(7) Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Litigation Contingencies

As a member of Visa, BOK Financial is obligated for a proportionate share of certain covered litigation losses incurred by Visa under a retrospective responsibility plan. A contingent liability was recognized for the Company’s share of Visa’s covered litigation liabilities. Visa funded an escrow account to cover litigation claims, including covered litigation losses under the retrospective responsibility plan, with proceeds from its initial public offering in 2008 and from available cash.

BOK Financial currently owns 252,233 Visa Class B shares which are convertible into 415,755 shares of Visa Class A shares after the final settlement of all covered litigation. Class B shares may be diluted in the future if the escrow fund is not adequate to cover future covered litigation costs. Therefore, no value has been currently assigned to the Class B shares and no value may be assigned until the Class B shares are converted into a known number of Class A shares.

On March 3, 2015, the Bank and the Company were named as defendants in a class action alleging (1) that the manner in which the Bank posted charges to its consumer deposit accounts was improper from September 1, 2011 through July 8, 2014, the period after which the Bank and BOK Financial had settled a class action respecting a similar claim, and before it made changes to its posting order and (2) that the manner in which the Bank posted charges to its small business deposit accounts was improper from July 9, 2009 through July 8, 2014. Following mediation of the case in August 2016, the Class Representatives and the Bank reached a settlement of the action for $7.8 million. The settlement is subject to the approval of the Court which the Parties to the Action expect. Management has established an accrual for the settlement.

On June 24, 2015, the Bank received a complaint alleging that an employee had colluded with a bond issuer and an individual in misusing revenues pledged to municipal bonds for which the Bank served as trustee under the bond indenture. The Company conducted an investigation and concluded that employees in one of its Corporate Trust offices had, with respect to a single group of affiliated bond issuances, violated Company policies and procedures by waiving financial covenants, granting forbearances and accepting without disclosure to the bondholders, debt service payments from sources other than pledged revenues. The relationship manager was terminated. The Company reported the circumstances to, and cooperated with an investigation by, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). On December 28, 2015, in an action brought by the SEC, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey entered a judgment against the principals involved in the issuing the bonds, precluding the principals from denying the alleged violations of the federal securities laws and requiring the principals to pay all outstanding principal, accrued interest, and other amounts required under the bond documents (estimated to be approximately $73 million, less the value of the facilities securing repayment of the bonds), subject to oversight by a court appointed monitor. On September 7, 2016, the Bank agreed, and the SEC entered, a consent order finding that the Bank had violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and requiring the Bank to disgorge $1,067,721 of fees and pay a civil penalty of $600,000. The Bank has disgorged the fees and paid the penalty. On January 7, 2016, the terminated employee filed an action against the Bank alleging the Bank defamed the employee and made a demand for indemnification respecting the SEC investigation which demand the respective boards of directors of the Company and the Bank denied. On September 9, 2016, the SEC filed a complaint against the terminated employee alleging the employee violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and requiring the employee to disgorge ill-gotten gains. On September 26, 2016, the employee dismissed the action without prejudice. On August 26, 2016, the Bank was sued in the United States District Court for New Jersey by two bondholders in a putative class action on behalf of all holders of the bonds alleging the Bank participated in the fraudulent sale of securities by the principals. On September 14, 2016, the Bank was sued in the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma by 19 bondholders alleging the Bank participated in the fraudulent sale of securities by the principals. Management has been advised by counsel that the Bank has valid defenses to the claims. The Bank expects the Court ordered payment plan will result in the payment of the bonds by the principals. Accordingly, no loss is probable at this time and no provision for loss has been made. If the payment plan does not result in payment of the bonds, a loss could become probable. A reasonable estimate cannot be made at this time though the amount could be material to the Company.

The Director of the New Mexico Securities Division of the State of New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department ("the Director") issued a Notice of Contemplated Action in connection with the purchase of various municipal bonds by the elected County Treasurer of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, from BOK Financial Securities, Inc., the Company’s broker-dealer affiliate. The Notice was settled by a $125,000 payment to the Division’s Educational fund, without any fine, penalty or sanction. The County of Bernalillo, New Mexico, has commenced arbitration pursuant to the Arbitration Rules of FINRA seeking recovery of $5.6 million arising out of the purchase. The Company has been advised that any recovery by the County is remote.

In the ordinary course of business, BOK Financial and its subsidiaries are subject to legal actions and complaints. Management believes, based upon the opinion of counsel, that the actions and liability or loss, if any, resulting from the final outcomes of the proceedings, will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Alternative Investment Commitments

The Company sponsors two private equity funds and invests in several tax credit entities and other funds as permitted by banking regulations. Consolidation of these investments is based on the variable interest model determined by the nature of the entity. Variable interest entities are generally defined as entities that either do not have sufficient equity to finance their activities without support from other parties or whose equity investors lack a controlling financial interest. Variable interest entities are consolidated based on the determination that the Company is the primary beneficiary including the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the variable interest's economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the variable interest or the right to receive benefits of the variable interest that could be significant to the variable interest.

