| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation The Company prepared the accompanying consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”). Intercompany transactions have been eliminated for all periods presented. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements and related disclosures 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 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 in which they are determined to be necessary. In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management makes estimates regarding the recognition of revenue, adequacy of the allowance for credit losses, assumptions used in the provision for income taxes, measurement of equity-based compensation and other matters that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Revenue Recognition The Company provides a range of strategic advisory, capital markets advisory, restructuring and special situations and shareholder advisory services to corporations, financial sponsors, institutional investors and governments around the world. In conjunction with providing restructuring advice, the Company may also assist with raising various forms of financing, including debt and equity. Secondary advisory services include providing GP solutions and investing solutions to clients seeking portfolio liquidity, unfunded commitment relief and investments in secondary markets. The Company’s fund placement services primarily serve alternative investment strategies, including private equity, real estate, hedge funds and private credit. The Company also provides public and private placement fundraising services to corporate clients. At contract inception, the Company assesses the services promised in its contracts with customers and identifies a performance obligation for each promise to transfer to the customer a service (or a bundle of services) that is distinct. To identify the performance obligations, the Company considers all of the services promised in the contract regardless of whether they are explicitly stated or are implied by customary business practices . Additionally, the Company allocates the transaction price to the respective performance obligation(s) by estimating the amount of consideration in which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised services to the customer. The Company’s primary performance obligation with respect to advisory and placement services is to stand ready to perform a broad range of services the client may need over the course of the engagement Fees related to these performance obligations are recognized over time using a time-based measure of progress. The Company may also be engaged to provide a fairness opinion to the client, amend contract terms, provide underwriting services or . The Company has determined that the delivery of these services represents a separate performance obligation that is satisfied at a point in time when each is completed and delivered to the client as the customer is able to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the benefits from, the service at that point. With respect to the transaction price, the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled is predominantly variable as the consideration is susceptible to factors outside of the Company’s influence and/or contain a large number and broad range of possible consideration amounts. As such, these amounts . With respect to contracts to provide placement services, fees are generally payable upon completion of a fund closing or may be paid in installments over three or four years with interest being charged to the outstanding balance. With respect to such fees paid over time, the Company has determined there is not a significant financing component related to such contracts. Fees earned for placement services to corporate clients are typically payable upon completion. Additionally, the Company is typically reimbursed for certain professional fees and other expenses incurred that are necessary in order to provide services to the customer. These expenses are recorded in the relevant expense caption in the Consolidated Statements of Operations when incurred and recognized as revenue and recorded in Accounts Receivable, Net when these amounts are invoiced to the customer. Such revenue amounts are recorded in Interest Income and Other in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Determining the Timing of Satisfaction of Performance Obligations For performance obligations that are satisfied over time, determining a measure of progress requires management to make judgments that affect the timing of revenue recognized. The Company has determined that the methods described above provide a faithful depiction of the transfer of services to the customer. For performance obligations that are satisfied at a point in time, the Company has determined that the customer is able to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the benefits from, the output of the service at the time it is provided to the client. Additionally, at that point the Company has a present right to payment, the Company has transferred the output of the service and the customer has significant risks and rewards of ownership. Contract Balances The timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of payment. The Company records a receivable when revenue is recognized prior to payment and the Company has an unconditional right to payment. The Company may receive non-refundable up-front fees in its contracts with customers, which are recorded as revenues in the period over which services are estimated to be provided. Additionally, the Company may receive payment of certain announcement, retainer or milestone fees before the performance obligation has been fully satisfied. Such fees give rise to a contract liability and are recorded as Deferred Revenue in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. The Company does not establish a provision for refunds or similar obligations. Additionally, the Company is the principal in the satisfaction of performance obligations. To obtain a contract with a customer, the Company may incur