses that, in our opinion, provides for an adequate reserve to cover losses that may be incurred. See “—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses.”

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Exchange Rate Risk

The Company is exposed to the risk that the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies may have an adverse effect on the reported value of the Company’s non‑U.S. dollar denominated assets and liabilities. Non‑functional currency‑related transaction gains and losses are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. In addition, the reported amounts of our revenues and other income from investments may be affected by movements in the rate of exchange between the pound sterling, euro, Brazilian real, Hong Kong dollar, rupee, Australian dollar, Saudi riyal and the U.S. dollar, in which our financial statements are denominated. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the net impact of the fluctuation of foreign currencies in other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income was a loss of $0.4 million and $2.0 million, respectively. We have not entered into any transactions to hedge our exposure to these foreign currency fluctuations through the use of derivative instruments or other methods.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We believe that the critical accounting policies and estimates included below represent those that are most important to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and require management’s most difficult, subjective and complex judgment.

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically, and the effects of revisions are reflected in the period for which they are determined to be necessary.

Revenue and Expense Recognition

We earn substantially all of our revenues by providing advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and restructurings, capital markets transactions and other corporate finance matters. The Company also provides services related to securities underwriting and private funds advisory services. We provide our advisory services on an ongoing basis which, for example, may include evaluating and selecting one of multiple strategies. In many cases, we are not paid until the completion of an underlying transaction.

The Company recognizes the vast majority of its advisory services revenue over time, including reimbursements for certain out-of-pocket expenses, when or as our performance obligations are fulfilled and collection is reasonably assured. The determination of whether revenues are recognized over time or at a point in time depends upon the type of service being provided and the related performance obligations. To identify our performance obligations, we evaluate all services promised in our engagement letters, whether implicit or explicit, and determine which services are distinct (i.e. separately identifiable and the client could benefit from such service on its own). We allocate the transaction price to the respective performance obligations by estimating the amount of consideration we expect in exchange for providing each service. Both the identification of performance obligations and the allocation of transaction price to the respective performance obligations requires significant judgment.

During such advisory engagements, our clients are continuously benefitting from our counsel and the over time recognition matches the transfer of such benefits. However, the recognition of transaction fees, which are variable in nature, is constrained until substantially all services have been provided, specified conditions have been met (e.g. transaction closing) and it is probable that a significant reversal of revenue will not occur in a future period. Upfront fees and retainers specified in our engagement letters that meet the over time criteria will be recognized on a systematic basis over the estimated period where the related services are performed.

With respect to fairness opinions, fees are fixed and delivering the opinion is a separate performance obligation from other advisory services that may be promised under the same engagement letter; as such these revenues are recognized at a point in time when the engagement is formally completed and the client can obtain substantially all of the benefits from the service. Similarly, underwriting engagements are typically a single performance obligation and fees are generally recognized as revenue when the offering has been deemed to be completed by the lead manager of the underwriting group. In these instances, point in time recognition appropriately matches the transfer and consumption of our services.

Incremental costs of obtaining a contract are expensed as incurred since such costs are generally not recoverable and the typical duration of our advisory contracts is less than one year. Costs to fulfill contracts consist of out-of-pocket

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expenses that are part of performing our advisory services and are typically expensed as incurred, except where the transfer and consumption of our services occurs at a point in time. For engagements recognized at a point in time, out-of-pocket expenses are capitalized and subsequently expensed in the consolidated statement of operations upon completion of the engagement. The Company records deferred revenues when it receives fees from clients that have not yet been earned (e.g. an upfront fee) or when the Company has an unconditional right to consideration before all performance obligations are complete (e.g. upon satisfying conditions to earn an announcement fee, but before the transaction is consummated).

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses

The accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition present accounts receivable balances net of allowance for credit losses based on the Company’s assessment of the collectability of customer accounts.

The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses that, in management’s opinion, provides for an adequate reserve to cover losses that may be incurred. For purposes of determining appropriate allowances, the Company stratifies its population of accounts receivable into two categories, one for short-term receivables and a second for private funds advisory receivables. Each population is separately evaluated using an aging method that results in a percentage reserve based on the age of the receivable, in addition to considerations of historical charge-offs and current economic conditions.

After concluding that a reserved accounts receivable is no longer collectible, the Company will charge-off the receivable. This has the effect of reducing both the gross receivable and the allowance for credit losses. If a reserved accounts receivable is subsequently collected, such recoveries reduce the gross receivable and the allowance for credit losses and is a reduction of bad debt expense, which is recorded within other expenses on the consolidated statement of operations. The combination of recoveries and the provision for credit losses of a reported period comprise the Company’s bad debt expense.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”), which requires the recognition of tax benefits or expenses on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of its assets and liabilities by applying the enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Such net tax effects on temporary differences are reflected on the Company’s consolidated statements of financial condition as deferred tax assets. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when the Company believes that it is more‑likely‑than‑not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

ASC 740 prescribes a two‑step approach for the recognition and measurement of tax benefits associated with the positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return that affect amounts reported in the financial statements. The Company has reviewed and will continue to review the conclusions reached regarding uncertain tax positions, which may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based on ongoing analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, no unrecognized tax benefit was recorded. To the extent that the Company’s assessment of the conclusions reached regarding uncertain tax positions changes as a result of the evaluation of new information, such change in estimate will be recorded in the period in which such determination is made. The Company reports income tax‑related interest and penalties relating to uncertain tax positions, if applicable, as a component of income tax expense. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, no such amounts were recorded.

Recent Accounting Developments

For a discussion of recently issued accounting developments and their impact or potential impact on our consolidated financial statements, see Note 3—Recent Accounting Pronouncements, of the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10‑K.