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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

Note 22—Related Party Transactions

 

The Company entered into various agreements with Zedge prior to the Zedge Spin-Off including a Separation and Distribution Agreement to effect the separation and provide a framework for our relationship with Zedge after the Zedge Spin-Off, and a Tax Separation Agreement, which sets forth the responsibilities of the Company and Zedge with respect to, among other things, liabilities for federal, state, local and foreign taxes for periods before and including the Zedge Spin-Off, the preparation and filing of tax returns for such periods and disputes with taxing authorities regarding taxes for such periods. Pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, among other things, the Company indemnifies Zedge and Zedge indemnifies the Company for losses related to the failure of the other to pay, perform or otherwise discharge, any of the liabilities and obligations set forth in the agreement. Pursuant to the Tax Separation Agreement, among other things, Zedge indemnifies the Company from all liability for taxes of Zedge and any of Zedge’s subsidiaries or relating to Zedge’s business accruing after the Zedge Spin-Off, and the Company indemnifies Zedge from all liability for taxes of Zedge and any of Zedge’s subsidiaries or relating to Zedge’s business with respect to taxable periods ending on or before the Zedge Spin-Off.

 

In connection with the Zedge Spin-Off, the Company and Zedge entered into a Transition Services Agreement pursuant to which the Company provides to Zedge certain administrative and other services, including services relating to human resources, payroll, investor relations, legal, accounting, tax, financial systems, management consulting and foreign exchange risk management. The Company charged Zedge $1.0 million and $0.6 million in fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016, respectively, for services provided pursuant to the Transition Services Agreement. At July 31, 2017 and 2016, other current assets reported in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet included receivables from Zedge of $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

 

At July 31, 2017, the Company held 23,227 shares of Zedge Class B common stock (see Note 6).

 

The Company entered into various agreements with Straight Path prior to the Straight Path Spin-Off including (1) a Separation and Distribution Agreement to effect the separation and provide a framework for the Company’s relationship with Straight Path after the spin-off, (2) a Tax Separation Agreement, which sets forth the responsibilities of the Company and Straight Path with respect to, among other things, liabilities for federal, state, local and foreign taxes for periods before and including the spin-off, the preparation and filing of tax returns for such periods and disputes with taxing authorities regarding taxes for such periods, and (3) a Transition Services Agreement, which provides for certain services to be performed by the Company to facilitate Straight Path’s transition into a separate publicly-traded company. These agreements provide for, among other things, the allocation between the Company and Straight Path of employee benefits, taxes and other liabilities and obligations attributable to periods prior to the spin-off, and provision of certain services by the Company to Straight Path following the spin-off, including services relating to human resources and employee benefits administration, treasury, accounting, tax, external reporting, and legal. Straight Path transitioned accounting and external reporting services from the Company to a third party in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. In addition, the Company and Straight Path have entered into a license agreement whereby each of the Company, Straight Path and their subsidiaries granted and will grant a license to the other to utilize patents held by each entity.

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement also includes that the Company is obligated to reimburse Straight Path for the payment of liabilities of Straight Path arising or related to the period prior to the Straight Path Spin-Off. The following table summarizes the change in the balance of the Company’s estimated liability to Straight Path, which is included in “Other current liabilities” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet:

 

Year ended July 31      
(in thousands) 2017  2016 
Balance at beginning of year $133  $286 
Additional liability  104   59 
Adjustments  (51)  (136)
Payments  (105)  (76)
Balance at end of year $81  $133 

 

Pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Company indemnifies Straight Path and Straight Path indemnifies the Company for losses related to the failure of the other to pay, perform or otherwise discharge, any of the liabilities and obligations set forth in the agreement. Pursuant to the Tax Separation Agreement, the Company indemnifies Straight Path from all liability for taxes of Straight Path or any of its subsidiaries or relating to the Straight Path business with respect to taxable periods ending on or before the Straight Path Spin-Off, from all liability for taxes of the Company, other than Straight Path and its subsidiaries, for any taxable period, and from all liability for taxes due to the Straight Path Spin-Off.

 

The Company charged Straight Path nil, nil and $1.1 million in fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, respectively, for services provided pursuant to the Transition Services Agreement and other items. At July 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s receivable from Straight Path was nil and nil, respectively.

 

In July 2015, the Company received 64,624 shares of Straight Path Class B common stock in connection with the lapsing of restrictions on awards of Straight Path restricted stock to certain of the Company’s employees and the payment of taxes related thereto. As part of the Straight Path Spin-Off, holders of the Company’s restricted Class B common stock received, in respect of those restricted shares, one share of Straight Path’s Class B common stock for every two restricted shares of the Company that they held as of the record date for the Straight Path Spin-Off. The Company received the Straight Path shares in exchange for the payment of an aggregate of $2.1 million for the employees’ tax withholding obligations upon the vesting event. The number of shares was determined based on their fair market value on the trading day immediately prior to the vesting date. In September and October 2015, the Company sold all of the shares for $2.6 million and recorded a gain on the sale of $0.5 million.


On April 9, 2017, the Company and Straight Path entered into a binding term sheet providing for the settlement and mutual release of potential indemnification and other claims asserted by each of the Company and Straight Path (see Note 12). In addition, on July 5, 2017, plaintiff JDS1, LLC, on behalf of itself and all other similarly situated stockholders of Straight Path, and derivatively on behalf of Straight Path as nominal defendant, filed a putative class action and derivative complaint in the Delaware Chancery Court against the Company, The Patrick Henry Trust (a trust formed by Howard S. Jonas to hold record and beneficial ownership of all of his shares of Straight Path), Howard S. Jonas, and each of Straight Path’s directors (see Note 21).

