European Commission Fines and Other Legal and Tax Matters	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2011
European Commission Fines and Other Legal and Tax Matters
European Commission Fines and Other Legal and Tax Matters	NOTE 3. EUROPEAN COMMISSION FINES AND OTHER LEGAL AND TAX MATTERS European Commission Fines in Spain In October 2004, the European Commission (the "Commission") imposed fines on "five companies active in the raw Spanish tobacco processing market" totaling €20 million for "colluding on the prices paid to, and the quantities bought from, the tobacco growers in Spain." Two of the Company's subsidiaries, Tabacos Espanoles S.A. ("TAES"), a purchaser and processor of raw tobacco in Spain, and Deltafina, S.p.A. ("Deltafina"), an Italian subsidiary, were among the five companies assessed fines. In its decision, the Commission imposed a fine of €108,000 on TAES, and a fine of €11.88 million on Deltafina. Deltafina did not and does not purchase or process raw tobacco in the Spanish market, but was and is a significant buyer of tobacco from some of the Spanish processors. The Company recorded a charge of €11.88 million (approximately $14.9 million at the September 2004 exchange rate) in the second quarter of fiscal year 2005 to accrue the full amount of the fines assessed against the Company's subsidiaries. In January 2005, Deltafina filed an appeal in the General Court of the European Union ("General Court"). A hearing was held in June 2009, and on September 8, 2010, the General Court issued its decision, in which it reduced the amount of the Deltafina fine to €6.12 million. The General Court held in part that the Commission erred in finding Deltafina acted as the leader of the Spanish cartel, and that the Commission's corresponding increase of the underlying fine by 50% was not justified. Deltafina filed an appeal to the General Court decision with the European Court of Justice on November 18, 2010. Although Deltafina agreed with the General Court that there was no basis for finding that Deltafina had acted as the leader of the Spanish cartel, Deltafina believed the General Court erred in not reducing the remaining fine further based on numerous grounds. A hearing has not been set to date and an ultimate resolution to the matter could take several years. The Company had deposited funds in an escrow account with the Commission in February 2005 in an amount equal to the original fine. The Company received funds from escrow in an amount equal to the reduction by the General Court plus interest that had accrued thereon. As a result of the General Court's decision in September 2010, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, the Company reversed €5.76 million (approximately $7.4 million) of the charge previously recorded to accrue the fine and recognized approximately $1.2 million of interest income returned on the escrow funds. The reversal of the fine is included in selling, general and administrative expense in the consolidated statement of income. European Commission Fines in Italy In 2002, the Company reported that it was aware that the Commission was investigating certain aspects of the leaf tobacco markets in Italy. Deltafina buys and processes tobacco in Italy. The Company reported that it did not believe that the Commission investigation in Italy would result in penalties being assessed against it or its subsidiaries that would be material to the Company's earnings. The reason the Company held this belief was that it had received conditional immunity from the Commission because Deltafina had voluntarily informed the Commission of the activities that were the basis of the investigation. On December 28, 2004, the Company received a preliminary indication that the Commission intended to revoke Deltafina's immunity for disclosing in April 2002 that it had applied for immunity. Neither the Commission's Leniency Notice of February 19, 2002, nor Deltafina's letter of conditional immunity, contains a specific requirement of confidentiality. The potential for such disclosure was discussed with the Commission in March 2002, and the Commission never told Deltafina that disclosure would affect Deltafina's immunity. On November 15, 2005, the Company received notification from the Commission that the Commission had imposed fines totaling €30 million (about $42 million at the March 31, 2011 exchange rate) on Deltafina and the Company jointly for infringing European Union antitrust law in connection with the purchase and processing of tobacco in the Italian raw tobacco market. The Company does not believe that the decision can be reconciled with either the Commission's Statement of Objections or the facts. In January 2006, the Company and Deltafina each filed appeals in the General Court. Deltafina's appeal was held on September 28, 2010. For strategic reasons related to the defense of the Deltafina appeal, Universal withdrew its appeal. Based on consultation with outside legal counsel, the Company believes it is probable that Deltafina will prevail in the appeals process and has not accrued a charge for the fine. If the Company and Deltafina are ultimately found liable for the full amount of the fine, then accumulated interest on the fine would also be due and payable. Accumulated interest totaled approximately €5 million (about $8 million) at March 31, 2011. Deltafina has provided a bank guarantee to the Commission in the amount of the fine plus accumulated interest in order to stay execution during the appeals process. Other Legal and Tax Matters In addition to the above-mentioned matters, various subsidiaries of the Company are involved in other litigation and tax examinations incidental to their business activities. While the outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management is vigorously defending the matters and does not currently expect that any of them will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position. However, should one or more of these matters be resolved in a manner adverse to management's current expectation, the effect on the Company's results of operations for a particular fiscal reporting period could be material.

