UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
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(Mark One) |
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☒ |
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020
OR
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☐ |
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 001-35000
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland |
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80-0629925 |
(State or other jurisdiction of |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
incorporation or organization) |
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7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200E
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
(301) 215-5500
(Address of principal executive offices and registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name, former address, and former fiscal year if changed since last report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of each class |
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Trading Symbol |
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Name of each exchange on which registered |
Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value Per Share |
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WD |
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New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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Large Accelerated Filer ☒ Smaller Reporting Company ☐ |
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Accelerated Filer ☐ Emerging Growth Company ☐ |
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Non-accelerated Filer ☐ |
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of July 29, 2020, there were 31,104,094 total shares of common stock outstanding.
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
Form 10-Q
INDEX
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Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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57 |
PART I
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands, except per share data)
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June 30, 2020 |
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December 31, 2019 |
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Assets |
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(unaudited) |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
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$ |
275,202 |
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$ |
120,685 |
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Restricted cash |
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10,894 |
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8,677 |
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Pledged securities, at fair value |
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128,296 |
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121,767 |
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Loans held for sale, at fair value |
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1,733,598 |
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787,035 |
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Loans held for investment, net |
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404,527 |
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543,542 |
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Mortgage servicing rights |
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778,269 |
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718,799 |
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Goodwill and other intangible assets |
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251,165 |
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182,959 |
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Derivative assets |
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27,085 |
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15,568 |
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Receivables, net |
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50,188 |
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52,146 |
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Other assets |
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133,825 |
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124,021 |
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Total assets |
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$ |
3,793,049 |
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$ |
2,675,199 |
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Liabilities |
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Warehouse notes payable |
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$ |
1,863,654 |
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$ |
906,128 |
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Note payable |
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292,819 |
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293,964 |
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Guaranty obligation, net of accumulated amortization |
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54,872 |
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54,695 |
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Allowance for risk-sharing obligations |
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69,191 |
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11,471 |
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Derivative liabilities |
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13,739 |
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36 |
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Performance deposits from borrowers |
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11,696 |
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7,996 |
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Other liabilities |
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396,527 |
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358,624 |
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Total liabilities |
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$ |
2,702,498 |
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$ |
1,632,914 |
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Equity |
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Preferred shares, authorized 50,000; none issued. |
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$ |
— |
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$ |
— |
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Common stock, $0.01 par value. Authorized 200,000; issued and outstanding 30,369 shares at June 30, 2020 and 30,035 shares at December 31, 2019. |
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304 |
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300 |
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Additional paid-in capital ("APIC") |
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238,094 |
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237,877 |
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Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI") |
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249 |
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737 |
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Retained earnings |
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851,904 |
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796,775 |
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Total stockholders’ equity |
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$ |
1,090,551 |
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$ |
1,035,689 |
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Noncontrolling interests |
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— |
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6,596 |
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Total equity |
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$ |
1,090,551 |
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$ |
1,042,285 |
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Commitments and contingencies (NOTES 2 and 9) |
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— |
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— |
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Total liabilities and equity |
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$ |
3,793,049 |
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$ |
2,675,199 |
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See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
3
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income
(In thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
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For the three months ended |
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For the six months ended |
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June 30, |
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June 30, |
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2020 |
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2019 |
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2020 |
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2019 |
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Revenues |
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Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net |
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$ |
77,907 |
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$ |
65,610 |
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$ |
154,280 |
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$ |
123,407 |
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Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net |
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90,369 |
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41,271 |
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158,369 |
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82,209 |
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Servicing fees |
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56,862 |
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53,006 |
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112,296 |
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105,205 |
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Net warehouse interest income |
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9,401 |
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6,411 |
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14,896 |
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13,432 |
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Escrow earnings and other interest income |
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2,671 |
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14,616 |
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13,414 |
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28,684 |
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Other revenues |
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15,615 |
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19,411 |
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33,727 |
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34,825 |
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Total revenues |
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$ |
252,825 |
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$ |
200,325 |
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$ |
486,982 |
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$ |
387,762 |
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Expenses |
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Personnel |
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$ |
106,920 |
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$ |
84,398 |
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$ |
196,445 |
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$ |
156,029 |
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Amortization and depreciation |
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42,317 |
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37,381 |
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82,079 |
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75,284 |
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Provision for credit losses |
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4,903 |
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961 |
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28,546 |
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3,636 |
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Interest expense on corporate debt |
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2,078 |
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3,777 |
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4,938 |
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7,429 |
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Other operating expenses |
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13,069 |
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16,830 |
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31,159 |
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32,322 |
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Total expenses |
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$ |
169,287 |
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$ |
143,347 |
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$ |
343,167 |
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$ |
274,700 |
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Income from operations |
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$ |
83,538 |
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$ |
56,978 |
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$ |
143,815 |
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$ |
113,062 |
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Income tax expense |
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21,479 |
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14,832 |
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34,151 |
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26,856 |
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Net income before noncontrolling interests |
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$ |
62,059 |
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$ |
42,146 |
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$ |
109,664 |
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$ |
86,206 |
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Less: net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests |
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— |
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(50) |
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(224) |
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(208) |
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Walker & Dunlop net income |
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$ |
62,059 |
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$ |
42,196 |
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$ |
109,888 |
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$ |
86,414 |
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Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax: |
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Net change in unrealized gains and losses on pledged available-for-sale securities |
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1,430 |
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666 |
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(487) |
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967 |
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Walker & Dunlop comprehensive income |
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$ |
63,489 |
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$ |
42,862 |
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$ |
109,401 |
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$ |
87,381 |
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Basic earnings per share (NOTE 10) |
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$ |
1.98 |
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$ |
1.36 |
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$ |
3.52 |
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$ |
2.80 |
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Diluted earnings per share (NOTE 10) |
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$ |
1.95 |
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$ |
1.33 |
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$ |
3.44 |
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$ |
2.72 |
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Basic weighted average shares outstanding |
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30,352 |
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29,985 |
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30,288 |
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29,834 |
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Diluted weighted average shares outstanding |
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30,860 |
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30,744 |
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30,960 |
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30,720 |
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See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
4
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
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For the six months ended June 30, |
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2020 |
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2019 |
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Cash flows from operating activities |
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Net income before noncontrolling interests |
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$ |
109,664 |
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$ |
86,206 |
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Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: |
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Gains attributable to the fair value of future servicing rights, net of guaranty obligation |
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(158,369) |
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(82,209) |
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Change in the fair value of premiums and origination fees |
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(25,459) |
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938 |
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Amortization and depreciation |
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82,079 |
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75,284 |
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Provision for credit losses |
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28,546 |
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3,636 |
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Originations of loans held for sale |
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(10,281,562) |
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(7,913,982) |
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Sales of loans to third parties |
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9,381,412 |
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7,696,034 |
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Other operating activities, net |
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41,046 |
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(25,111) |
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Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
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$ |
(822,643) |
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$ |
(159,204) |
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Cash flows from investing activities |
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Capital expenditures |
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$ |
(1,539) |
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$ |
(3,392) |
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Purchases of equity-method investments |
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(850) |
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— |
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Purchases of pledged available-for-sale ("AFS") securities |
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(14,155) |
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(7,562) |
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Proceeds from prepayment of pledged debt AFS securities |
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4,739 |
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— |
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Distributions from (investments in) joint ventures, net |
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(6,470) |
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(18,518) |
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Acquisitions, net of cash received |
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(46,784) |
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(7,180) |
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Originations of loans held for investment |
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— |
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(83,402) |
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Principal collected on loans held for investment upon payoff |
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139,030 |
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150,761 |
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Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
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$ |
73,971 |
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$ |
30,707 |
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Cash flows from financing activities |
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Borrowings (repayments) of warehouse notes payable, net |
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$ |
1,009,302 |
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$ |
129,412 |
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Borrowings of interim warehouse notes payable |
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33,127 |
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54,757 |
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Repayments of interim warehouse notes payable |
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(84,959) |
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(32,264) |
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Repayments of note payable |
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(1,489) |
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(1,500) |
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Proceeds from issuance of common stock |
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6,565 |
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4,188 |
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Repurchase of common stock |
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(27,142) |
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(25,915) |
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Purchase of noncontrolling interests |
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(5,216) |
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— |
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Cash dividends paid |
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(22,641) |
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(18,630) |
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Payment of contingent consideration |
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(1,641) |
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(6,450) |
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Debt issuance costs |
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(1,932) |
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(1,729) |
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Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
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$ |
903,974 |
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$ |
101,869 |
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Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents (NOTE 2) |
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$ |
155,302 |
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$ |
(26,628) |
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Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents at beginning of period |
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136,566 |
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120,348 |
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Total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents at end of period |
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$ |
291,868 |
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$ |
93,720 |
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Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information: |
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Cash paid to third parties for interest |
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$ |
24,237 |
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$ |
36,003 |
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Cash paid for income taxes |
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1,479 |
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24,865 |
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See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.
5
NOTE 1—ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
These financial statements represent the condensed consolidated financial position and results of operations of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Walker & Dunlop” and the “Company” mean the Walker & Dunlop consolidated companies. The statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they may not include certain financial statement disclosures and other information required for annual financial statements. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (“2019 Form 10-K”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the Company in the interim periods presented have been included. Results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020 or thereafter.
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. is a holding company and conducts the majority of its operations through Walker & Dunlop, LLC, the operating company. Walker & Dunlop is one of the leading commercial real estate services and finance companies in the United States. The Company originates, sells, and services a range of commercial real estate debt and equity financing products, provides property sales brokerage with a focus on multifamily, and engages in commercial real estate investment management activities. Through its mortgage bankers and property sales brokers, the Company offers its customers agency lending, debt brokerage, and principal lending and investing products, and multifamily property sales services.
Through its agency lending products, the Company originates and sells loans pursuant to the programs of the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac,” and together with Fannie Mae, the “GSEs”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), and the Federal Housing Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (together with Ginnie Mae, “HUD”). Through its debt brokerage products, the Company brokers, and in some cases services, loans for various life insurance companies, commercial banks, and other institutional investors, in which cases the Company does not fund the loan.
The Company also provides a variety of commercial real estate debt and equity solutions through its principal lending and investing products, including interim loans, and preferred equity on commercial real estate properties. Interim loans on multifamily properties are offered (i) through the Company and recorded on the Company’s balance sheet (the “Interim Program”) and (ii) through a joint venture with an affiliate of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc., in which the Company holds a 15% ownership interest (the “Interim Program JV”). Interim loans on all commercial real estate property types are also offered through separate accounts managed by the Company’s subsidiary, Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners (“WDIP”), formerly named JCR Capital Investment Corporation.
The Company brokers the sale of multifamily properties through its wholly owned subsidiary, Walker & Dunlop Investment Sales (“WDIS”). In some cases, the Company also provides the debt financing for the property sale.
NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Principles of Consolidation—The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Walker & Dunlop, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiaries, and its majority owned subsidiaries. The Company consolidates entities in which it has a controlling financial interest based on either the variable interest entity (“VIE”) or voting interest method. The Company is required to first apply the VIE model to determine whether it holds a variable interest in an entity, and if so, whether the entity is a VIE. Under the VIE model, the Company consolidates an entity when it both holds a variable interest in an entity and is the primary beneficiary. If the Company determines it does not hold a variable interest in a VIE, it then applies the voting interest model. Under the voting interest model, the Company consolidates an entity when it holds a majority voting interest in an entity. If the Company does not have a majority voting interest but has significant influence, it uses the equity method of accounting. In instances where the Company owns less than 100% of the equity interests of an entity but owns a majority of the voting interests or has control over an entity, the Company accounts for the portion of equity not attributable to Walker & Dunlop, Inc. as Noncontrolling interests in the balance sheet and the portion of net income not attributable to Walker & Dunlop, Inc. as Net income from noncontrolling interests in the income statement.
6
Use of Estimates—The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, including guaranty obligations, allowance for risk-sharing obligations, capitalized mortgage servicing rights, derivative instruments and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results may vary from these estimates.
Coronavirus Disease—In January 2020, the first cases of a novel strain of the coronavirus known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19” or, “the virus”) were reported in the U.S., and in March 2020 the World Health Organization recognized the virus as a global pandemic. In the months since, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant global economic disruption as a result of the measures taken by countries and local municipalities to contain the spread of the virus (the “COVID-19 Crisis” or the “Crisis”). In the U.S., the only country that the Company operates in, Federal, state and local authorities have taken actions to both contain the spread of the virus while simultaneously providing substantial liquidity to Americans, domestic businesses, and the financial markets in an effort to mitigate the adverse financial impact of the virus.
The COVID-19 Crisis has not had a material impact on the Company’s operations, its cash flows, or the amount and availability of its liquidity. Although it is not possible to reliably estimate the extent and duration of the COVID-19 Crisis as of the date of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q, management has made adjustments to the carrying values of the Company’s liabilities impacted by the Crisis based on its best estimates and assumptions including the Company’s estimate of future expected credit losses under both the Fannie Mae Delegated Underwriting and ServicingTM (“DUS”) program and the loans originated for the Company balance sheet. The Company continues to generate positive cash flow to support its business activities as its most significant capital relationships (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD) have not been meaningfully affected by the Crisis. In addition, the financial institutions with which the Company partners to provide warehouse financing do not appear to have been materially impacted by the Crisis, and there has not been, and we do not expect there to be, any disruption to the amount or availability of liquidity necessary to support the Company’s operations.
Subsequent Events—The Company has evaluated the effects of all events that have occurred subsequent to June 30, 2020. There have been no material events that would require recognition in the condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company has made certain disclosures in the notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements of events that have occurred subsequent to June 30, 2020. No other material subsequent events have occurred that would require disclosure.
Derivative Assets and Liabilities—Loan commitments can meet the definition of derivative asset and are recorded at fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets upon the executions of the commitment to originate a loan with a borrower and to sell the loan to an investor, with a corresponding amount recognized as revenue in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The estimated fair value of loan commitments includes (i) the fair value of loan origination fees and premiums on anticipated sale of the loan, net of co-broker fees (included in Derivative assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and as a component of Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net in the Condensed Consolidated Income Statements), (ii) the fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with the servicing of the loan, net of any estimated net future cash flows associated with the risk-sharing obligation (or the “guaranty obligation;” included in Derivative assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and in Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net in the Condensed Consolidated Income Statements), and (iii) the effects of interest rate movements between the trade date and balance sheet date. Loan commitments are generally derivative assets but can become derivative liabilities if the effects of the interest rate movement between the trade date and the balance sheet are greater than the combination of (i) and (ii) above. Forward sales commitments can meet the definition of either a derivative asset or derivative liability depending on the effects of the interest rate movements between the trade date and the balance sheet date. Adjustments to the fair value are reflected as a component of income within Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The co-broker fees for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 were $7.9 million and $5.4 million, respectively, and $15.3 million and $8.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The fair value of expected guaranty obligation recognized at commitment for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 were $1.3 million and $4.4 million respectively, and $2.6 million and $8.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
The Company presents two components of its revenue as Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net. Previously, the Company presented these two lines as one line item called Gains from mortgage banking activities and disclosed the breakout of Gains from mortgage banking activities in a footnote to the consolidated financial statements. The footnote disclosure is no longer considered necessary as the breakout is provided on the face of the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. All prior periods have been adjusted to conform to the current-year presentation.
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Guaranty Obligation and Allowance for risk sharing obligations— When a loan is sold under the DUS program, the Company undertakes an obligation to partially guarantee the credit performance of the loan. Upon loan sale, a liability for the fair value of the obligation undertaken in issuing the guaranty is recognized and presented as Guaranty obligation, net of accumulated amortization on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The recognized guaranty obligation is the fair value of the Company’s obligation to stand ready to perform over the term of the guaranty, including credit risk.
In determining the fair value of the guaranty obligation, the Company considers the risk profile of the collateral, historical loss experience, and various market indicators. Generally, the estimated fair value of the guaranty obligation is based on the present value of the cash flows expected to be paid under the guaranty over the estimated life of the loan discounted using a rate consistent with what is used for the calculation of the mortgage servicing right for each loan. The estimated life of the guaranty obligation is the estimated period over which the Company believes it will be required to stand ready under the guaranty. Subsequent to the initial measurement date, the liability is amortized over the life of the guaranty period, unless the loan defaults or is paid off prior to maturity, using the straight-line method as a component of and reduction to Amortization and depreciation in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
Overall CECL Approach
The Company uses the weighted-average remaining maturity method (“WARM”) for calculating its allowance for risk-sharing obligations, the Company’s liability for the off-balance-sheet credit exposure associated with the Fannie Mae at risk DUS loans. WARM uses an average annual charge-off rate that contains loss content over multiple vintages and loan terms and is used as a foundation for estimating the current expected credit losses (“CECL”) reserve. The average annual charge-off rate is applied to the unpaid principal balance (“UPB”) over the contractual term, further adjusted for estimated prepayments and amortization to arrive at the CECL reserve for the entire current portfolio as described further below.
Considering the Company’s long history servicing Fannie Mae DUS loans, the Company maximizes the use of historical internal data because the Company has extensive historical data from which to calculate historical loss rates and principal paydown by loan term type for its exposure to credit loss on its homogeneous portfolio of Fannie Mae DUS multifamily loans. Additionally, the Company believes its properties, loss history, and underwriting standards are not similar to public data such as loss histories for loans originated for collateralized mortgage-backed securities conduits.
Runoff Rate
One of the key inputs into a WARM calculation is the runoff rate, which is the expected rate at which loans in the current portfolio will prepay and amortize in the future. As the loans the Company originates have different original lives and runoff over different periods, the Company groups loans by similar origination dates (vintage) and contractual maturity terms for purposes of calculating the runoff rate. The Company originates loans under the DUS program with various terms generally ranging from several years to 15 years; each of these various loan terms has a different runoff rate.
The Company uses its historical runoff rate for each of the different loan term pools as a proxy for the expected runoff rate. The Company believes that borrower behavior and macroeconomic conditions will not deviate significantly from historical performance over the approximately ten-year period over which the Company has compiled the actual loss data. The ten-year period captures the various cycles of industry performance and provides a period that is long enough to capture sufficient observations of runoff history. In addition, due to the prepayment protection provisions for Fannie Mae DUS loans, we have not seen significant volatility in historical prepayment rates due to changes in interest rates and would not expect this to change in future periods.
The historical annual runoff rate is calculated for each year of a loan’s life for each vintage in the portfolio and aggregated with the calculated runoff rate for each comparable year in every vintage. For example, the annual runoff rate for the first year of loans originated in 2010 is aggregated with the annual runoff rate for the first year of loans originated in 2011, 2012, and so on to calculate the average annual runoff rate for the first year of a loan. This average runoff calculation is performed for each year of a loan’s life for each of the various loan terms to create a matrix of historical average annual runoffs by year for the entire portfolio.
The Company segments its current portfolio of at risk DUS loans outstanding by original loan term type and years remaining and then applies the appropriate historical average runoff rates to calculate the expected remaining balance at the end of each reporting period in the future. For example, for a loan with an original ten-year term and seven years remaining, the Company applies the historical average annual
8
runoff rate for a ten-year loan for year four to arrive at the remaining UPB one year from the current period, the historical average runoff rate for year five to arrive at the remaining UPB two years from the current period, and so on up to the loan’s maturity date.
CECL Reserve Calculation
Once the Company has calculated the estimated outstanding UPB for each future year until maturity for each loan term type, the Company then applies the average annual charge-off rate (as further described below) to each future year’s expected UPB. The Company then aggregates the allowance calculated for each year within each loan term type and for all different maturity years to arrive at the CECL reserve for the portfolio.
The weighted-average annual charge-off rate is calculated using a ten-year look-back period, utilizing the average portfolio balance and settled losses for each year. A ten-year period is used as the Company believes that this period of time includes sufficiently different economic conditions to generate a reasonable estimate of expected results in the future, given the relatively long-term nature of the current portfolio. This approach captures the adverse impact of the years following the great financial crisis of 2007-2010 because multifamily commercial loans have a lag period from the time of initial distress indications through the timing of loss settlement. The same loss rate is utilized across each loan term type as the Company is not aware of any historical or industry-published data to indicate there is any difference in the occurrence probability or loss severity for a loan based on its loan origination term.
Reasonable and Supportable Forecast Period
The Company currently uses one year for its reasonable and supportable forecast period (the “forecast period”) as the Company believes forecasts beyond one year are inherently less reliable. The Company uses forecasts of unemployment rates, historically a highly correlated indicator for multifamily occupancy rates, and net operating income growth to assess what macroeconomic and multifamily market conditions are expected to be like over the coming year. The Company then associates the forecasted conditions with a similar historical period over the past ten years, which could be one or several years, and uses the Company’s average loss rate for that historical period as a basis for the charge-off rate used for the forecast period. For all remaining years until maturity, the Company uses the weighted-average annual charge-off rate for the ten-year period as described above to estimate losses. The average loss rate from a historical period used for the forecast period may be adjusted as necessary if the forecasted macroeconomic and industry conditions differ materially from the historical period.
Identification of Specific Reserves for Defaulted Loans
The Company monitors the performance of each risk-sharing loan for events or conditions which may signal a potential default. The Company’s process for identifying which risk-sharing loans may be probable of default consists of an assessment of several qualitative and quantitative factors including payment status, property financial performance, local real estate market conditions, loan-to-value ratio, debt-service-coverage ratio (“DSCR”), property condition, and financial strength of the borrower or key principal(s). In instances where payment under the guaranty on a specific loan is determined to be probable (as the loan is probable of foreclosure or has foreclosed), the Company separately measures the expected loss through an assessment of the underlying fair value of the asset, disposition costs, and the risk-sharing percentage (the “specific reserve”) through a charge to the provision for risk-sharing obligations, which is a component of Provision for credit losses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. These loans are removed from the WARM calculation described above, and the associated loan-specific mortgage servicing right and guaranty obligation are written off. The expected loss on the risk-sharing obligation is dependent on the fair value of the underlying property as the loans are collateral dependent. Historically, initial recognition of a specific reserve occurs at or before a loan becomes 60 days delinquent.
