Business Combinations

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Business Combinations

Business Combinations

In 2015, we completed 8 acquisitions of new subsidiaries, which increased goodwill $144.7 million. Approximately $28.3 million of the goodwill recorded in 2015 is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes. Further, we acquired additional equity interests in certain majority owned subsidiaries, which are accounted for as equity transactions and no additional goodwill was recorded. None of the acquisitions in 2015, either individually or in the aggregate, was material to our results of operations or financial position.

The valuation of the acquired businesses is based on various factors, including specialized know-how, reputation, geographic coverage, competitive position and service offerings, as well as our experience and judgment. Our acquisition strategy is focused on acquiring the expertise of an assembled workforce in order to continue to build upon the core capabilities of our strategic business platforms and agency brands, through the expansion of their geographic area or their service capabilities to better serve our clients. Certain acquisitions include an initial payment at closing and provide for future additional contingent purchase price payments (earn-outs), which are derived using the performance of the acquired entity and are based on predetermined formulas. The liability for contingent purchase price obligations was $322.0 million and $300.7 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, of which $81.5 million and $105.5 million, respectively, is included in other current liabilities.

For each acquisition, we undertake a detailed review to identify other intangible assets and a valuation is performed for all such identified assets. We use several market participant measurements to determine fair value. This approach includes consideration of similar and recent transactions, as well as utilizing discounted expected cash flow methodologies and when available and as appropriate, we use comparative market multiples to supplement our analysis. As is typical for most service businesses, a substantial portion of the intangible asset value we acquire is the specialized know-how of the workforce, which is treated as part of goodwill and is not valued separately. A significant portion of the identifiable intangible assets acquired is derived from customer relationships, including the related customer contracts, as well as trade names. One of the primary drivers in executing our acquisition strategy is the existence of, or the ability to, expand our existing client relationships. The expected benefits of our acquisitions are typically shared across multiple agencies and regions.