costs such as advertising, marketing costs, bid and proposal costs and legal fees. The Company has determined that these costs would have been incurred regardless of whether the contract with the customer was obtained. Additionally, the Company does not expect to recover any of these costs from the customer; therefore, the costs of obtaining contracts with customers are expensed as incurred. Costs to fulfill contracts consist of out-of-pocket expenses that are part of performing services and are generally expensed as incurred, except for performance obligations that are satisfied at a point in time. For contracts with customers where a performance obligation is satisfied at a point in time, out-of-pocket expenses, where material, are capitalized and subsequently expensed in the Consolidated Statements of Operations upon satisfaction of the performance obligation. Interest Income and Other – Interest Income and Other represents interest typically earned on Cash and Cash Equivalents, investments in Treasury securities and outstanding placement fees receivable; miscellaneous income; foreign exchange gains and losses arising on transactions denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars; sublease income; and the amount of expense reimbursement invoiced to clients related to out-of-pocket expenses. Interest on placement fees receivable is earned from the time revenue is recognized and is calculated (typically based upon the Secured Overnight Financing Rate or an alternate reference rate) plus an additional percentage as mutually agreed upon with the receivable counterparty. Interest receivable is included in Accounts Receivable, Net in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Fair Value of Financial Instruments The carrying value of financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, investments, accounts receivable, other assets, accounts payable, accrued expenses, taxes payable and other liabilities approximates their fair value. GAAP establishes a hierarchical disclosure framework that prioritizes and ranks the level of market price observability used in measuring financial instruments at fair value. Market price observability is affected by a number of factors, including the type of financial instrument, the characteristics specific to the financial instrument and the state of the marketplace, including the existence and transparency of transactions between market participants. Financial instruments with readily available quoted prices in active markets generally will have a higher degree of market price observability and a lesser degree of judgment used in measuring fair value. Financial instruments measured and reported at fair value are classified and disclosed based on the observability of inputs used in the determination of fair values, as follows:
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Level I – Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical financial instruments as of the reporting date.
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Level II – Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date, and fair value is determined through the use of models or other valuation methodologies.
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Level III – Pricing inputs are unobservable for the financial instruments and includes situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the financial instrument. The inputs into the determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the determination of which category within the fair value hierarchy is appropriate for any given financial instrument is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. In making an assessment of the fair value hierarchy classification of investments in Treasury securities , the Company considers the amount of trading activity, observability of pricing inputs as well as whether the securities are of the most recent issuance of that security with the same maturity (referred to as “on-the-run ,” which is the most liqui d version of the maturity band). These securities are recorded at fair value using broker quotes, reflecting inputs from auction yields. Long-term receivables are classified as Level II in the fair value hierarchy. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments Cash and Cash Equivalents include 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. Cash and Cash Equivalents are primarily held at four major financial institutions. Also included in Cash and Cash Equivalents are amounts held in bank accounts that are subject to advance notification to withdraw, which totaled $0.6 million and $41.2 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Treasury securities with original maturities greater than three months when purchased are classified as Investments in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Accounts Receivable Accounts Receivable, Net includes receivables related to services provided in contracts with customers. Included in Accounts Receivable, Net are long-term receivables that relate to placement fees that are generally paid in installments over a period of three to four years. The Company generally charges interest on long-term receivables as mutually agreed upon with the receivable counterparty. Additional disclosures regarding accounts receivable are discussed in Note 4. “Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses.” Allowance for Credit Losses The Company estimates the allowance for credit losses using relevant available information from internal and external sources relating to past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience, including write-offs and recoveries that have occurred during the period, provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. The allowance for credit losses is measured on a collective basis when similar risk characteristics exist in the Company’s accounts receivable. The Company has classified its accounts receivable into short-term and long-term receivables, both of which relate to revenues from contracts with customers, in estimating the allowance for credit losses. Short-term receivables