The amount of the specific reserve considers historical loss experience, adverse situations affecting individual loans, the estimated disposition value of the underlying collateral, and the level of risk sharing. The estimate of property fair value at initial recognition of the specific reserve is based on appraisals, broker opinions of value, or net operating income and market capitalization rates, depending on the facts and circumstances associated with the loan. The Company regularly monitors the specific reserves on all applicable loans and updates loss estimates as current information is received. The settlement with Fannie Mae is based on the actual sales price of the property and selling and property preservation costs and considers the Fannie Mae loss-sharing requirements. The maximum amount of the loss the Company absorbs at the time of default is generally 20% of the origination unpaid principal balance of the loan.
9
Loans Held for Investment, net—Loans held for investment are multifamily loans originated by the Company for properties that currently do not qualify for permanent GSE or HUD (collectively, the “Agencies”) financing. These loans have terms of up to three years and are all multifamily loans with similar risk characteristics and no geographic concentration. The loans are carried at their unpaid principal balances, adjusted for net unamortized fees and costs, and net of any allowance for loan losses.
As of June 30, 2020, Loans held for investment, net consisted of 19 loans with an aggregate $407.6 million of unpaid principal balance less $1.1 million of net unamortized deferred fees and costs and $2.0 million of allowance for loan losses. As of December 31, 2019, Loans held for investment, net consisted of 22 loans with an aggregate $546.6 million of unpaid principal balance less $2.0 million of net unamortized deferred fees and costs and $1.1 million of allowance for loan losses.
During the third quarter of 2018, the Company transferred a portfolio of participating interests in loans held for investment to a third party that is scheduled to mature in the third quarter of 2021. The Company accounted for the transfer as a secured borrowing. The aggregate unpaid principal balance of the loans of $79.0 million and $78.3 million is presented as a component of Loans held for investment, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, and the secured borrowing of $71.1 million and $70.5 million is included within Other liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The Company does not have credit risk related to the $71.1 million of loans that were transferred.
The Company assesses the credit quality in the same manner as it does for the loans in the Fannie Mae at risk portfolio as described above and records a specific reserve for impaired loans. The allowance for loan losses is estimated collectively for loans with similar characteristics and for which there is no evidence of impairment. The collective allowance is based on the same methodology that the Company uses to estimate its CECL reserves for at risk Fannie Mae DUS loans as described above because the nature of the underlying collateral is the same, and the loans have similar characteristics, except they are significantly shorter in maturity. The reasonable and supportable forecast period used for the CECL reserve for loans held for investment is one year.
Due to the forecasted economic conditions associated with the Crisis, the Company recorded a $1.1 million provision for loan losses during the three months ended March 31, 2020, and a small benefit for the three months ended June 30, 2020 as the balance of these loans decreased. The charge-off rate for the forecasted period was 36 basis points and nine basis points as of June 30, 2020 and January 1, 2020, respectively. The charge-off rate for the remaining period until maturity was nine basis points as of both June 30, 2020 and January 1, 2020.
One loan held for investment with an unpaid principal balance of $14.7 million that was originated in 2017 was delinquent, impaired, and on non-accrual status as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The Company had a $0.6 million specific reserve for this loan as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and has not recorded any interest related to this loan since it went on non-accrual status. All other loans were current as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. The amortized cost basis of loans that were current as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 was $391.8 million and $531.9 million, respectively. As of June 30, 2020, $162.0 million of the loans that were current were originated in 2018, while $230.9 million were originated in 2019.
Prior to 2019, the Company had not experienced any delinquencies related to its loans held for investment. The Company has never charged off any loans held for investment.
Provision for Credit Losses—The Company records the income statement impact of the changes in the allowance for loan losses and the allowance for risk-sharing obligations within Provision for credit losses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. NOTE 4 contains additional discussion related to the allowance for risk-sharing obligations. Provision for credit losses consisted of the following activity for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:
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Net Warehouse Interest Income—The Company presents warehouse interest income net of warehouse interest expense. Warehouse interest income is the interest earned from loans held for sale and loans held for investment. Generally, a substantial portion of the loans that are held for sale or held for investment are financed with matched borrowings under one of our warehouse facilities. The portion of loans held for sale or held for investment not funded with matched borrowings is financed with the Company’s own cash. The Company fully funds a small number of loans held for sale or loans held for investment with corporate cash. Warehouse interest expense is incurred on borrowings used to fund loans solely while they are held for sale or for investment. Warehouse interest income and expense are earned or incurred on loans held for sale after a loan is closed and before a loan is sold. Warehouse interest income and expense are earned or incurred, respectively, on loans held for investment after a loan is closed and before a loan is repaid. Included in Net warehouse interest income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 are the following components:
Statement of Cash Flows—For presentation in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, the Company considers pledged cash and cash equivalents (as detailed in NOTE 9) to be restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents. The following table, in conjunction with the detail of Pledged securities, at fair value presented in NOTE 9, presents a reconciliation of the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents as presented in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows to the related captions in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2020 and 2019 and December 31, 2019 and 2018.
Income Taxes—The Company records the realizable excess tax benefits from stock compensation as a reduction to income tax expense. The Company recorded realizable excess tax benefits of $0.1 million and zero during the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $3.1 and $3.4 million during the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Contracts with Customers—Substantially all of the Company’s revenues are derived from the following sources, all of which are excluded from the accounting provisions applicable to contracts with customers: (i) financial instruments, (ii) transfers and servicing, (iii) derivative transactions, and (iv) investments in debt securities/equity-method investments. The remaining portion of revenues is derived from contracts with customers. The Company’s contracts with customers do not require significant judgment or material estimates that affect the determination of the transaction price (including the assessment of variable consideration), the allocation of the transaction price to performance obligations, and the determination of the timing of the satisfaction of performance obligations. Additionally, the earnings process for the Company’s contracts with customers is not complicated and is generally completed in a short period of time. The following table presents information about the Company’s contracts with customers for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:
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Litigation—In the ordinary course of business, the Company may be party to various claims and litigation, none of which the Company believes is material. The Company cannot predict the outcome of any pending litigation and may be subject to consequences that could include fines, penalties, and other costs, and the Company’s reputation and business may be impacted. The Company believes that any liability that could be imposed on the Company in connection with the disposition of any pending lawsuits would not have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, liquidity, or financial condition.
Recently Adopted and Recently Announced Accounting Pronouncements—There have been no material changes to the accounting policies discussed in NOTE 2 of the Company’s 2019 Form 10-K, except for the changes to the Company’s accounting policies related to the allowance for risk-sharing obligations and allowance for loan losses in connection with the adoption of a new accounting standard as disclosed in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2020. There are no recently announced but not yet effective accounting pronouncements that are expected to have a material impact to the Company as of June 30, 2020.
NOTE 3—MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS
Mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”) represent the carrying value of the commercial servicing rights retained by the Company for mortgage loans originated and sold and MSRs acquired from third parties. The initial capitalized amount is equal to the estimated fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with the servicing rights. MSRs are amortized using the interest method over the period that servicing income is expected to be received. The Company has one class of MSRs.
The fair values of the MSRs at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 were $959.0 million and $910.5 million, respectively. The Company uses a discounted static cash flow valuation approach, and the key economic assumption is the discount rate. For example, see the following sensitivities:
The impact of a 100-basis point increase in the discount rate at June 30, 2020 is a decrease in the fair value of $28.6 million.
The impact of a 200-basis point increase in the discount rate at June 30, 2020 is a decrease in the fair value of $55.5 million.
These sensitivities are hypothetical and should be used with caution. These hypothetical scenarios do not include interplay among assumptions and are estimated as a portfolio rather than for individual assets.
Activity related to capitalized MSRs for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 is shown in the table below:
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The following table summarizes the gross value, accumulated amortization, and net carrying value of the Company’s MSRs as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
The expected amortization of MSRs recorded as of June 30, 2020 is shown in the table below. Actual amortization may vary from these estimates.
NOTE 4—GUARANTY OBLIGATION AND ALLOWANCE FOR RISK-SHARING OBLIGATIONS
When a loan is sold under the Fannie Mae DUS program, the Company typically agrees to guarantee a portion of the ultimate loss incurred on the loan should the borrower fail to perform. The compensation for this risk is a component of the servicing fee on the loan. The guaranty is in force while the loan is outstanding. The Company does not provide a guaranty for any other loan product it sells or brokers. Activity related to the guaranty obligation for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 is presented in the following table:
Activity related to the allowance for risk-sharing obligations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 is shown in the following table:
13
As of January 1, 2020, the Company recognized the CECL transition adjustment based on its assessment of the multifamily market and the macroeconomic environment at that time, concluding that the projections for the coming year were for continued strong performance similar to the past few years. The Company’s losses have been de minimis over the past few years. Considering that the Company’s historical loss rate consisted of both strong and weak multifamily and macroeconomic periods, the Company concluded it was appropriate to adjust the loss rate downward for the forecast period. The loss factor applied for the forecast period in the WARM CECL calculation was one basis point, which approximated the average of the actual loss rate for the past two years as these conditions were expected to prevail over the course of the forecast period. The Company reverted to the actual historical loss rate of 1.76 basis points for all remaining years in the calculation.
Conditions changed significantly beginning in March 2020 due to the Crisis across the world and the resulting global social distancing and lockdown measures that were put in place by national/state/local authorities with varying expected longevities. These actions reversed macroeconomic conditions from sustained strength to short-term global economic contraction, causing unemployment rates to rise sharply and a recession to ensue.
These conditions have impacted, and are expected to continue to impact, unemployment rates and consumer incomes which are expected to have an adverse impact on multifamily occupancy rates and property cash flows in the near term, increasing the likelihood of delinquencies, loan defaults, and risk-sharing losses. The Company concluded that the potential impacts due to the Crisis are expected to be generally consistent with the great financial crisis of 2007-2010. However, the Company expects the Crisis will impact the multifamily market over a one-year period instead of a two-year period but result in less severe losses over the shortened time frame. The charge offs recorded by the Company during the great financial crisis of 2007-2010 totaled 12 basis points over the two-year period. The Company adjusted the charge-off rate down to seven basis points to reflect the current expected economic and operating environment based on the following:
• | The DSCR of the Company’s current at risk servicing portfolio is substantially higher than it was immediately prior to the last recession, |
• | The fair values of the properties collateralizing the at risk servicing portfolio are higher than they were immediately prior to the last recession, and |
• | The expected positive impacts of the unprecedented level of economic stimulus from the federal government. |
The charge-off rate of seven basis points was used for the forecast period as of March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020, with a reversion to the historical weighted average charge-off rate of 1.76 basis points for all remaining years in the calculation.
The calculated CECL reserve for the Company’s $39.9 billion at risk Fannie Mae servicing portfolio as of June 30, 2020 was $62.3 million compared to $34.7 million as of the date of adoption of ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020. The significant increase in the CECL reserve was principally related to the forecasted impacts of the Crisis. The weighted-average remaining life of the at risk Fannie Mae servicing portfolio as of June 30, 2020 was 7.7 years.
