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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Text Block]

Note 12 – Related Party Transactions

Debt with Counsel

     Until the second quarter of 2014, as discussed below and in Note 8, Counsel was the Company’s majority shareholder. Counsel remains a related party, following the distribution of its investment in HGI to Counsel shareholders, as a result of the Services Agreement discussed below. Therefore, at December 31, 2014 the Company reported the $2,985 owing to Counsel as related party debt. At December 31, 2013 the Company had a balance owing to Counsel of $2,550. Interest on the debt has been accrued to December 31 and has been capitalized.

Counsel Services Provided to Company

     Beginning in December 2004, HGI and Counsel entered into successive annual management services agreements (collectively, the “Agreement”). Under the terms of the Agreement, HGI agreed to pay Counsel for ongoing services provided to HGI by Counsel personnel. These services included preparation of the Company’s financial statements and regulatory filings, taxation matters, stock-based compensation administration, Board administration, patent portfolio administration and litigation matters. The Counsel employees providing the services were: 1) its Executive Vice President, Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, 2) its Tax Manager, 3) an Accounting Manager, and 4) its Accounts Payable Clerk. These employees have the same or similar positions with HGI, but none of them received compensation from HGI. Rather, Counsel allocated to HGI a percentage, based on time incurred, of the employees’ base compensation paid by Counsel. Beginning in the first quarter of 2011, additional amounts were charged to HGI for Counsel services specifically relating to the ongoing operations of HGI’s asset liquidation business. The amounts due under the Agreement were payable within 30 days following the respective year end, subject to applicable restrictions. Any unpaid amounts bore interest at 10% per annum commencing on the day after such year end.

     In the first quarter of 2013, Counsel announced its plan to dispose of its interest in HGI, and on March 20, 2014, Counsel declared a dividend in kind, consisting of Counsel’s distribution of its majority interest in HGI to Counsel shareholders. The payment was made on April 30, 2014 to shareholders of record at April 1, 2014.

     Following this disposition, the Company and Counsel entered into a replacement management services agreement (the “Services Agreement”). Under the terms of the Services Agreement, Counsel remains as external manager and continues to provide the same services, at similar rates. The Services Agreement has an initial term of one year, which renews automatically for successive one-year terms unless notice by either party is given within ninety days before the expiration. The Services Agreement may be terminated at any time upon mutual agreement of the Company and Counsel. The Company intends to internalize its management in the future, but expects that it will continue to avail itself of the services provided under the Services Agreement until such time.

The amounts charged by Counsel are detailed below:

    Year ended  
    December 31,  
Item            
    2014     2013  
Management fees $ 360   $ 360  
Other charges   75     74  
Total $ 435   $ 434  

Transactions with Other Related Parties

     The Company leases office space in Foster City, CA as part of the operations of HGP. The premises are owned by an entity that is jointly controlled by senior officers of HGP. It also leases office space in Edwardsville, IL, as part of the operations of NLEX, that is owned by senior officers of NLEX. Beginning in 2009, the Company leased office space in White Plains, NY and Los Angeles, CA as part of the operations of HG LLC. Both premises are owned by entities that are controlled by a former Co-CEO of HG LLC and the Company. In connection with the departure of the Co-CEOs in the third quarter of 2013, these lease agreements were terminated, without penalty, effective June 30, 2013.

     The lease amounts paid by the Company to the related parties, which are included in selling, general and administrative expenses, are detailed below:

    Year ended  
Leased premises location   December 31,  
    2014     2013  
Foster City, CA $ 228   $ 228  
Edwardsville, IL   57      
White Plains, NY       66  
Los Angeles, CA       12  
Total $ 285   $ 306  

     On July 26, 2013, the Company and its Co-CEOs entered into an agreement by which the Co-CEOs terminated their employment with the Company and HG LLC. Under the agreement, as disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 31, 2013, effective June 30, 2013 the Co-CEOs departed the Company along with the personnel in the New York and Los Angeles offices of HG LLC. In August 2012, each Co-CEO had acquired 400,000 common shares of the Company, with a total value of $1,054, in return for intellectual property licensing agreements. The $1,054 was recorded as stock-based compensation in 2012. On July 26, 2013, the Co-CEOs returned these common shares, which had a fair value of $624, in order to re-acquire the licensing agreements. The Company therefore recorded intellectual property licensing revenue of $624. The shares have been cancelled.