BOKF Equity, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, is the general partner of two consolidated private equity funds (“the Funds”). The Funds provide alternative investment opportunities to certain customers, some of which are related parties, through unaffiliated limited partnerships. These unaffiliated limited partnerships generally invest in distressed assets, asset buy-outs or venture capital companies. As general partner, BOKF Equity, LLC has the power to direct activities that most significantly affect the Funds' performance and contingent obligations to make additional investments totaling $4.6 million at September 30, 2016. Substantially all of the obligations are offset by limited partner commitments. The Company does not accrue its contingent liability to fund investments. The Volcker Rule in Title VI of the Dodd-Frank Act will limit both the amount and structure of these types of investments.

Consolidated tax credit investment entities represent the Company's interest in entities earning federal new market tax credits related to qualifying loans. The Company has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the variable interest's economic performance of the entity including being the primary beneficiary of or the obligation to absorb losses of the variable interest that could be significant to the variable interest.

Other consolidated alternative investments include entities held under merchant banking authority. While the Company owns a majority of the voting interest in these entities, its ability to manage daily operations is limited by applicable banking regulations. Consolidated other assets includes total tangible assets, identifiable intangible assets and goodwill held by these entities.

The Company also has interests in various unrelated alternative investments generally consisting of unconsolidated limited partnership interests in or loans to entities for which investment return is primarily in the form of tax credits or that invest in distressed real estate loans and properties, energy development, venture capital and other activities. The Company is prohibited by banking regulations from controlling or actively managing the activities of these investments and the Company's maximum exposure to loss is restricted to its investment balance. The Company's obligation to fund alternative investments is included in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

A summary of consolidated and unconsolidated alternative investments as of September 30, 2016, December 31, 2015 and September 30, 2015 is as follows (in thousands):



	September 30, 2016
	Loans		Other assets		Other liabilities		Other borrowings		Non-controlling interests
Consolidated:
Private equity funds	$	—	$	18,420	$	—	$	—	$	15,946
Tax credit entities	10,000		11,740		—		10,964		10,000
Other	—		30,978		2,346		1,063		8,154
Total consolidated	$	10,000	$	61,138	$	2,346	$	12,027	$	34,100

Unconsolidated:
Tax credit entities	$	39,849	$	129,715	$	57,026	$	—	$	—
Other	—		30,272		13,653		—		—
Total unconsolidated	$	39,849	$	159,987	$	70,679	$	—	$	—



	Dec. 31, 2015
	Loans		Other assets		Other liabilities		Other borrowings		Non-controlling interests
Consolidated:
Private equity funds	$	—	$	22,472	$	—	$	—	$	17,823
Tax credit entities	10,000		12,206		—		10,964		10,000
Other	—		40,453		2,198		2,831		9,260
Total consolidated	$	10,000	$	75,131	$	2,198	$	13,795	$	37,083

Unconsolidated:
Tax credit entities	$	16,916	$	85,274	$	14,572	$	—	$	—
Other	—		15,506		6,319		—		—
Total unconsolidated	$	16,916	$	100,780	$	20,891	$	—	$	—



	September 30, 2015
	Loans		Other assets		Other liabilities		Other borrowings		Non-controlling interests
Consolidated:
Private equity funds	$	—	$	24,133	$	—	$	—	$	19,947
Tax credit entities	10,000		12,361		—		10,964		10,000
Other	—		41,197		2,774		2,788		8,989
Total consolidated	$	10,000	$	77,691	$	2,774	$	13,752	$	38,936

Unconsolidated:
Tax credit entities	$	18,114	$	94,600	$	21,973	$	—	$	—
Other	—		15,822		6,899		—		—
Total unconsolidated	$	18,114	$	110,422	$	28,872	$	—	$	—

Other Commitments and Contingencies

At September 30, 2016, Cavanal Hill Funds’ assets included U.S. Treasury, cash management and tax-free money market funds. Assets of these funds consist of highly-rated, short-term obligations of the U.S. Treasury, corporate issuers and U.S. states and municipalities. The net asset value of units in these funds was $1.00 at September 30, 2016. An investment in these funds is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or guaranteed by BOK Financial or any of its subsidiaries. BOK Financial may, but is not obligated to purchase assets from these funds to maintain the net asset value at $1.00. No assets were purchased from the funds in 2016 or 2015.

The Company has agreed to purchase approximately $7.5 million of Oklahoma Historic State Income Tax Credits from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, a principal shareholder of BOKF. These credits will be used to reduce the Company's state income tax liability in 2016 and 2017.