Two loans that defaulted in 2019, have aggregate specific reserves of $6.9 million as of June 30, 2020. The properties related to these two at risk loans were both off-campus student living facilities in the same city. The Company does not have any additional at risk loans related to student living facilities in this city.
As of June 30, 2020, the maximum quantifiable contingent liability associated with the Company’s guarantees under the Fannie Mae DUS agreement was $8.3 billion. The maximum quantifiable contingent liability is not representative of the actual loss the Company would incur. The Company would be liable for this amount only if all of the loans it services for Fannie Mae, for which the Company retains some risk of loss, were to default and all of the collateral underlying these loans were determined to be without value at the time of settlement.
NOTE 5—SERVICING
The total unpaid principal balance of loans the Company was servicing for various institutional investors was $100.0 billion as of June 30, 2020 compared to $93.2 billion as of December 31, 2019.
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, custodial escrow accounts relating to loans serviced by the Company totaled $2.3 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. These amounts are not included in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as such amounts
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are not Company assets. Certain cash deposits associated with the escrow accounts at other financial institutions exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured limits. The Company places these deposits with financial institutions that meet the requirements of the Agencies and where it believes the risk of loss to be minimal.
For most loans we service under the Fannie Mae DUS program, we are required to advance the principal and interest payments and guarantee fees for up to four months should a borrower cease making payments under the terms of their loan, including while that loan is in forbearance. After advancing for four months, we request reimbursement by Fannie Mae for the principal and interest advances, and Fannie Mae will reimburse us within 60 days of the request. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had advances of $1.1 million related to loans in our Fannie Mae portfolio. The Company has borrowing capacity, as more fully described in NOTE 6, to fund these advances. The Company had an immaterial amount of borrowings related to advances on the Fannie Mae DUS portfolio as of June 30, 2020.
For loans we service under the Ginnie Mae (“HUD”) program, we are obligated to advance the principal and interest payments and guarantee fees until the HUD loan is brought current, fully paid, or assigned to HUD. We are eligible to assign a loan to HUD once it is in default for 30 days. If the loan is not brought current, or the loan otherwise defaults, we are not reimbursed for our advances until such time as we assign the loan to HUD or work out a payment modification for the borrower. For loans in default, we may repurchase those loans out of the Ginnie Mae security, at which time our advance requirements cease and we may then modify and resell the loan or assign the loan back to HUD, at which time we will be reimbursed for our advances. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had advances of $4.8 million for loans in our HUD portfolio.
We are not obligated to make advances on any of the other loans we service in our portfolio, including loans we service under the Freddie Mac Optigo program.
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had $5.9 million and $2.1 million of aggregate outstanding principal and interest and tax and escrow advances, respectively. These advances are included as a component of Receivables, net in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
NOTE 6—WAREHOUSE NOTES PAYABLE
At June 30, 2020, to provide financing for the Company’s loan origination activities, the Company has arranged for warehouse lines of credit. In support of the Agencies’ programs, the Company has committed and uncommitted warehouse lines of credit in the amount of $3.0 billion with certain national banks and a $1.5 billion uncommitted facility with Fannie Mae (collectively, the “Agency Warehouse Facilities”). The Company has pledged substantially all of its loans held for sale against the Agency Warehouse Facilities.
Additionally, at June 30, 2020, the Company has arranged for warehouse lines of credit in the amount of $0.3 billion with certain national banks to assist in funding loans held for investment under the Interim Program (“Interim Warehouse Facilities”). The Company has pledged all of its loans held for investment for which funding is obtained against these Interim Warehouse Facilities.
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The following table provides additional detail about the warehouse lines of credit at June 30, 2020:
1 Agency Warehouse Facilities, including the Fannie Mae repurchase agreement are used to fund loans held for sale, while Interim Warehouse Facilities are used to fund loans held for investment.
On June 5, 2020, the Company executed the fifth amendment to the warehouse agreement related to Agency Warehouse Facility #1 that created a $100.0 million sublimit within the $350.0 million committed capacity to fund COVID-19 forbearance advances under the Fannie Mae DUS program, as discussed in NOTE 5. Borrowings under the agreement are collateralized by Fannie Mae’s commitment to repay the advances and are funded at 90% of the principal and interest advanced and bear interest at 30-day London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 175 basis points with an interest-rate floor of 50 basis points. The Company had immaterial borrowings under the sublimit related to COVID-19 forbearances as of June 30, 2020. During the third quarter of 2020, the Company executed an amendment to lower the interest-rate floor from 50 basis points to 25 basis points on the $100.0 million sublimit. No changes to the maturity date were made as part of the amendment, and the facility, including the sublimit, is set to mature on October 26, 2020. No other material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
During the second quarter of 2020, the Company executed the 11th amendment to the warehouse agreement related to Agency Warehouse Facility #3 that extended the maturity date to April 30, 2021 for the committed borrowing capacity and added $265.0 million in uncommitted borrowing capacity that bears interest at the same rate and has the same maturity date as the committed facility. The amendment also added a 30-day LIBOR floor of 50 basis points. No other material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
During the second quarter of 2020, the Company executed the 11th amendment to the credit and security agreement related to Interim Warehouse Facility #1 that extended the maturity date to April 30, 2021. No other material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
During the first quarter of 2020, the Company executed a loan and security agreement to establish Interim Warehouse Facility #4. The $19.8 million committed warehouse loan and security agreement with a national bank funds one specific loan. The agreement provides for a maturity date to coincide with the maturity date for the underlying loan. Borrowings under the facility are full recourse to the Company and bear interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 300 basis points, with an interest-rate floor of 450 basis points. The committed warehouse loan and security agreement has only two financial covenants, both of which are similar to the other Interim Warehouse Facilities. The Company may request additional capacity under the agreement to fund specific loans. No material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
Interim Warehouse Facility #3 expired according to its terms during the second quarter of 2020. The facility had committed borrowing capacity of $75.0 million prior to expiring. According to the terms of the repurchase agreement, the lender is required to continue to fund
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the interim loan balances of $33.8 million that were outstanding as of the expiration date of the facility. The facility will be paid off as the underlying interim loans are paid off.
The Company allowed an interim warehouse facility with no outstanding borrowings to expire according to its terms during the second quarter of 2020. The Company believes that the three remaining committed and uncommitted credit facilities from national banks and the Company’s corporate cash provide the Company with sufficient borrowing capacity to conduct its Interim Program lending operations.
The warehouse notes payable are subject to various financial covenants, all of which the Company was in compliance with as of the current period end.
NOTE 7—GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Activity related to goodwill for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the six months ended |
|
||||
|
|
June 30, |
|
||||
Roll Forward of Goodwill (in thousands) |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
||
Beginning balance |
|
$ |
180,424 |
|
$ |
173,904 |
|
Additions from acquisitions |
|
|
68,534 |
|
|
6,520 |
|
Impairment |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Ending balance |
|
$ |
248,958 |
|
$ |
180,424 |
|
The additions from acquisitions shown in the table above during the six months ended June 30, 2020 relate to the purchases of certain assets and the assumption of certain liabilities from three debt brokerage companies for aggregate consideration of $69.4 million, which consisted of cash of $46.8 million, $5.0 million of the Company’s stock, and $17.6 million of contingent consideration. The contingent consideration may be earned over either a four-year period or five-year period after the closing of each acquisition, provided certain revenue targets have been met. The contingent consideration included for the acquisitions is non-cash consideration and thus not reflected in the amount of cash consideration paid in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The Company estimated the fair value of the contingent consideration using a probability-based, discounted cash flow estimate for the revenue targets (Level 3).
The acquired businesses operate in the Columbus, Ohio and New York City metropolitan areas. These acquisitions expand the Company’s network of loan originators and geographical reach and provide further diversification to its loan origination platform. Substantially all of the value associated with the acquisitions was related to the assembled workforces and commercial lending platform, resulting in substantially all of the consideration being allocated to goodwill. The Company expects all goodwill to be tax deductible, with the tax-deductible amount of goodwill related to the contingent consideration to be determined once the cash payments to settle the contingent consideration are made. The other assets acquired and the liabilities assumed were immaterial. The operations of these three companies have since been merged into the Company’s existing operations. The goodwill resulting from the acquisitions is allocated to the Company’s single reporting unit. The purchase accounting for the three acquisitions has been completed as of June 30, 2020.
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the balance of intangible assets acquired from acquisitions totaled $2.2 million and $2.5 million, respectively. As of June 30, 2020, the weighted-average period over which the Company expects the intangible assets to be amortized is 4.3 years.
17
A summary of the Company’s contingent consideration liabilities, which is included in Other liabilities, as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 follows:
The contingent consideration liabilities above relate to acquisitions completed in 2017 and 2020. The last of the five earn-out periods related to these contingent consideration liabilities ends in the second quarter of 2025.
NOTE 8—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The Company uses valuation techniques that are consistent with the market approach, the income approach, and/or the cost approach to measure assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value. Inputs to valuation techniques refer to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Inputs may be observable, meaning those that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from independent sources, or unobservable, meaning those that reflect the reporting entity's own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. In that regard, accounting standards establish a fair value hierarchy for valuation inputs that gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. The fair value hierarchy is as follows:
● | Level 1—Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. |
● | Level 2—Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These might include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (such as interest rates, volatilities, prepayment speeds, credit risks, etc.) or inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by market data by correlation or other means. |
● | Level 3—Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall valuation. |
The Company's MSRs are measured at fair value at inception, and thereafter on a nonrecurring basis. That is, the instruments are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis but are subject to fair value adjustments when there is evidence of impairment. The Company's MSRs do not trade in an active, open market with readily observable prices. While sales of multifamily MSRs do occur on occasion, precise terms and conditions vary with each transaction and are not readily available. Accordingly, the estimated fair value of the Company’s MSRs was developed using discounted cash flow models that calculate the present value of estimated future net servicing income. The model considers contractually specified servicing fees, prepayment assumptions, estimated revenue from escrow accounts, delinquency status, late charges, costs to service, and other economic factors. The Company periodically reassesses and adjusts, when necessary, the underlying inputs and assumptions used in the model to reflect observable market conditions and assumptions that a market participant would consider in valuing an MSR asset. MSRs are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value.
A description of the valuation methodologies used for assets and liabilities measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy, is set forth below. These valuation methodologies were applied to all of the Company's assets and liabilities carried at fair value:
● | Derivative Instruments—The derivative positions consist of interest rate lock commitments with borrowers and forward sale |
18
agreements to the Agencies. The fair value of these instruments is estimated using a discounted cash flow model developed based on changes in the applicable U.S. Treasury rate and other observable market data. The value was determined after considering the potential impact of collateralization, adjusted to reflect nonperformance risk of both the counterparty and the Company, and are classified within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy. |
● | Loans Held for Sale—Loans held for sale are reported at fair value. The Company determines the fair value of the loans held for sale using discounted cash flow models that incorporate quoted observable inputs from market participants. Therefore, the Company classifies these loans held for sale as Level 2. |
● | Pledged Securities—Investments in money market funds are valued using quoted market prices from recent trades. Therefore, the Company classifies this portion of pledged securities as Level 1. The Company determines the fair value of its AFS investments in Agency debt securities using discounted cash flows that incorporate observable inputs from market participants and then compares the fair value to broker estimates of fair value. Consequently, the Company classifies this portion of pledged securities as Level 2. |
The following table summarizes financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of June 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, segregated by the level of the valuation inputs within the fair value hierarchy used to measure fair value:
There were no transfers between any of the levels within the fair value hierarchy during the six months ended June 30, 2020.