NOTE 3. EUROPEAN COMMISSION FINES AND OTHER LEGAL AND TAX MATTERS

European Commission Fines in Spain

In October 2004, the European Commission (the "Commission") imposed fines on "five companies active in the raw Spanish tobacco processing market" totaling €20 million for "colluding on the prices paid to, and the quantities bought from, the tobacco growers in Spain." Two of the Company's subsidiaries, Tabacos Espanoles S.A. ("TAES"), a purchaser and processor of raw tobacco in Spain, and Deltafina, S.p.A. ("Deltafina"), an Italian subsidiary, were among the five companies assessed fines. In its decision, the Commission imposed a fine of €108,000 on TAES, and a fine of €11.88 million on Deltafina. Deltafina did not and does not purchase or process raw tobacco in the Spanish market, but was and is a significant buyer of tobacco from some of the Spanish processors. The Company recorded a charge of €11.88 million (approximately $14.9 million at the September 2004 exchange rate) in the second quarter of fiscal year 2005 to accrue the full amount of the fines assessed against the Company's subsidiaries.

In January 2005, Deltafina filed an appeal in the General Court of the European Union ("General Court"). A hearing was held in June 2009, and on September 8, 2010, the General Court issued its decision, in which it reduced the amount of the Deltafina fine to €6.12 million. The General Court held in part that the Commission erred in finding Deltafina acted as the leader of the Spanish cartel, and that the Commission's corresponding increase of the underlying fine by 50% was not justified. Deltafina filed an appeal to the General Court decision with the European Court of Justice on November 18, 2010. Although Deltafina agreed with the General Court that there was no basis for finding that Deltafina had acted as the leader of the Spanish cartel, Deltafina believed the General Court erred in not reducing the remaining fine further based on numerous grounds. A hearing has not been set to date and an ultimate resolution to the matter could take several years. The Company had deposited funds in an escrow account with the Commission in February 2005 in an amount equal to the original fine. The Company received funds from escrow in an amount equal to the reduction by the General Court plus interest that had accrued thereon. As a result of the General Court's decision in September 2010, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, the Company reversed €5.76 million (approximately $7.4 million) of the charge previously recorded to accrue the fine and recognized approximately $1.2 million of interest income returned on the escrow funds. The reversal of the fine is included in selling, general and administrative expense in the consolidated statement of income.

European Commission Fines in Italy

In 2002, the Company reported that it was aware that the Commission was investigating certain aspects of the leaf tobacco markets in Italy. Deltafina buys and processes tobacco in Italy. The Company reported that it did not believe that the Commission investigation in Italy would result in penalties being assessed against it or its subsidiaries that would be material to the Company's earnings. The reason the Company held this belief was that it had received conditional immunity from the Commission because Deltafina had voluntarily informed the Commission of the activities that were the basis of the investigation.

On December 28, 2004, the Company received a preliminary indication that the Commission intended to revoke Deltafina's immunity for disclosing in April 2002 that it had applied for immunity. Neither the Commission's Leniency Notice of February 19, 2002, nor Deltafina's letter of conditional immunity, contains a specific requirement of confidentiality. The potential for such disclosure was discussed with the Commission in March 2002, and the Commission never told Deltafina that disclosure would affect Deltafina's immunity. On November 15, 2005, the Company received notification from the Commission that the Commission had imposed fines totaling €30 million (about $42 million at the March 31, 2011 exchange rate) on Deltafina and the Company jointly for infringing European Union antitrust law in connection with the purchase and processing of tobacco in the Italian raw tobacco market.

The Company does not believe that the decision can be reconciled with either the Commission's Statement of Objections or the facts. In January 2006, the Company and Deltafina each filed appeals in the General Court. Deltafina's appeal was held on September 28, 2010. For strategic reasons related to the defense of the Deltafina appeal, Universal withdrew its appeal. Based on consultation with outside legal counsel, the Company believes it is probable that Deltafina will prevail in the appeals process and has not accrued a charge for the fine. If the Company and Deltafina are ultimately found liable for the full amount of the fine, then accumulated interest on the fine would also be due and payable. Accumulated interest totaled approximately €5 million (about $8 million) at March 31, 2011. Deltafina has provided a bank guarantee to the Commission in the amount of the fine plus accumulated interest in order to stay execution during the appeals process.

Other Legal and Tax Matters

In addition to the above-mentioned matters, various subsidiaries of the Company are involved in other litigation and tax examinations incidental to their business activities. While the outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management is vigorously defending the matters and does not currently expect that any of them will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position. However, should one or more of these matters be resolved in a manner adverse to management's current expectation, the effect on the Company's results of operations for a particular fiscal reporting period could be material.