generally have payment terms less than one year and share similar historical credit loss patterns including write-offs and recoveries. These receivables arise from the Company’s performance obligation of standing ready to perform. Long-term receivables are generally paid in installments over a period of three to four years. These receivables share similar historical credit loss patterns including write-offs and recoveries, and arise from the Company’s performance obligation of providing corporate and fund placement services. The Company measures the allowance for credit losses using the loss-rate method by multiplying the historical loss rate by the asset’s amortized cost (including accrued interest) at the balance sheet date. The historical loss rate is derived from the Company’s historical loss experience over the prior three year period. The Company reduces both the gross receivable and the allowance for credit losses in the period in which the receivable(s) are deemed uncollectible. The Company considers a receivable to be uncollectible at the point when all efforts at collection have been exhausted. A recovery may occur if cash is received after a receivable balance has been written off. Such recovery would be recorded as an increase to the allowance at the time of the recovery. Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill recorded arose from the contribution and reorganization of Blackstone’s predecessor entities in 2007 immediately prior to Blackstone’s initial public offering (“IPO”), the acquisition of PJT Capital LP that occurred on October 1, 2015 and the acquisition of CamberView Partners Holdings, LLC (“CamberView”) that occurred on October 1, 2018. Goodwill is reviewed for impairment at least annually utilizing a qualitative or quantitative approach and more frequently if circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is a component of an operating segment for which discrete financial information is available that is regularly reviewed by management. The impairment testing for goodwill under the qualitative approach is based first on a qualitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of the Company’s reporting unit is less than its respective carrying value. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying value or when the quantitati ve approach is used, a quantitative assessment is performed to (a) calculate the fair value of the reporting unit and c ompare it to its carrying value, and (b) if the carrying value exceeds its fair value, to measure an impairment loss. The Company’s intangible assets are derived from (a) customer relationships that were established as part of Blackstone’s IPO and the acquisition of CamberView, and (b) the value of the trade name as part of the acquisitions of PJT Capital LP and CamberView. Identifiable finite-lived intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of four to fifteen years, reflecting the average time over which such intangible assets are expected to contribute to cash flows. Amortization expense is included in Depreciation and Amortization in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company does not hold any indefinite-lived intangible assets. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net consist primarily of leasehold improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment and office equipment, and are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are calculated using the straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful economic lives, which for leasehold improvements are the lesser of the lease terms or the life of the asset, generally ten to fifteen years, and five to seven years for other fixed assets. The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Depreciation and amortization are included in Depreciation and Amortization in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Leases The Company determines at inception if an arrangement is, or contains, a lease. The Company leases office space under non-cancelable lease agreements, which expire at The lease arrangements for office space typically contain payments to the lessor for common area maintenance charges and reimbursement for certain other costs that are not fixed. The Company accounts for these costs as variable lease costs and does not include them in the lease component. Right-of-Use Assets (“ROU assets”) represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. The Company’s lease agreements generally do not provide an implicit rate, so the Company estimates the incremental borrowing rate considering the collateral, term and the economic environment of the lease arrangement with reference to the Company’s loan agreement. Certain leases may include options to extend or terminate and the Company reflects such renewal or termination option in the lease term when it is reasonably certain to exercise the option. The Company records ROU assets and lease liabilities for operating leases in Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets and Operating Lease Liabilities, respectively, on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. The Company does not record ROU assets or lease liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less. Lease expense for such leases is recognized on a straight-line basis. Foreign Currency In the normal course of business, the Company may enter into transactions not denominated in U.S. dollars. Foreign exchange gains and losses arising on such transactions are recorded in Interest Income and Other in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. In addition, the Company consolidates a number of businesses that have a non-U.S. dollar functional currency. Non-U.S. dollar denominated assets and liabilities are translated to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing at the reporting date and income, expenses, gains and losses are translated at the prevailing monthly average exchange rate on the dates they were recorded. Cumulative translation adjustments arising from the translation of non-U.S. dollar denominated operations are recorded in Other Comprehensive