COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Lease Commitments

Facilities, equipment and vehicles are leased under various operating leases expiring at various dates through 2031. Certain of these leases contain renewal options and escalating rent payments. Rental expense is recognized on a straight-line basis and was as follows during fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015:



	2017		2016		2015
	(In thousands)
Rent expense	$	32,089	$	28,216	$	27,406

As of December 30, 2017, future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases were as follows:




	Operating
	Leases
For the fiscal years:	(In thousands)
2018	$	28,090
2019	20,641
2020	12,514
2021	10,013
2022	7,042
Thereafter	21,721
Total lease payments	$	100,021

Purchase Obligations

Cadence had purchase obligations of $31.8 million as of December 30, 2017 that were associated with agreements or commitments for purchases of goods or services.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, Cadence is involved in various disputes and litigation that arise in the ordinary course of business. These include disputes and lawsuits related to intellectual property, indemnification obligations, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, contracts, distribution arrangements and employee relations matters. At least quarterly, Cadence reviews the status of each significant matter and assesses its potential financial exposure. If the potential loss from any claim or legal proceeding is considered probable and the amount or the range of loss can be estimated, Cadence accrues a liability for the estimated loss. Legal proceedings are subject to uncertainties, and the outcomes are difficult to predict. Because of such uncertainties, accruals are based on Cadence’s judgments using the best information available at the time. As additional information becomes available, Cadence reassesses the potential liability related to pending claims and litigation matters and may revise estimates.

Other Contingencies

Cadence provides its customers with a warranty on sales of hardware products, generally for a 90-day period. Cadence did not incur any significant costs related to warranty obligations during fiscal 2017, 2016 or 2015.

Cadence’s product license and services agreements typically include a limited indemnification provision for claims from third parties relating to Cadence’s intellectual property. If the potential loss from any indemnification claim is considered probable and the amount or the range of loss can be estimated, Cadence accrues a liability for the estimated loss. The indemnification is generally limited to the amount paid by the customer. Cadence did not incur any significant losses from indemnification claims during fiscal 2017, 2016 or 2015.