19
Derivative instruments (Level 3) are outstanding for short periods of time (generally less than 60 days). A roll forward of derivative instruments is presented below for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:
(1) | Realized and unrealized gains (losses) from derivatives are recognized in Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. |
The following table presents information about significant unobservable inputs used in the recurring measurement of the fair value of the Company’s Level 3 assets and liabilities as of June 30, 2020:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quantitative Information about Level 3 Measurements |
|
|||||||
(in thousands) |
|
Fair Value |
|
Valuation Technique |
|
Unobservable Input (1) |
|
Input Value (1) |
|
|
Derivative assets |
|
$ |
27,085 |
|
Discounted cash flow |
|
Counterparty credit risk |
|
— |
|
Derivative liabilities |
|
$ |
13,739 |
|
Discounted cash flow |
|
Counterparty credit risk |
|
— |
|
(1) | Significant increases in this input may lead to significantly lower fair value measurements. |
The carrying amounts and the fair values of the Company's financial instruments as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 are presented below:
20
The following methods and assumptions were used for recurring fair value measurements as of June 30, 2020.
Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash—The carrying amounts approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments (Level 1).
Pledged Securities—Consist of cash, highly liquid investments in money market accounts invested in government securities, and investments in Agency debt securities. The investments of the money market funds typically have maturities of 90 days or less and are valued using quoted market prices from recent trades. The fair value of the Agency debt securities incorporates the contractual cash flows of the security discounted at market-rate, risk-adjusted yields.
Loans Held for Sale—Consist of originated loans that are generally transferred or sold within 60 days from the date that the mortgage loan is funded and are valued using discounted cash flow models that incorporate observable inputs from market participants.
Derivative Instruments—Consist of interest rate lock commitments and forward sale agreements. These instruments are valued using discounted cash flow models developed based on changes in the U.S. Treasury rate and other observable market data. The value is determined after considering the potential impact of collateralization, adjusted to reflect nonperformance risk of both the counterparty and the Company.
Fair Value of Derivative Instruments and Loans Held for Sale—In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contractual commitments to originate and sell multifamily mortgage loans at fixed prices with fixed expiration dates. The commitments become effective when the borrowers "lock-in" a specified interest rate within time frames established by the Company. All mortgagors are evaluated for creditworthiness prior to the extension of the commitment. Market risk arises if interest rates move between the time of the "lock-in" of rates by the borrower and the sale date of the loan to an investor.
To mitigate the effect of the interest rate risk inherent in providing rate lock commitments to borrowers, the Company's policy is to enter into a sale commitment with the investor simultaneous with the rate lock commitment with the borrower. The sale contract with the investor locks in an interest rate and price for the sale of the loan. The terms of the contract with the investor and the rate lock with the borrower are matched in substantially all respects, with the objective of eliminating interest rate risk to the extent practical. Sale commitments with the investors have an expiration date that is longer than our related commitments to the borrower to allow, among other things, for the closing of the loan and processing of paperwork to deliver the loan into the sale commitment.
Both the rate lock commitments to borrowers and the forward sale contracts to buyers are undesignated derivatives and, accordingly, are marked to fair value through Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The fair value of the Company's rate lock commitments to borrowers and loans held for sale and the related input levels includes, as applicable:
● | the estimated gain from the expected loan sale to the investor (Level 2); |
● | the expected net cash flows associated with servicing the loan, net of any guaranty obligations retained (Level 2); |
● | the effects of interest rate movements between the date of the rate lock and the balance sheet date (Level 2); and |
● | the nonperformance risk of both the counterparty and the Company (Level 3; derivative instruments only). |
The estimated gain considers the origination fees the Company expects to collect upon loan closing (derivative instruments only) and premiums the Company expects to receive upon sale of the loan (Level 2). The fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with servicing the loan is calculated pursuant to the valuation techniques applicable to the fair value of future servicing, net at loan sale (Level 2).
To calculate the effects of interest rate movements, the Company uses applicable published U.S. Treasury prices, and multiplies the price movement between the rate lock date and the balance sheet date by the notional loan commitment amount (Level 2).
The fair value of the Company's forward sales contracts to investors considers the market price movement of the same type of security between the trade date and the balance sheet date (Level 2). The market price changes are multiplied by the notional amount of the forward sales contracts to measure the fair value.
The fair value of the Company’s interest rate lock commitments and forward sales contracts is adjusted to reflect the risk that the agreement will not be fulfilled. The Company’s exposure to nonperformance in interest rate lock commitments and forward sale contracts
21
is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. Given the credit quality of our counterparties and the short duration of interest rate lock commitments and forward sale contracts, the risk of nonperformance by the Company’s counterparties has historically been minimal (Level 3).
The following table presents the components of fair value and other relevant information associated with the Company’s derivative instruments and loans held for sale as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019.
NOTE 9—FANNIE MAE COMMITMENTS AND PLEDGED SECURITIES
Fannie Mae DUS Related Commitments—Commitments for the origination and subsequent sale and delivery of loans to Fannie Mae represent those mortgage loan transactions where the borrower has locked an interest rate and scheduled closing, and the Company has entered into a mandatory delivery commitment to sell the loan to Fannie Mae. As discussed in NOTE 8, the Company accounts for these commitments as derivatives recorded at fair value.
The Company is generally required to share the risk of any losses associated with loans sold under the Fannie Mae DUS program. The Company is required to secure these obligations by assigning restricted cash balances and securities to Fannie Mae, which are classified as Pledged securities, at fair value on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amount of collateral required by Fannie Mae is a formulaic calculation at the loan level and considers the balance of the loan, the risk level of the loan, the age of the loan, and the level of risk-sharing. Fannie Mae requires restricted liquidity for Tier 2 loans of 75 basis points, which is funded over a 48-month period that begins upon delivery of the loan to Fannie Mae. Pledged securities held in the form of money market funds holding U.S. Treasuries are discounted 5%, and multifamily Agency mortgage-backed securities (“Agency MBS”) are discounted 4% for purposes of calculating compliance with the restricted liquidity requirements. As seen below, the Company held substantially all of its pledged securities in Agency MBS as of June 30, 2020. The majority of the loans for which the Company has risk sharing are Tier 2 loans.
The Company is in compliance with the June 30, 2020 collateral requirements as outlined above. As of June 30, 2020, reserve requirements for the DUS loan portfolio will require the Company to fund $68.8 million in additional pledged securities over the next 48 months, assuming no further principal paydowns, prepayments, or defaults within the at risk portfolio. Fannie Mae periodically reassesses the DUS Capital Standards and may make changes to these standards in the future. The Company generates sufficient cash flow from its operations to meet these capital standards and does not expect any future changes to have a material impact on its future operations; however, any future increases to collateral requirements may adversely impact the Company’s available cash.
Fannie Mae has established benchmark standards for capital adequacy and reserves the right to terminate the Company's servicing authority for all or some of the portfolio if at any time it determines that the Company's financial condition is not adequate to support its obligations under the DUS agreement. The Company is required to maintain acceptable net worth as defined in the agreement, and the Company satisfied the requirements as of June 30, 2020. The net worth requirement is derived primarily from unpaid balances on Fannie Mae loans and the level of risk sharing. At June 30, 2020, the net worth requirement was $216.6 million, and the Company's net worth, as
22
defined in the requirements, was $861.6 million, as measured at our wholly owned operating subsidiary, Walker & Dunlop, LLC. As of June 30, 2020, the Company was required to maintain at least $42.9 million of liquid assets to meet operational liquidity requirements for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, and Ginnie Mae. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had operational liquidity, as defined in the requirements, of $325.0 million, as measured at our wholly owned operating subsidiary, Walker & Dunlop, LLC.
Pledged Securities, at Fair Value—Pledged securities, at fair value consisted of the following balances as of June 30, 2020 and 2019 and December 31, 2019 and 2018:
The information in the preceding table is presented to reconcile beginning and ending cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as more fully discussed in NOTE 2.
The investments in Agency debt securities consist of Agency MBS and are all accounted for as AFS securities. The following table provides additional information related to the AFS Agency MBS as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019:
The Company has not recorded an allowance for credit losses for any of the AFS securities, including those whose fair value is less than amortized cost as of June 30, 2020. The contractual cash flows of these AFS securities are guaranteed by the GSEs, which are government-sponsored enterprises under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Accordingly, it is expected that the securities would not be settled at a price less than the amortized cost bases of these securities. The Company does not intend to sell any of the Agency MBS, nor does the Company believe that it is more likely than not that it would be required to sell these investments before recovery of their amortized cost basis, which may be at maturity. None of the pledged securities has been in a continuous unrealized loss position for more than 12 months.
The following table provides contractual maturity information related to the Agency MBS. The money market funds invest in short-term Federal Government and Agency debt securities and have no stated maturity date.
23
NOTE 10—EARNINGS PER SHARE
EPS is calculated under the two-class method. The two-class method allocates all earnings (distributed and undistributed) to each class of common stock and participating securities based on their respective rights to receive dividends. The Company grants share-based awards to various employees and nonemployee directors under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan that entitle recipients to receive nonforfeitable dividends during the vesting period on a basis equivalent to the dividends paid to holders of common stock. These unvested awards meet the definition of participating securities.
The following table presents the calculation of basic and diluted EPS for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 under the two-class method. Participating securities are included in the calculation of diluted EPS using the two-class method, as this computation was more dilutive than the treasury-stock method.
The assumed proceeds used for calculating the dilutive impact of restricted stock awards under the treasury-stock method includes the unrecognized compensation costs associated with the awards. 537 thousand and an immaterial number of average restricted shares were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share under the treasury method for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, and an immaterial number were excluded for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 because the effect would have been anti-dilutive (the grant date market price of the restricted shares was greater than the average market price of the Company’s shares during the periods presented).
