Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Loss Contingencies

Laureate is subject to legal actions arising in the ordinary course of its business. In management's opinion, we have adequate legal defenses, insurance coverage and/or accrued liabilities with respect to the eventuality of such actions. We do not believe that any settlement would have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Contingent Liabilities for Taxes

As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Laureate has recorded cumulative liabilities totaling $35,030 and $38,355, respectively, for taxes other-than-income tax, principally payroll-tax-related uncertainties recorded at the time of an acquisition, of which $34,514 and $37,794, respectively, were classified as held for sale. The changes in this recorded liability are related to acquisitions, interest and penalty accruals, changes in tax laws, expirations of statutes of limitations, settlements and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The terms of the statutes of limitations on these contingencies vary but can be up to 10 years. These liabilities were included in current and long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in the recorded values of non-income tax contingencies impact operating income and interest expense, while changes in the related indemnification assets impact only operating income. For Continuing Operations, the total decrease to operating income for adjustments to non-income tax contingencies and indemnification assets was $13,349 and $6,607, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

In addition, as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Laureate has recorded cumulative liabilities for income tax contingencies of $53,162 and $40,668, respectively, of which $9,493 and $11,752, respectively, were classified as held for sale. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, indemnification assets primarily related to acquisition contingencies were $38,471 and $55,940, respectively, of which $37,340 and $40,877, respectively, were classified as held for sale. These indemnification assets primarily cover contingencies for income taxes and taxes other-than-income taxes. We have also recorded receivables, which are classified as held for sale, of approximately $13,000 and $14,000 as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, from the former owner of one of our Brazil institutions which is guaranteed by future rental payments to the former owner.

We have identified certain contingencies, primarily tax-related, that we have assessed as being reasonably possible of loss, but not probable of loss, and could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations if the outcomes are unfavorable. In most cases, Laureate has received indemnifications from the former owners and/or noncontrolling interest holders of the acquired businesses for contingencies, and therefore, we do not believe we will sustain an economic loss even if we are required to pay these additional amounts. In cases where we are not indemnified, the unrecorded contingencies are not individually material and are primarily in Brazil, which is now classified in Discontinued Operations. In the aggregate, we estimate that the reasonably possible loss for these unrecorded contingencies in Brazil could be up to approximately $50,000 if the outcomes were unfavorable in all cases.

Other Loss Contingencies

Laureate has accrued liabilities for certain civil actions against our institutions, a portion of which existed prior to our acquisition of these entities. Laureate intends to vigorously defend against these matters. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, approximately $8,000 and $8,300, respectively, of loss contingencies were included in Other long-term liabilities and Other current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition, as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, approximately $22,200 and $23,800, respectively, of loss contingencies were classified as held for sale.

Guarantees

Laureate acquired the remaining 49% ownership interest in UAM Brazil in April 2013. As part of the agreement to purchase the 49% ownership interest, Laureate pledged 49% of its total shares in UAM Brazil as a guarantee of our payment obligations under the purchase agreement. In the event that we default on any payment, the agreement provides for a forfeiture of the pledged shares.

In connection with a loan agreement entered into by a Laureate subsidiary in Peru, all of the shares of Universidad Privada del Norte, one of our universities, were pledged to the third-party lender as a guarantee of the payment obligations under the loan.

During the first quarter of 2021, one of our Peruvian institutions issued a bank guarantee in the amount of PEN 23,764 (approximately $6,364 at March 31, 2021) in order to appeal a preliminary tax assessment received related to tax audits of 2014 and 2015.

Standby Letters of Credit, Surety Bonds and Other Commitments

As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, Laureate's outstanding letters of credit (LOCs) and surety bonds primarily consisted of the items discussed below.

As of both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had approximately $83,600 posted as an LOC in favor of the DOE. This LOC was required to allow Walden to participate in the DOE Title IV program. The restricted cash used to collateralize this letter of credit was held by a corporate entity.

As part of our normal operations, our insurers issue surety bonds on our behalf, as required by various state education authorities in the United States. We are obligated to reimburse our insurers for any payments made by the insurers under the surety bonds. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the total face amount of these surety bonds, which are fully collateralized with cash, was $16,929 and $17,094, respectively.

In November 2016, in order to continue participating in Prouni, a federal program that offers tax benefits designed to increase higher education participation rates in Brazil, UAM Brazil posted a guarantee in the amount of $15,300. In connection with the issuance of the guarantee, UAM Brazil obtained a non-collateralized surety bond from a third party in order to secure the guarantee. The cost of the surety bond was $1,400, of which half was reimbursed by the former owner of UAM Brazil, and is being amortized over a five-year term. The Company believes that this matter will not have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Spanish Tax Audits

As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had approximately $11,100 and $11,500, respectively, posted as cash collateral for LOCs related to the Spanish tax audits. This was recorded in Continuing Operations and classified as Restricted cash on our March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 Consolidated Balance Sheets. The cash collateral is related to final assessments issued by the Spanish Taxing Authority (STA) in October 2018 and January 2020 to Iniciativas Culturales de España, S.L. (ICE). ICE was formerly our Spanish holding company; during the second quarter of 2020, ICE was migrated to the Netherlands and its name was changed to Laureate Netherlands Holding B.V.

In addition, on March 11, 2020, ICE received a preliminary assessment of approximately EUR 21,600 (approximately $25,500 at March 31, 2021), related to the STA’s extension of their audit to review withholding taxes on income earned by nonresidents. This assessment was not final, and ICE challenged the assessment. On March 30, 2021, in response to our allegations, the STA issued a final assessment to Laureate Netherlands Holding B.V. in which the Chief Tax Auditor challenged the preliminary assessment and found that the STA could not claim the withholding tax obligation in this case. At this time, we consider the matter resolved.