Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation, Policy

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of PDL Biopharma, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “PDL”) have been prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (United States) (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. The financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments), that management of the Company believes are necessary for a fair presentation of the periods presented. These interim financial results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for the full fiscal year.

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and related financial information should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2017, included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 16, 2018. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2017, included herein, has been derived from the audited Consolidated Financial Statements at that date, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The accounting estimates that require management’s most significant, difficult and subjective judgments include the valuation of royalty rights - at fair value, revenue recognition and allowance for customer credits, the valuation of inventory, the assessment of recoverability of goodwill and intangible assets and their estimated useful lives, the valuation and recognition of share-based compensation, the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities, and contingent consideration estimates. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Significant Accounting Policies

The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. Summarized below are the accounting pronouncements adopted subsequent to December 31, 2017.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The new standard provides for specific guidance how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the requirements of ASU No. 2016-15. The adoption did not have an effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements on the adoption date and no adjustment to prior year Consolidated Financial Statements was required.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory, which requires companies to account for the income tax effects of intercompany sales and transfers of assets other than inventory in the period in which the transfer occurs. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the requirements of ASU No. 2016-16. The adoption did not have an effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements on the adoption date and no adjustment to prior year Consolidated Financial Statements was required.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, RestrictedCash, which requires entities to show the changes in total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the requirements of ASU No. 2016-18. The adoption did not have an effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements on the adoption date and no adjustment to prior year Consolidated Financial Statements was required.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the requirements of ASU No. 2014-09 using the modified retrospective method as discussed in Note 2, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. All amounts and disclosures set forth in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q reflect these changes.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which outlines a comprehensive lease accounting model that supersedes the current lease guidance and requires lessees to recognize lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets for all leases with lease terms greater than 12 months. The guidance also changes the definition of a lease and expands the disclosure requirements of lease arrangements. The new standard is to be applied using either a modified retrospective approach, or an optional transition method that allows an entity to apply the new standard at the adoption date with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption and will be effective for the Company starting with the first quarter of 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt the standard effective in the first quarter of 2019 and is currently assessing the impact of adopting this guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company does not expect the adoption will have a material impact on its consolidated statement of earnings. However, the new standard will require the Company to establish liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets on its consolidated balance sheet for operating leases that exist as of the January 1, 2019 adoption date.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The new guidance amends the impairment model to utilize an expected loss methodology in place of the currently used incurred loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of losses. ASU No. 2016-13 has an effective date of the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating ASU No. 2016-13 and assessing the impact, if any, it may have to the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement.  The new guidance modifies disclosure requirements related to fair value measurement. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Implementation on a prospective or retrospective basis varies by specific disclosure requirement. Early adoption is permitted. The standard also allows for early adoption of any removed or modified disclosures upon issuance of this ASU while delaying adoption of the additional disclosures until their effective date.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software. The new guidance reduces complexity for the accounting for costs of implementing a cloud computing service arrangement and aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). For public companies, the amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted.  Implementation should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The effects of this standard on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows are not expected to be material.