Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
 
The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the balances and results for the periods presented. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted. These condensed consolidated financial statement results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full fiscal year or any future period.
 
The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared with the presumption that users of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have read or have access to the audited consolidated financial statements for the preceding fiscal year for each of the Company, Avenue, Checkpoint, Mustang and National. Accordingly, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Form 10-K, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 16, 2018, from which the Company derived the balance sheet data at December 31, 2017, as well as National’s Form 10-K and 10-K/A filed with the SEC on December 22, 2017 and January 17, 2018, respectively and their Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2018, Checkpoint’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018, Mustang’s Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 29, 2018, and Avenue’s Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2018.
  
The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries: Avenue, Aevitas, Caelum, CB Securities, Cellvation, Coronado SO, Checkpoint, Cyprium, Escala, GeneXion, Helocyte, Innmune Limited, JMC, Mustang, NHLD, Tamid, Coronado SO, Escala, Fortress China, FBIO Acquisition Corp. IV and FBIO Acquisition Corps. VI - XIV. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
 
The National assets acquired and liabilities assumed and revenues and expenses are reported on a one quarter lag. Therefore, the National assets acquired and liabilities assumed included in these condensed consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2018 are actually the assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2017 and the revenues and expenses included in these condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter ending March 31, 2018 are actually the revenues and expenses for the quarter ending December 31, 2017.
 
The preparation of the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with 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 unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.
 
Use of Estimates
 
The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include certain amounts that are based on management’s best estimates and judgments. The Company’s significant estimates include, but are not limited to, useful lives assigned to long-lived and intangible assets, fair value measurements, stock-based compensation, common stock issued to acquire licenses, investments, accrued expenses, derivative warrant liabilities, revenue with customers, provisions for income taxes and contingencies. Due to the uncertainty inherent in such estimates, actual results may differ from these estimates.
 
Significant Accounting Policies
 
There have been no material changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies previously disclosed in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018, with the exception of revenue recognition.
 
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
 
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (ASU 2014-09) as modified by ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, and ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients.” The impact of adoption on January 1, 2018 is primarily related to National’s investment banking expenses of $0.1 million that were deferred as of September 30, 2017 (National’s financials are included in the Company’s financials at a three-month lag) under the previously existing accounting guidance, which would have been expensed in prior periods under the new revenue standard. Since the impact was immaterial, the Company elected not to record this amount in retained earnings as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s revenue. Accordingly, the new revenue standard will be applied prospectively in the Company’s financial statements from January 1, 2018 forward and reported financial information for historical comparable periods will not be revised and will continue to be reported under the accounting standards in effect during those historical periods. Further, the adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not have a material impact on net Fortress revenue.
 
The new revenue guidance does not apply to revenue associated with financial instruments, including National’s warrants and securities that are accounted for under other U.S. GAAP, and as a result, did not have an impact on the elements of our Consolidated Statements of Operations most closely associated with financial instruments. The new revenue standard primarily impacts the following of our revenue recognition and presentation accounting policies:
 
 
Investment Banking Revenues. Advisory fees from mergers and acquisitions engagements are recognized at the point in time when the related transaction is completed, as the performance obligation is to successfully broker a specific transaction.
 
 
Investment Banking Advisory Expenses. Historically, expenses associated with investment banking advisory assignments were deferred until reimbursed by the client, the related fee revenue is recognized or the engagement is otherwise concluded. Under the new revenue standard, expenses are deferred only to the extent they are explicitly reimbursable by the client and the related revenue is recognized when all performance obligations are met. All other investment banking advisory related expenses are expensed as incurred.
  
 
Investment Banking Underwriting and Advisory Expenses. Expenses have historically been recorded net of client reimbursements and/or netted against revenues. Under the new revenue standard, all investment banking expenses will be recognized within their respective expense category on the consolidated income statement and any expense reimbursements will be recognized as investment banking revenues (i.e., expenses are no longer recorded net of client reimbursements and are not netted against revenues).
 
The new revenue standard requires enhanced disclosures, which are included in footnote 21 to our condensed consolidated financial statements beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018.
 
Contract Assets
 
Contract assets represent the Company’s right to consideration in exchange for goods or services that the Company has transferred to a customer, excluding unconditional rights to consideration that are presented as receivables.
 
Contract Liabilities
 
Contract liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to deliver products or provide data to customers in the future for which cash has already been received.
 
In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting. ASU 2017-09 provides clarity and reduces both (1) diversity in practice and (2) cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718, to a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. The amendments in ASU 2017-09 should be applied prospectively to an award modified on or after the adoption date. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted ASU No. 2017-09 as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of this update did not impact the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
 
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments,  which addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-15 as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of this update did not impact the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
 
In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Liabilities. ASU No. 2016-01 requires several targeted changes including that equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The new guidance also changes certain disclosure requirements and other aspects of current U.S. GAAP. Amendments are to be applied as a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. ASU 2016-01 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-01 as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of this update did not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
 
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires an entity to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact, if any, of adoption of ASU 2016-02 on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
 
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 requires that expected credit losses relating to financial assets are measured on an amortized cost basis and available-for-sale debt securities be recorded through an allowance for credit losses. ASU 2016-13 limits the amount of credit losses to be recognized for available-for-sale debt securities to the amount by which carrying value exceeds fair value and also requires the reversal of previously recognized credit losses if fair value increases. The new standard will be effective on January 1, 2020 and may be adopted earlier. The Company is currently evaluating the impact, if any, that ASU 2016-13 will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
 
In July 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-11, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): I. Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Down Round Features; II. Replacement of the Indefinite Deferral for Mandatorily Redeemable Financial Instruments of Certain Nonpublic Entities and Certain Mandatorily Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests with a Scope Exception. Part I of this update addresses the complexity of accounting for certain financial instruments with down round features. Down round features are features of certain equity-linked instruments (or embedded features) that result in the strike price being reduced on the basis of the pricing of future equity offerings. Current accounting guidance creates cost and complexity for entities that issue financial instruments (such as warrants and convertible instruments) with down round features that require fair value measurement of the entire instrument or conversion option. Part II of this update addresses the difficulty of navigating Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, because of the existence of extensive pending content in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. This pending content is the result of the indefinite deferral of accounting requirements about mandatorily redeemable financial instruments of certain nonpublic entities and certain mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interests. The amendments in Part II of this update do not have an accounting effect. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of adopting ASU 2017-11 on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.