Income. Non-Controlling Interests Non-Controlling Interests are presented separately from Equity in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and the portion of net income attributable to the non-controlling interests is presented separately in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Repurchases of Common Stock Shares of the Company’s Class A common stock may be repurchased from time to time in open market transactions, in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. The Company may structure such repurchases as either a purchase of treasury stock or a retirement of shares. The Company records its purchases of treasury stock at cost as a separate component of Equity. The Company may re-issue treasury stock, at average cost. Compensation and Benefits Compensation and Benefits includes salaries, cash bonuses and restricted cash awards, benefits, employer taxes and equity-based compensation associated with the grants of equity-based awards to partners and employees. Compensation cost relating to the issuance of equity-based awards with a requisite service period to partners and employees is measured at fair value at the grant date, taking into consideration expected forfeitures, and expensed over the vesting period on a straight-line basis. Equity-based awards that do not require future service are expensed immediately. Restricted cash awards are expensed over the vesting period on a straight-line basis. In certain instances, the Company may grant equity-based awards containing both a service and a market condition. The effect of the market condition is reflected in the grant date fair value of the award. Compensation cost is recognized for an award with a market condition over the requisite service period, provided that the requisite service period is completed, irrespective of whether the market condition is satisfied. If the market condition has not been satisfied during the vesting period, the remaining unrecognized compensation cost will continue to be recognized over the requisite service period. If a recipient terminates employment before completion of the requisite service period, any compensation cost previously recognized is reversed unless the market condition has been satisfied prior to termination. If the market condition has been satisfied during the vesting period, the remaining unrecognized compensation cost is accelerated. At the Company’s discretion, the Company may provide compensation to certain employees with repayment obligations and/or service provisions. Such payments are recorded in Compensation and Benefits in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company assesses the potential risk of forfeiture and likelihood of recouping amounts paid, and if deemed necessary, records a provision for forfeitures in the financial statements. Income Taxes PJT Partners Inc. is a corporation subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes in jurisdictions where it does business. The Company’s businesses generally operate as partnerships for U.S. federal and state purposes and as corporate entities in non-U.S. jurisdictions. In the U.S. federal and state jurisdictions, taxes related to income earned by these entities generally represent obligations of the individual members and partners. The operating entities have generally been subject to New York City Unincorporated Business Tax and to entity-level income taxes imposed by state and local as well as non-U.S. jurisdictions, as applicable. These taxes have been reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements . PJT Partners Inc. is subject to U.S. corporate federal, state and local income tax on its allocable share of results of operations from the operating partnership (PJT Partners Holdings LP) . Current tax liabilities are recorded in Taxes Payable in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for deferred tax assets and liabilities. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, using the enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period when the change is enacted. 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. The Company records uncertain tax positions on the basis of a two-step process: (a) a determination is made whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained based on the technical merits of the position, and (b) those tax positions that meet the recognition threshold described in the first step are recorded based on the largest amount of tax benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the tax authority. The effects of tax adjustments and settlements with taxing authorities are presented in the Company’s consolidated financial statements in the period to which they relate as if the Company were a separate tax filer in those years. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in Other Expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, as applicable. Unrecognized tax benefits are recorded in Taxes Payable in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition, as applicable. In August 2022, two pieces of legislation that have significant tax-related provisions were signed into law: (1) the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act of 2022 (the "CHIPS Act"), which creates a new advanced manufacturing investment credit under new Internal Revenue Code section 48D, and (2) the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the "IRA"), which, among other provisions, introduces (a) a 15% minimum tax on certain large corporations with a 3-year average adjusted financial statement income (“AFSI”) of $1 billion or more (b) a plethora of clean energy tax incentives in the form of tax credits, and (c) a 1% excise tax on repurchases of stock by certain publicly traded corporations. The Company has evaluated the impact of the new laws, and does not expect the IRA or CHIPS Act to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. Amount Due Pursuant to Tax Receivable Agreement Holders of common units of partnership interest in PJT Partners Holdings LP (“Partnership Units”) (other than PJT Partners Inc.) may, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the