Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Lease Obligations:  A Lexicon subsidiary leases laboratory and office space in Hopewell, New Jersey under an agreement that was scheduled to expire in June 2013. Effective December 31, 2012, this lease was amended, and the amended lease expires in June 2018.  The amended lease includes escalating lease payments.  Rent expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the amended lease term.  Lexicon is the guarantor of the obligation of its subsidiary under this lease.  The Company is required to maintain restricted investments to collateralize a standby letter of credit for this lease.  The Company had $0.4 million and $0.4 million in restricted investments as collateral as of December 31, 2012 and  2011, respectively.  Additionally, Lexicon leases certain equipment under operating leases.

Rent expense for all operating leases was approximately $2.2 million, $2.5 million and $2.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.  The following table includes non-cancelable, escalating future lease payments for the facility in New Jersey:

	For the Year Ending December 31
	(in thousands)
2013	$	230
2014	1,052
2015	1,078
2016	1,103
2017	1,129
Thereafter	572
Total	$	5,164

Employment Agreements: Lexicon has entered into employment agreements with certain of its corporate officers. Under the agreements, each officer receives a base salary, subject to adjustment, with an annual discretionary bonus based upon specific objectives to be determined by the compensation committee. The employment agreements are at-will and contain non-competition agreements. The agreements also provide for a termination clause, which requires either a six or 12-month payment based on the officer’s salary and payment of a specified portion of the officer’s bonus target for such year, in the event of termination.

Legal Proceedings:  Lexicon is from time to time party to claims and legal proceedings that arise in the normal course of its business and that it believes will not have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.