(9) Commitments and Contingencies

The Company is currently involved in various legal claims arising in the ordinary course of business. Management does not believe that the disposition of these matters, whether individually or in the aggregate, will have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Contingent Consideration. In July 2011, the Company acquired the Sanuk brand, and the total purchase price included contingent consideration payments. As of March 31, 2013, the remaining contingent consideration payments, which have no maximum, are as follows:

· 36.0% of the Sanuk brand gross profit in 2013, and

· 40.0% of the Sanuk brand gross profit in 2015.

As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, contingent consideration for the acquisition of the Sanuk brand of $45,609 and $70,360, respectively, are included within other accrued expenses ($18,711 and $25,450 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively) and long-term liabilities ($26,898 and $44,910 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively) in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Refer to note 5 for further information on the contingent consideration amounts.

In September 2012, the Company acquired Hoka, and the total purchase price included contingent consideration payments with a maximum of $2,000. Based on current projections as of March 31, 2013, contingent consideration for the acquisition of the Hoka brand of $1,500 is included within other accrued expenses and long-term liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Refer to note 5 for further information on the contingent consideration amounts.

Purchase Obligations. The Company has unconditional purchase obligations relating to sheepskin contracts. The Company enters into contracts requiring minimum purchase commitments of sheepskin that Deckers’ affiliates, manufacturers, factories, and other agents (each, a Buyer) must make on or before a specified target date. Under certain contracts, the Company may pay an advance deposit, which is included in other current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets and shall be repaid to the Company as Buyers purchase goods under the terms of these agreements. In the event that a Buyer does not purchase certain minimum commitments on or before certain target dates, the supplier may retain a portion of the advance deposit until the amounts of the commitments are fulfilled. These agreements may result in unconditional purchase obligations if a Buyer does not meet the minimum purchase requirements. In the event that a Buyer does not purchase such minimum commitments, the Company shall be responsible for compliance with any and all minimum purchase commitments under these contracts. The contracts do not permit net settlement. The Company expects sheepskin purchases by third party factories will eventually exceed the contract levels. Therefore, management believes the likelihood of any non-performance payments under these contractual arrangements is remote and would have an immaterial effect on the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income. The Company determined this based upon its projected sales and inventory purchases. Minimum commitments for these contracts as of March 31, 2013 were as follows:

Contract Effective Date	Final Target Date	Advance Deposit		Total Minimum Commitment		Remaining Deposit		Remaining Commitment, Net of Deposit
October 2011	July 31, 2012	$	50,000	$	270,000	$	39,383	$	75,907
October 2012	September 30, 2013	$	—	$	83,000	$	—	$	58,738

Subsequent to March 31, 2013, the Company entered into another sheepskin agreement for a total minimum commitment of $26,750 with a final target date of September 30, 2014. Under this contract, the Company will not pay an advance deposit. In the event that the minimum commitment has not been reached by September 30, 2014 the Company will advance funds to cover the remaining commitment under the contract, with such advanced amounts to be refunded upon the future purchase of the minimum purchase commitment by a Buyer.

Income Taxes. The Company files income tax returns in the US federal jurisdiction and various state, local, and foreign jurisdictions. When tax returns are filed, some positions taken are subject to uncertainty about the merits of the position taken or the amount that would be ultimately sustained. The benefit of a tax position is recognized in the financial statements in the period during which the Company believes it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination. Tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. The portion of the benefits that exceeds the amount measured as described above is reflected as a liability for unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets along with any associated interest and penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to US federal, state, local, or non-US income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2007. It is possible that the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits could change; however, the Company believes its unrecognized tax benefits are adequate.

Although the Company believes its tax estimates are reasonable and prepares its tax filings in accordance with all applicable tax laws, the final determination with respect to any tax audits, and any related litigation, could be materially different from the Company’s estimates or from its historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit or litigation could have a material effect on operating results or cash flows in the periods for which that determination is made. In addition, future period earnings may be adversely impacted by litigation costs, settlements, penalties, or interest assessments.

The Company has ongoing income tax examinations under various state tax jurisdictions. It is the opinion of management that these audits and inquiries will not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Indemnification. The Company has agreed to indemnify certain of its licensees, distributors, and promotional partners in connection with claims related to the use of the Company’s intellectual property. The terms of such agreements range up to five years initially and generally do not provide for a limitation on the maximum potential future payments. From time to time, the Company also agrees to indemnify its licensees, distributors and promotional partners in connection with claims that the Company’s products infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties. These agreements may or may not be made pursuant to a written contract.

Management believes the likelihood of any payments under any of these arrangements is remote and would be immaterial. This determination was made based on a prior history of insignificant claims and related payments. There are no currently pending claims relating to indemnification matters involving the Company’s intellectual property.