24
NOTE 11—TOTAL EQUITY
A summary of changes in total equity for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 |
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders' Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
|
Retained |
|
Noncontrolling |
|
Total |
|
||||||||
(in thousands) |
|
Shares |
|
Amount |
|
APIC |
|
AOCI |
|
Earnings |
|
Interests |
|
Equity |
|
||||||
Balance at December 31, 2019 |
|
30,035 |
|
$ |
300 |
|
$ |
237,877 |
|
$ |
737 |
|
$ |
796,775 |
|
$ |
6,596 |
|
$ |
1,042,285 |
|
Cumulative-effect adjustment for adoption of ASU 2016-13, net of tax |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(23,678) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(23,678) |
|
Walker & Dunlop net income |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
47,829 |
|
|
— |
|
|
47,829 |
|
Net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(224) |
|
|
(224) |
|
Contributions from noncontrolling interests |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
675 |
|
|
675 |
|
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(1,918) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(1,918) |
|
Stock-based compensation - equity classified |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,061 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,061 |
|
Issuance of common stock in connection with equity compensation plans |
|
675 |
|
|
7 |
|
|
11,362 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
11,369 |
|
Repurchase and retirement of common stock |
|
(380) |
|
|
(4) |
|
|
(18,293) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(8,440) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(26,737) |
|
Cash dividends paid ($0.36 per common share) |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(11,347) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(11,347) |
|
Balance at March 31, 2020 |
|
30,330 |
|
$ |
303 |
|
$ |
236,007 |
|
$ |
(1,181) |
|
$ |
801,139 |
|
$ |
7,047 |
|
$ |
1,043,315 |
|
Walker & Dunlop net income |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
62,059 |
|
|
— |
|
|
62,059 |
|
Purchase of noncontrolling interests |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(3,295) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(7,047) |
|
|
(10,342) |
|
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,430 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,430 |
|
Stock-based compensation - equity classified |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,592 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
5,592 |
|
Issuance of common stock in connection with equity compensation plans |
|
50 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
195 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
196 |
|
Repurchase and retirement of common stock |
|
(11) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(405) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(405) |
|
Cash dividends paid ($0.36 per common share) |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(11,294) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(11,294) |
|
Balance at June 30, 2020 |
|
30,369 |
|
$ |
304 |
|
$ |
238,094 |
|
$ |
249 |
|
$ |
851,904 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
1,090,551 |
|
25
Net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(50) |
|
|
(50) |
|
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
666 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
666 |
|
Stock-based compensation - equity classified |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
4,417 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
4,417 |
|
Issuance of common stock in connection with equity compensation plans |
|
24 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
1 |
|
Repurchase and retirement of common stock |
|
(33) |
|
|
(1) |
|
|
(538) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(1,217) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(1,756) |
|
Cash dividends paid ($0.30 per common share) |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(9,311) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(9,311) |
|
Balance at June 30, 2019 |
|
29,964 |
|
$ |
300 |
|
$ |
227,621 |
|
$ |
892 |
|
$ |
730,562 |
|
$ |
4,860 |
|
$ |
964,235 |
|
During the first quarter of 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program that permits the repurchase of up to $50.0 million of the Company’s common stock over a 12-month period beginning on February 11, 2020. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company repurchased 0.2 million shares of its common stock under a share repurchase program at a weighted average price of $63.58 per share and immediately retired the shares, reducing stockholders’ equity by $10.2 million. During the second quarter of 2020, the Company did not repurchase any shares of common stock. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had $39.8 million of authorized share repurchase capacity remaining under the 2020 share repurchase program.
During each of the first and second quarters of 2020, the Company paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. On August 4, 2020, the Company’s Board of directors declared a dividend of $0.36 per share for the third quarter of 2020. The dividend will be paid on September 8, 2020 to all holders of record of the Company’s restricted and unrestricted common stock as of August 21, 2020.
The Company’s note payable contains direct restrictions to the amount of dividends the Company may pay, and the warehouse credit facilities and agreements with the Agencies contain minimum equity, liquidity, and other capital requirements that indirectly restrict the amount of dividends the Company may pay. The Company does not believe that these restrictions currently limit the amount of dividends the Company intends to pay for the foreseeable future.
As disclosed in NOTE 7, the Company issued $5.0 million of Company stock in connection with acquisitions during the three months ended March 31, 2020, a non-cash transaction.
At the beginning of the second quarter of 2020, the Company purchased noncontrolling interests from one of the members of WDIS for an aggregate $5.2 million in cash, which resulted in reductions to noncontrolling interest in proportion to the member’s ownership percentage and to APIC for the excess of the purchase price over the noncontrolling interest balance. During the second quarter of 2020, the Company also exercised its call option to purchase the other member’s interest. This purchase will close in the third quarter of 2020, with an effective date of April 1, 2020.
Since the two transactions to purchase all of the noncontrolling interests were contemplated together and the effective date of both transactions is April 1, 2020, the Company did not record any Net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the second quarter of 2020. Additionally, the Company reclassified all remaining noncontrolling interests to Other liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2020, a non-cash transaction.
26
Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the historical financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Form 10-Q”). The following discussion contains, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements that include risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or contemplated in those forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth under the headings “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 2019 Form 10-K”).
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this Form 10-Q of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company,” “Walker & Dunlop,” “we,” or “us”), may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, projections, plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends, and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans, or intentions.
The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-Q reflect our current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or contemplated in any forward-looking statement. Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking:
● | the future of the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac,” and together with Fannie Mae, the “GSEs”), including their existence, relationship to the U.S. federal government, origination capacities, and their impact on our business; |
● | the general volatility and global economic disruption caused by the spread of the COVID pandemic (“COVID-19 Crisis” or “Crisis”) and its expected impact on our business operations, financial results and cash flows and liquidity, including due to our principal and interest advance obligations on the Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae loans we service; |
● | changes to and trends in the interest rate environment and its impact on our business; |
● | our growth strategy; |
● | our projected financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations; |
● | our ability to obtain and maintain warehouse and other loan funding arrangements; |
● | our ability to make future dividend payments or repurchase shares of our common stock; |
● | availability of and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and our ability to develop and retain relationships with borrowers, key principals, and lenders; |
● | degree and nature of our competition; |
● | changes in governmental regulations and policies, tax laws and rates, and similar matters and the impact of such regulations, policies, and actions; |
● | our ability to comply with the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to us; |
● | trends in the commercial real estate finance market, commercial real estate values, the credit and capital markets, or the general economy, including demand for multifamily housing and rent growth; |
● | general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of our common stock; and |
● | other risks and uncertainties associated with our business described in our 2019 Form 10-K and our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
While forward-looking statements reflect our good-faith projections, assumptions, and expectations, they are not guarantees of future results. Furthermore, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes, except as required by applicable law. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or contemplated in any forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors.”
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Business
We are one of the leading commercial real estate services and finance companies in the United States, with a primary focus on multifamily lending, debt brokerage, and property sales. We have been in business for more than 80 years; a Fannie Mae Delegated Underwriting and Servicing™ ("DUS") lender since 1988, when the DUS program began; a lender with the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), and the Federal Housing Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (together with Ginnie Mae, “HUD”) since acquiring a HUD license in 2009; and a Freddie Mac Multifamily approved seller/servicer for Conventional loans since 2009. We originate, sell, and service a range of multifamily and other commercial real estate financing products, provide multifamily property sales brokerage services, and engage in commercial real estate investment management activities. Our clients are owners and developers of multifamily properties and other commercial real estate across the country, some of whom are the largest owners and developers in the industry. We originate and sell multifamily loans through the programs of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD (collectively, the “Agencies”). We retain servicing rights and asset management responsibilities on substantially all loans that we originate for the Agencies’ programs. We are approved as a Fannie Mae DUS lender nationally, an approved member of Freddie Mac’s Multifamily OptigoSM network (“Freddie Mac Optigo”) nationally for Conventional, Seniors Housing, and Targeted Affordable Housing, a HUD Multifamily Accelerated Processing (“MAP”) lender nationally, a HUD Section 232 LEAN lender nationally, and a Ginnie Mae issuer. We broker, and occasionally service, loans for several life insurance companies, commercial banks, and other institutional investors, in which cases we do not fund the loan but rather act as a loan broker. We also underwrite, service, and asset-manage interim loans. Most of these interim loans are closed through a joint venture. Those interim loans not closed by the joint venture are originated by us and held for investment and included on our balance sheet.
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. is a holding company. We conduct the majority of our operations through Walker & Dunlop, LLC, our operating company.
Agency Lending and Loan Servicing
We recognize loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and the fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net from our products with the Agencies when we commit to both originate a loan with a borrower and sell that loan to an investor. The loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and the fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net for these transactions reflect the fair value attributable to loan origination fees, premiums on the sale of loans, net of any co-broker fees, and the fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with servicing the loans, net of any guaranty obligations retained.
We generally fund our Agency loan products through warehouse facility financing and sell them to investors in accordance with the related loan sale commitment, which we obtain concurrent with rate lock. Proceeds from the sale of the loan are used to pay off the warehouse borrowing. The sale of the loan is typically completed within 60 days after the loan is closed. We earn net warehouse interest income from loans held for sale while they are outstanding equal to the difference between the note rate on the loan and the cost of borrowing of the warehouse facility.
We retain servicing rights and asset management responsibilities on substantially all of our Agency loan products that we originate and sell and generate revenues from the fees we receive for servicing the loans, from the interest income on escrow deposits held on behalf of borrowers, and from other ancillary fees relating to servicing the loans. Servicing fees, which are based on servicing fee rates set at the time an investor agrees to purchase the loan and on the unpaid principal balance of the loan, are generally paid monthly for the duration of the loan. Our Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac servicing arrangements generally provide for prepayment protection to us in the event of a voluntary prepayment. For loans serviced outside of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, we typically do not have similar prepayment protections. For most loans we service under the Fannie Mae DUS program, we are required to advance the principal and interest payments and guarantee fees for four months should a borrower cease making payments under the terms of their loan, including while that loan is in forbearance. After advancing for four months, we may request reimbursement by Fannie Mae for the principal and interest advances, and Fannie Mae will reimburse us for these advances within 60 days of the request. Under the Ginnie Mae program, we are obligated to advance the principal and interest payments and guarantee fees until the HUD loan is brought current, fully paid or assigned to HUD. We are eligible to assign a loan to HUD once it is in default for 30 days. If the loan is not brought current, or the loan otherwise defaults, we are not reimbursed for our advances until such time as we assign the loan to HUD or work out a payment modification for the borrower. For loans in default, we may repurchase those loans out of the Ginnie Mae security, at which time our advance requirements cease and we may then modify and resell the loan or assign the loan back to HUD, at which time we will be reimbursed for our advances. Under the Freddie Mac Optigo program, and our bank and life insurance company servicing agreements, we are not obligated to make advances on the loans we service.
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Our loan commitments and loans held for sale are currently not exposed to unhedged interest rate risk during the loan commitment, closing, and delivery process. The sale or placement of each loan to an investor is negotiated prior to establishing the coupon rate for the loan. We also seek to mitigate the risk of a loan not closing. We have agreements in place with the Agencies that specify the cost of a failed loan delivery in the event we fail to deliver the loan to the investor. To protect us against such risk, we require a deposit from the borrower at rate lock that is typically more than the potential cost of non-delivery. The deposit is returned to the borrower only once the loan is closed. Any potential loss from a catastrophic change in the property condition while the loan is held for sale using warehouse facility financing is mitigated through property insurance equal to replacement cost. We are also protected contractually from an investor’s failure to purchase the loan. We have experienced an immaterial number of failed deliveries in our history and have incurred immaterial losses on such failed deliveries.
