Variable interest entities

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Variable interest entities

15. Variable interest entities

The Company relies on the operating activities of certain entities that it does not directly own or control, but over which it has indirect influence and of which it is considered the primary beneficiary. These entities are subject to the consolidation guidance applicable to variable interest entities (VIEs).

Under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), VIEs typically include entities for which (i) the entity’s equity is not sufficient to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support; (ii) the equity holders as a group lack the power to direct the activities that most significantly influence the entity’s economic performance, the obligation to absorb the entity’s expected losses, or the right to receive the entity’s expected returns; or (iii) the voting rights of some investors are not proportional to their obligations to absorb the entity’s losses.

The Company has determined that substantially all of the entities it is associated with that qualify as VIEs must be included in its consolidated financial statements. The Company manages these entities and provides operating and capital funding as necessary for these entities to accomplish their operational and strategic objectives. A number of these entities are subject to nominee share ownership or share transfer restriction agreements that effectively transfer the majority of the economic risks and rewards of their ownership to the Company. In other cases, the Company’s management agreements with these entities include both financial terms and protective and participating rights to the entities’ operating, strategic and non-clinical governance decisions which transfer substantial powers over and economic responsibility for the entities to the Company. In some cases, such entities are subject to broad exclusivity or noncompetition restrictions that benefit the Company. Further, in some cases, the Company has contractual arrangements with the nominee owners that effectively indemnify these parties from the economic losses from, or entitle the Company to the economic benefits of, these entities.

The analyses upon which these consolidation determinations rest are complex, involve uncertainties, and require significant judgment on various matters, some of which could be subject to different interpretations. At June 30, 2016, these condensed consolidated financial statements include total assets of VIEs of $642,518 and total liabilities and noncontrolling interests of VIEs to third parties of $390,477.

The Company also sponsors certain deferred compensation plans whose trusts qualify as VIEs and the Company consolidates each of these plans as their primary beneficiary. The assets of these plans are recorded in short-term or long-term investments with matching offsetting liabilities recorded in accrued compensation and benefits and other long-term liabilities. See Note 4 for disclosures on the assets of these consolidated non-qualified deferred compensation plans.