 

On October 28, 2011, the Company completed a pro rata distribution of the common stock of the Company’s subsidiary, Genie Energy Ltd. (“Genie”), to the Company’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on October 21, 2011 (the “Genie Spin-Off”). The Company entered into various agreements with Genie prior to the Genie Spin-Off including a Separation and Distribution Agreement to effect the separation and provide a framework for the Company’s relationship with Genie after the spin-off, and a Transition Services Agreement, which provides for certain services to be performed by the Company and Genie to facilitate Genie’s transition into a separate publicly-traded company. These agreements provide for, among other things, (1) the allocation between the Company and Genie of employee benefits, taxes and other liabilities and obligations attributable to periods prior to the spin-off, (2) transitional services to be provided by the Company relating to human resources and employee benefits administration, (3) the allocation of responsibilities relating to employee compensation and benefit plans and programs and other related matters, (4) finance, accounting, tax, internal audit, facilities, external reporting, investor relations and legal services to be provided by the Company to Genie following the spin-off and (5) specified administrative services to be provided by Genie to certain of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries. In addition, the Company entered into a Tax Separation Agreement with Genie, which sets forth the responsibilities of the Company and Genie with respect to, among other things, liabilities for federal, state, local and foreign taxes for periods before and including the spin-off, the preparation and filing of tax returns for such periods and disputes with taxing authorities regarding taxes for such periods.

 

Pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Company indemnifies Genie and Genie indemnifies the Company for losses related to the failure of the other to pay, perform or otherwise discharge, any of the liabilities and obligations set forth in the agreement. Pursuant to the Tax Separation Agreement, the Company indemnifies Genie from all liability for the Company’s taxes with respect to any taxable period, and Genie indemnifies the Company from all liability for taxes of Genie and its subsidiaries with respect to any taxable period, including, without limitation, the ongoing tax audits related to Genie’s business.

 

The Company charged Genie $1.6 million, $2.2 million and $3.6 million in fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, respectively, for services provided pursuant to the Transition Services Agreement and other items, net of the amounts charged by Genie to the Company. At July 31, 2017 and 2016, other current assets reported in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet included receivables from Genie of $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

 

The Company provides certain administrative and other services to Rafael Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The Company charged Rafael $0.6 million in fiscal 2017 for services. At July 31, 2017, other current assets reported in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet included receivable from Rafael of $0.6 million.

 

The Company provides office space, certain connectivity and other services to Jonas Media Group, a publishing firm owned by Howard S. Jonas. Billings for such services were $22,000, $22,000 and $21,000 in fiscal 2017, fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, respectively. The balance owed to the Company by Jonas Media Group was $22,000 and $6,000 as of July 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

 

The Company obtains insurance policies from several insurance brokers, one of which is IGM Brokerage Corp. (“IGM”). IGM was, until his death in October 2009, owned by Irwin Jonas, father of Howard S. Jonas, and the Company’s General Counsel, Joyce J. Mason. IGM is currently owned by Irwin Jonas’ widow—the mother of Howard S. Jonas and Joyce Mason. Jonathan Mason, husband of Joyce Mason and brother-in-law of Howard S. Jonas, provides insurance brokerage services via IGM. Based on information the Company received from IGM, the Company believes that IGM received commissions and fees from payments made by the Company to third party brokers in the aggregate amounts of $24,000 in fiscal 2017, $22,000 in fiscal 2016 and $20,000 in fiscal 2015, which fees and commissions inured to the benefit of Mr. Mason. Neither Howard S. Jonas nor Joyce Mason has any ownership or other interest in IGM or the commissions paid to IGM other than via the familial relationships with their mother and Jonathan Mason.

 

Mason and Company Consulting, LLC (“Mason and Co.”), a company owned solely by Jonathan Mason, receives an annual fee for the insurance brokerage referral and placement of the Company’s health benefit plan with Brown & Brown Metro, Inc. Based on information the Company received from Jonathan Mason, the Company believes that Mason and Co. received from Brown & Brown Metro, Inc. commissions and fees from payments made by the Company in the amount of $22,000 in fiscal 2017, $24,000 in fiscal 2016 and $18,000 in fiscal 2015. Neither Howard S. Jonas nor Joyce Mason has any ownership or other interest in Mason and Co. or the commissions paid to Mason and Co., other than via the familial relationships with Jonathan Mason.

 

Since August 2009, IDT Domestic Telecom, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, has leased space in a building in the Bronx, New York. Howard S. Jonas and Shmuel Jonas, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, and the son of Howard S. Jonas, are members of the limited liability company that owns the building. The latest lease, which became effective November 1, 2012, had a one-year term with a one-year renewal option for IDT Domestic Telecom with the same terms. Aggregate annual rent under the lease was $69,025. The parties have continued IDT Domestic Telecom’s occupancy of the space on the same terms.

 

The Company had net loans receivable outstanding from employees aggregating $0.2 million and $0.2 million at July 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, which are included in “Other current assets” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

At July 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had a payable to Howard S. Jonas of nil and $92,400, respectively.

 

See Note 2 for the Company’s sale of a 10% direct and indirect interest and rights in Rafael and the transfer of rights to an additional 10% interest in Rafael to Howard S. Jonas. See Note 12 for the Company’s proposed transfer of the ownership interest in SPIP to an entity to be organized by Howard S. Jonas. See Note 18 for sales of shares of the Company’s Class B Common Stock to Howard S. Jonas and purchases of the Company’s Class B Common Stock from Howard S. Jonas. See Note 19 for the grant to Howard S. Jonas of options to purchase shares of the Company’s Class B Common Stock.