We have risk-sharing obligations on substantially all loans we originate under the Fannie Mae DUS program. When a Fannie Mae DUS loan is subject to full risk-sharing, we absorb losses on the first 5% of the unpaid principal balance of a loan at the time of loss settlement, and above 5% we share a percentage of the loss with Fannie Mae, with our maximum loss capped at 20% of the original unpaid principal balance of the loan (subject to doubling or tripling if the loan does not meet specific underwriting criteria or if the loan defaults within 12 months of its sale to Fannie Mae). Our full risk-sharing is limited to loans up to $200 million, which equates to a maximum loss per loan of $40 million (such exposure would occur in the event that the underlying collateral is determined to be completely without value at the time of loss). For loans in excess of $200 million, we receive modified risk-sharing. We also may request modified risk-sharing at the time of origination on loans below $200 million, which reduces our potential risk-sharing losses from the levels described above if we do not believe that we are being fully compensated for the risks of the transactions.
Our servicing fees for risk-sharing loans include compensation for the risk-sharing obligations and are larger than the servicing fees we would receive from Fannie Mae for loans with no risk-sharing obligations. We receive a lower servicing fee for modified risk-sharing than for full risk-sharing.
Debt Brokerage
Our mortgage bankers who focus on debt brokerage are engaged by borrowers to work with a variety of institutional lenders to find the most appropriate loan instrument for the borrowers' needs. These loans are then funded directly by the institutional lender, and we receive an origination fee for placing the loan. For those brokered loans we also service, we collect ongoing servicing fees while those loans remain in our servicing portfolio. The servicing fees we typically earn on brokered loan transactions are substantially lower than the servicing fees we earn for servicing loans with the Agencies.
Principal Lending and Investing
Through a joint venture with an affiliate of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc., we offer short-term senior secured debt financing products that provide floating-rate, interest-only loans for terms of generally up to three years to experienced borrowers seeking to acquire or reposition multifamily properties that do not currently qualify for permanent financing (the “Interim Program JV” or the “joint venture”). The joint venture funds its operations using a combination of equity contributions from its owners and third-party credit facilities. We hold a 15% ownership interest in the Interim Program JV and are responsible for sourcing, underwriting, servicing, and asset-managing the loans originated by the joint venture. The Interim Program JV assumes full risk of loss while the loans it originates are outstanding, while we assume risk commensurate with our 15% ownership interest.
Using a combination of our own capital and warehouse debt financing, we offer interim loans that do not meet the criteria of the Interim Program JV (the “Interim Program”). We underwrite, service, and asset-manage all loans executed through the Interim Program. We originate and hold these Interim Program loans for investment, which are included on our balance sheet, and during the time that these loans are outstanding, we assume the full risk of loss (the “Interim Loan Program”). The ultimate goal of the Interim Program is to provide permanent Agency financing on these transitional properties. Since we began originating interim loans in 2012, we have not charged off any Interim Program loans.
During the second quarter of 2018, the Company acquired JCR Capital Investment Corporation and subsidiaries, now known as Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners, Inc. (“WDIP”), the operator of a private commercial real estate investment adviser focused on the management of debt, preferred equity, and mezzanine equity investments in middle-market commercial real estate funds. The acquisition of WDIP, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is part of our strategy to grow and diversify our operations by growing our investment
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management platform. WDIP’s current assets under management (“AUM”) of $1.2 billion primarily consist of four sources: Fund III, Fund IV, Fund V (collectively, the “Funds”), and separate accounts managed for life insurance companies. AUM for the Funds consists of both unfunded commitments and funded investments and AUM for the separate accounts consist entirely of funded investments. Unfunded commitments are highest during the fund raising and investment phases. WDIP receives management fees based on both unfunded commitments and funded investments. Additionally, with respect to the Funds, WDIP receives a percentage of the return above the fund return hurdle rate specified in the fund agreements.
Property Sales
We offer property sales brokerage services to owners and developers of multifamily properties that are seeking to sell these properties through our subsidiary Walker & Dunlop Investment Sales, LLC (“WDIS”). Through these property sales brokerage services, we seek to maximize proceeds and certainty of closure for our clients using our knowledge of the commercial real estate and capital markets and relying on our experienced transaction professionals. We receive a sales commission for brokering the sale of these multifamily assets on behalf of our clients. Our property sales services are offered in various regions throughout the United States.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include all of the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, and all intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Additionally, we consolidate the activities of WDIS, and prior to the second quarter of 2020, presented the portion of WDIS that we did not control as Noncontrolling interests in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and Net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Due to the repurchase activity as more fully described in the footnotes to the financial statements, we did not have noncontrolling interests as of June 30, 2020 and did not have net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests for the second quarter of 2020.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts. The estimates and assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors management believes to be reasonable. Actual results may differ from those estimates and assumptions. We believe the following critical accounting policies represent the areas where more significant judgments and estimates are used in the preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements.
Mortgage Servicing Rights (“MSRs”). MSRs are recorded at fair value at loan sale or upon purchase. The fair value of MSRs acquired through a stand-alone servicing portfolio purchase (“PMSR”) is equal to the purchase price paid. The fair value at loan sale (“OMSR”) is based on estimates of expected net cash flows associated with the servicing rights and takes into consideration an estimate of loan prepayment. Initially, the fair value amount is included as a component of the derivative asset fair value at the loan commitment date. The estimated net cash flows are discounted at a rate that reflects the credit and liquidity risk of the OMSR over the estimated life of the underlying loan. The discount rates used throughout the periods presented for all OMSRs were between 10% and 15% and varied based on the loan type. The life of the underlying loan is estimated giving consideration to the prepayment provisions in the loan. Our model for OMSRs assumes no prepayment while the prepayment provisions have not expired and full prepayment of the loan at or near the point where the prepayment provisions have expired. We record an individual OMSR asset (or liability) for each loan at loan sale. For PMSRs, we record and amortize a portfolio-level MSR asset based on the estimated remaining life of the portfolio using the prepayment characteristics of the portfolio.
The assumptions used to estimate the fair value of OMSRs are based on internal models and are periodically compared to assumptions used by other market participants. Due to the relatively few transactions in the multifamily MSR market, we have experienced little volatility in the assumptions we used during the periods presented, including the most-significant assumption – the discount rate. Additionally, we do not expect to see significant volatility in the assumptions for the foreseeable future. Management actively monitors the assumptions used and makes adjustments to those assumptions when market conditions change or other factors indicate such adjustments are warranted. We carry OMSRs and PMSRs at the lower of amortized cost or fair value and evaluate the carrying value for impairment quarterly. We test for impairment on PMSRs separately from OMSRs. The PMSRs and OMSRs are tested for impairment at the portfolio level. We have never recorded an impairment of MSRs in our history. We engage a third party to assist in determining an estimated fair value of our existing and outstanding MSRs on at least a semi-annual basis.
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Revenue is recognized when we record a derivative asset upon the simultaneous commitments to originate a loan with a borrower and sell the loan to an investor. The commitment asset related to the loan origination is recognized at fair value, which reflects the fair value of the contractual loan origination related fees and sale premiums, net of any co-broker fees, and the estimated fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with the servicing of the loan, net of the estimated net future cash flows associated with any risk-sharing obligations (the “servicing component of the commitment asset”). Upon loan sale, we derecognize the servicing component of the commitment asset and recognize an OMSR. All OMSRs are amortized into expense using the interest method over the estimated life of the loan and presented as a component of Amortization and depreciation in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
For OMSRs, the individual loan-level OMSR is written off through a charge to Amortization and depreciation when a loan prepays, defaults, or is probable of default. For PMSRs, a constant rate of prepayments and defaults is included in the determination of the portfolio’s estimated life (and thus included as a component of the portfolio’s amortization). Accordingly, prepayments and defaults of individual loans do not change the level of amortization expense recorded for the portfolio unless the pattern of actual prepayments and defaults varies significantly from the estimated pattern. When such a significant difference in the pattern of estimated and actual prepayments and defaults occurs, we prospectively adjust the estimated life of the portfolio (and thus future amortization) to approximate the actual pattern observed. During the second quarter of 2020, we reduced the estimated life of two of our PMSR portfolios, as the actual prepayment experience had differed materially from the expected prepayment experience as interest rates have declined during 2020. We reduced the estimated life of these portfolios by 2.6 years. We are uncertain whether additional adjustments to the estimated lives of these portfolios will be necessary in the near term.
Allowance for Risk-sharing Obligations. This reserve liability (referred to as “allowance”) for risk-sharing obligations relates to our at risk servicing portfolio and is presented as a separate liability within the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. We record a loss reserve for the current expected credit losses (“CECL”) for all loans in our Fannie Mae at risk servicing portfolio using the weighted-average remaining maturity method (“WARM”). WARM uses an average annual charge-off rate that contains loss content over multiple vintages and loan terms and is used as a foundation for estimating the CECL reserve. The average annual charge-off rate is applied to the unpaid principal balance (“UPB”) over the contractual term, further adjusted for estimated prepayments and amortization to arrive at the CECL reserve for the entire current portfolio as described further below.
One of the key components of a WARM calculation is the runoff rate, which is the expected rate at which loans in the current portfolio will prepay and amortize in the future. As the loans we originate have different original lives and runoff over different periods, we group loans by similar origination dates (vintage) and contractual maturity terms for purposes of calculating the runoff rate. We originate loans under the DUS program with various terms generally ranging from several years to 15 years; each of these various loan terms has a different runoff rate.
Once we have calculated the estimated outstanding UPB for each future year until maturity for each loan term type, we then apply the average annual charge-off rate (as further described below) to each future year’s expected UPB. We then aggregate the allowance calculated for each year within each loan term type and for all different maturity years to arrive at the CECL reserve for the portfolio.
The weighted-average annual charge-off rate is calculated using a ten-year look-back period, utilizing the average portfolio balance and settled losses for each year. A ten-year period is used as we believe that this period of time includes sufficiently different economic conditions to generate a reasonable estimate of expected results in the future, given the relatively long-term nature of the current portfolio.
We use one year for our reasonable and supportable forecast period (“forecast period”) as we believe forecasts beyond one year are inherently less reliable. We use forecasts of such factors as unemployment rates, historically a highly correlated indicator for multi-family occupancy rates, and net operating income growth to assess what macroeconomic and multifamily market conditions are expected to be like over the forecast period. We then associate the forecasted conditions with a similar historical period over the past ten years, which could be one or several years, and use our average loss rate for that historical period as a basis for the charge-off rate used for the forecast period. For all remaining years until maturity, we use the weighted-average annual charge-off rate for the ten-year period as described above to estimate losses. The average loss rate from a historical period used for the forecast period may be adjusted as necessary if the forecasted macroeconomic and industry conditions differ materially from the historical period.
We perform a quarterly evaluation of all of our risk-sharing loans to determine whether a specific loss is probable. Our process for identifying which risk-sharing loans may be probable of loss consists of an assessment of several qualitative and quantitative factors, including payment status, property financial performance, local real estate market conditions, loan-to-value ratio, debt-service-coverage ratio
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(“DSCR”), property condition, and financial strength of the borrower or key principal(s). In instances where payment under the guaranty on a specific loan is determined to be probable and estimable (as the loan is probable of foreclosure or in foreclosure), we record a liability for the estimated allowance for risk-sharing (a “specific reserve”) through a charge to the provision for risk-sharing obligations, which is a component of Provision for credit losses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income, along with a write-off of the associated loan-specific mortgage servicing right and guaranty obligation. Historically, initial recognition of a specific reserve occurs at or before a loan becomes 60 days delinquent.
