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Variable Interest Entities
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Variable Interest Entities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Variable Interest Entities
Variable Interest Entities

In the normal course of business, the Company periodically creates or transacts with entities that are investment vehicles organized as partnerships or limited liability companies. These entities were established for the purpose of investing in securities of public or private companies, or municipal debt obligations and were initially financed through the capital commitments of the members. The Company has investments in and/or acts as the managing partner of these entities. In certain instances, the Company provides management and investment advisory services for which it earns fees generally based upon the market value of assets under management and may include incentive fees based upon performance. The Company’s aggregate investments in these investment vehicles totaled $109.5 million and $96.9 million at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are recorded in other assets on the consolidated statements of financial condition. The Company’s remaining capital commitments to these entities was $35.9 million at September 30, 2013.

Variable interest entities (“VIEs”) are entities in which equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities. The determination as to whether an entity is a VIE is based on the amount and nature of the members’ equity investment in the entity. The Company also considers other characteristics such as the power through voting rights or similar rights to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance. For those entities that meet the deferral provisions defined by FASB ASU No. 2010-10, "Consolidation: Amendments for Certain Investment Funds," ("ASU 2010-10"), the Company considers characteristics such as the ability to influence the decision making about the entity’s activities and how the entity is financed. The Company has identified certain of the entities described above as VIEs. These VIEs had net assets approximating $0.7 billion and $0.8 billion at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. The Company’s exposure to loss from these VIEs is $6.4 million, which is the carrying value of its capital contributions recorded in other assets on the consolidated statements of financial condition at September 30, 2013. The Company had no liabilities related to these VIEs at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

The Company is required to consolidate all VIEs for which it is considered to be the primary beneficiary. The determination as to whether the Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary is based on whether the Company has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. For those entities that meet the deferral provisions defined by ASU 2010-10, the determination as to whether the Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary differs in that it is based on whether the Company will absorb a majority of the VIE’s expected losses, receive a majority of the VIE’s expected residual returns, or both. The Company determined it is not the primary beneficiary of these VIEs and accordingly does not consolidate them. Furthermore, the Company has not provided financial or other support to these VIEs that it was not previously contractually required to provide as of September 30, 2013.