partnership agreement of PJT Partners Holdings LP, on a quarterly basis (subject to the terms of the exchange agreement), exchange their Partnership Units for cash or, at the Company’s election, for shares of Class A common stock of PJT Partners Inc. on a one-for-one basis, subject to customary conversion rate adjustments for splits, unit distributions and reclassifications. PJT Partners Holdings LP has made an election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code effective for each taxable year in which an exchange of Partnership Units for cash or for shares of Class A common stock occurs, which is expected to result in increases to the tax basis of the assets of PJT Partners Holdings LP at the time of an exchange of Partnership Units. Stock-settled exchanges and certain of these cash-settled exchanges are expected to result in increases in the tax basis of the tangible and intangible assets of PJT Partners Holdings LP. These increases in tax basis may reduce the amount of tax that PJT Partners Inc. would otherwise be required to pay in the future. These increases in tax basis may also decrease gains (or increase losses) on future dispositions of certain capital assets to the extent tax basis is allocated to those capital assets . The Company has entered into a tax receivable agreement with the holders of Partnership Units (other than PJT Partners Inc.) that provides for the payment by PJT Partners Inc. to exchanging holders of Partnership Units of 85% of the benefits, if any, that PJT Partners Inc. is deemed to realize as a result of the increases in tax basis related to such exchanges of Partnership Units and of certain other tax benefits related to entering into the tax receivable agreement, including tax benefits attributable to payments under the tax receivable agreement. This payment obligation is an obligation of PJT Partners Inc. and not of PJT Partners Holdings LP. PJT Partners Inc. expects to benefit from the remaining 15% of cash tax savings, if any, in income tax it realizes. For purposes of the tax receivable agreement, the cash tax savings in income tax is computed by comparing the actual income tax liability of PJT Partners Inc. (calculated with certain assumptions) to the amount of such taxes that PJT Partners Inc. would have been required to pay had there been no increase to the tax basis of the assets of PJT Partners Holdings LP as a result of the exchanges and had PJT Partners Inc. not entered into the tax receivable agreement. The term of the tax receivable agreement continues until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless PJT Partners Inc. exercises its right to terminate the tax receivable agreement for an amount based on the agreed payments remaining to be made under the agreement or PJT Partners Inc. breaches any of its material obligations under the tax receivable agreement in which case all obligations generally will be accelerated and due as if PJT Partners Inc. had exercised its right to terminate the tax receivable agreement. The Company accounts for the effects of these increases in tax basis and associated payments under the tax receivable agreement arising from exchanges as follows:
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the Company records an increase in deferred tax assets for the estimated income tax effects of the increases in tax basis based on enacted federal, state and local tax rates at the date of the exchange;
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to the extent the Company estimates that it will not realize the full benefit represented by the deferred tax asset, based on an analysis that will consider, among other things, the Company’s expectation of future earnings, the Company reduces the deferred tax asset with a valuation allowance; and
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the Company records 85% of the estimated realizable tax benefit (which is the recorded deferred tax asset less any recorded valuation allowance) as an increase to the Amount Due Pursuant to Tax Receivable Agreement and the remaining 15% of the estimated realizable tax benefit as an increase to Additional Paid-In Capital. The effects of changes in estimates after the date of the redemption or exchange as well as subsequent changes in the enacted tax rates are included in net income. Net Income Per Share of Class A Common Stock Basic Net Income Per Share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares of Class A common stock outstanding; vested, undelivered restricted stock units (“RSUs”); and unvested RSUs that have met requisite service requirements. Diluted Net Income Per Share is computed using the number of shares of Class A common stock included in the Basic Net Income Per Share calculation, and if dilutive, the incremental common stock that the Company would issue upon the assumed vesting of RSUs using the treasury stock method and the assumed conversion of Partnership Units using the if-converted method. Contingencies and Litigation The Company records loss contingencies if (a) information available prior to issuance of the consolidated financial statements indicates that it is probable that an asset had been impaired or a liability had been incurred at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and (b) the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. If one or both criteria for accrual are not met, but there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss will occur, the Company does not record an accrual for a loss contingency but describes the contingency and provides detail, when possible, of the estimated potential loss or range of loss. If an estimate cannot be made, a statement to that effect is made. Costs incurred with defending matters are expensed as incurred. Recent Accounting Developments In June 2022, the FASB issued updated guidance on the fair value measurement of equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions. The guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted. The Company evaluated and concluded that this guidance will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. |