The amount of the specific reserve considers the historical loss experience, adverse situations affecting individual loans, the estimated disposition value of the underlying collateral, and the level of risk sharing. The estimate of property fair value at initial recognition of the specific reserve is based on appraisals, broker opinions of value, or net operating income and market capitalization rates, depending on the facts and circumstances associated with the loan. We regularly monitor the specific reserves on all applicable loans and up-dates loss estimates as current information is received. The settlement with Fannie Mae is based on the actual sales price of the property and selling and property preservation costs and considers the Fannie Mae loss-sharing requirements. The maximum amount of the loss we absorb at the time of default is generally 20% of the origination unpaid principal balance of the loan.
Loss settlement with Fannie Mae has historically concluded within 18 to 36 months after foreclosure. Historically, the initial specific reserves have not varied significantly from the final settlement. Given the unprecedented nature of the impacts of the Crisis on the domestic economy and commercial real estate in particular, we are uncertain whether such trends will continue in the future. The loss-sharing requirements are further detailed below in the “Credit Quality and Allowance for Risk-Sharing Obligations” section.
Overview of Current Business Environment
During the last two fiscal years, over 80% of the Company’s transaction volumes have been driven by the financing and sale of multifamily properties in the U.S. As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 Crisis, numerous Americans, including many renters in multifamily properties, are experiencing significant financial hardship. Those hardships have resulted in dramatic increases in unemployment, creating uncertainty about whether many Americans will be able to continue paying their monthly rent as the depth and duration of the Crisis increases. In response to the financial hardships being experienced across the U.S., we have seen unprecedented levels of economic stimulus and protections put in place by Congress. Most notably, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was passed by Congress on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act includes considerable capital investments and government programs meant to support households, businesses and the U.S. economy during the recession created by the COVID-19 Crisis.
Included in the CARES Act are several provisions that specifically impact our business. First, the CARES Act includes provisions that prevented the eviction of residential tenants of certain buildings secured by federally backed mortgage loans for a period of 120 days following the passage of the CARES Act. Although this provision has expired, future legislation may include similar eviction prohibitions. Second, the CARES Act provided $260 billion to extend unemployment insurance, $290 billion to make direct stimulus payments to households, and $52 billion to provide nutrition programs, housing assistance and family services. Specifically, as it relates to our business, the nearly $600 billion allocated to these programs has provided the funds necessary to enable many renters to continue meeting monthly obligations. Finally, the CARES Act allocates over $250 billion to tax relief provisions that reduce interest deductibility limitations, refund payroll tax credits and defer various payroll taxes. These provisions provided tax deferrals to the Company over the past four months. Many of the provisions of the CARES Act expired at the end of July 2020, and Congress is working on an extension of many of the benefits. If Congress fails to extend certain provisions of the CARES Act, or significantly reduces the amount of stimulus payments going forward, it could have a negative effect on our liquidity or on our borrowers’ ability to repay their loans.
Other Federal programs are also benefitted by the CARES Act to support the economy through the economic downturn. Notably, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Exchange Stabilization Fund (“ESF”) has been increased by over $450 billion. The expansion of the ESF will enable the U.S. Federal Reserve to put significant lending programs in place to support small business lending programs, main street lending programs, and various other corporate lending programs. These lending programs may assist some of our borrowers with the liquidity necessary to fund their operations should the duration of the Crisis extend late into the year. Outside of the support allocated by the CARES Act, the Federal Reserve has adopted other measures in response to the financial downturn. In March of 2020, the Federal Reserve brought the Federal Funds Rate to a target of 0% to .25% in an emergency cut in response to the pending COVID-19 outbreak. Prior to this move, the Federal Reserve had lowered the Fed Funds Rate by 75 basis points during 2019 lowering the target rate to 1.50% - 1.75%. The Federal Reserve indicated in July of 2020 that it intends to keep rates at these levels for the foreseeable future in order to support an economic recovery. This action by the Federal Reserve, along with the Federal Reserve’s commitment to buy Treasury securities and Agency mortgage-backed securities in amounts necessary to support smooth functioning of markets, has enabled Agency securities to continue trading
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uninterrupted with little to no change in the credit spreads that drive pricing of Agency mortgage-backed securities and has contributed to very low long-term mortgage interest rates, which form the basis for most of our lending. The low rate environment contributed to the increase in our lending volumes in the first half of 2020.
Finally, the Agencies have separately responded to the COVID-19 Crisis by halting the eviction of tenants living in assets they have financed. This has directly influenced borrowers’ ability to manage tenants that are either unable to pay, or elect not to pay, their monthly obligations. In response, numerous multifamily owner-operators are working closely with affected renters to provide economic assistance during this time of need, up to and including rent forbearance for those experiencing a financial hardship. The Agencies responded further to the COVID-19 Crisis by offering loan forbearance to borrowers for up to 180 days provided a borrower is able to show a property is experiencing a financial hardship as a direct result of the COVID-19 Crisis. The creation of these two programs may have a direct impact on our borrowers’ ability to make monthly debt service payments, and in turn may impact the Company’s obligation to advance funds to bondholders under our servicing agreements with Fannie Mae and HUD. We do not have advance obligations with respect to our Freddie Mac or life insurance servicing agreements. As of June 30, 2020, very few of our multifamily borrowers have needed loan forbearance, requiring us to advance $1.1 million and $4.8 million of debt service payments under our Fannie Mae and HUD servicing agreements, respectively compared to $0.2 million and $2.7 million, respectively, at March 31, 2020. Declining rent collections and a borrower’s inability to make all required payments once the forbearance period is over could lead to an increase in delinquencies and losses beyond what we have experienced since the great financial crisis of 2007-2010. The prolonged nature of the Crisis could result in the number of forbearance requests increasing for the remainder of 2020 given the current high levels of domestic unemployment.
The most immediate impact of the Crisis was felt by our multifamily property sales operations. We saw a significant decline in investment sales activity because of the COVID-19 Crisis. Long-term, we believe the market fundamentals remain positive for multifamily property sales. Many would-be buyers and sellers are waiting to transact until they have a better sense of the depth and duration of the Crisis and associated recession. However, over the last several years, and in the months leading up to the COVID-19 Crisis, household formation and a dearth of supply of entry-level single-family homes led to strong demand for rental housing in most geographic areas. Consequently, the fundamentals of the multifamily market were strong entering the COVID-19 Crisis, and when coupled with the financial protections put in place by Congress and the Agencies, it is our expectation that market demand for multifamily housing in the second half of 2020 will recover, continuing to make multifamily properties an attractive investment option. Once the economy begins to recover from the recent disruption, we anticipate our property sales activity to ultimately return to pre-Crisis levels. According to RealPage, a provider of commercial real estate data and analytics, new lease signings on multifamily properties were higher in June 2020 than in June 2019 in most major geographic markets and the first couple weeks of July continued this trend, suggesting that the multifamily market is beginning to recover.
Despite the disruption to multifamily property sales, our Agency multifamily debt financing operations remain active. The Agencies are countercyclical sources of capital to the multifamily industry and are continuing to lend during the COVID-19 Crisis, just as they did during the great financial crisis of 2007-2010. We are a market-leading originator with the Agencies, and the Agencies remain the most significant providers of capital to the multifamily market. Consequently, we continue to see significant activity in our multifamily lending operations, and we continue to see lending opportunities consistent with pre-Crisis levels. We believe our market leadership positions us to be a significant lender with the Agencies for the foreseeable future.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) establishes loan origination caps for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each year. In September 2019, FHFA revised Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s loan origination caps to $100.0 billion each for all multifamily business for the five-quarter period beginning with the fourth quarter 2019 through the fourth quarter of 2020. The new caps apply to all multifamily business with no exclusions. As of the second quarter of 2020, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had $48 billion and $52 billion, respectively, of capacity remaining under FHFA’s multifamily loan origination caps. In the second quarter of 2020, we saw strong lending activity from our Agency operations as the Agencies maintained and even increased their historical market share during 2020 as other capital sources pulled back from the market due to the COVID-19 Crisis. We expect strength in our Agency operations to continue given the continued pull back by other capital sources. An additional positive factor influencing multifamily financing volumes is the historically low interest rate environment, which is incentivizing borrowers to refinance their properties in spite of the current challenges. We continue to seek to add resources and scale to our Agency lending platform.
Our originations with the Agencies are our most profitable executions as they provide significant non-cash gains from MSRs that turn into significant cash revenue streams from future servicing fees. A decline in our Agency originations would negatively impact our financial results as our non-cash revenues would decrease disproportionately with debt financing volume and future servicing fee revenue would be constrained or decline.
Our debt financing operations with HUD grew during the first half of 2020, with HUD loans accounting for 10% and 6% of our debt financing volumes for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, compared to 3% for both the three and six months ended
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June 30, 2019. The increase in HUD debt financing volumes was partially a result of the government shutdown during the first half of 2019 and partially a result of HUD originations being countercyclical sources of capital, similar to the GSEs.
Our non-multifamily focused mortgage brokerage operations have also been impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis. The Crisis had an immediate negative impact on the supply of capital to commercial real estate, most noticeably for hospitality, office, and retail assets. Our debt brokerage platform delivered record financing volumes prior to the onset of the Crisis in the U.S. As a result of the Crisis, we have seen an increase in brokered financing transactions put on hold or cancelled altogether, impacting our production volumes during the second quarter of 2020. In the short term, we expect non-multifamily debt financing volumes to remain at relatively low levels as banks and life insurance companies reduce their origination volumes in response to the Crisis.
We entered into the Interim Program JV to both increase the overall capital available to transitional multifamily properties and to dramatically expand our capacity to originate Interim Program loans. The demand for transitional lending has brought increased competition from lenders, specifically banks, mortgage real estate investment trusts, and life insurance companies. As it did with other types of lending, the COVID-19 Crisis has resulted in a pullback of capital sources for interim lending opportunities. In response to the Crisis, we did not originate any new Interim Program loans since the Crisis began and continue to maintain a cautious outlook on new originations. Except for one loan that defaulted in early 2019, the loans in our portfolio and in the Interim JV continue to perform as agreed, but we could see higher levels of default or requests for forbearance as the impacts of the Crisis become clearer.
As of June 30, 2020, we have not furloughed any employees as a result of the Crisis and currently do not have any plans in place to furlough any employees as a result of the Crisis. Additionally, since March 15, 2020, substantially all of our employees have been able to work remotely.
34
Results of Operations
Following is a discussion of our results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. The financial results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Our quarterly results have fluctuated in the past and are expected to fluctuate in the future, reflecting the interest-rate environment, the volume of transactions, business acquisitions, regulatory actions, industry trends, and general economic conditions. Please refer to the table below, which provides supplemental data regarding our financial performance.
SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING DATA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three months ended |
|
For the six months ended |
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
June 30, |
|
June 30, |
|
|
|
||||||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
|
|
||||
Transaction Volume: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Components of Debt Financing Volume |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fannie Mae |
|
$ |
2,762,299 |
|
$ |
2,357,560 |
|
$ |
6,933,790 |
|
$ |
4,340,370 |
|
|
|
Freddie Mac |
|
|
1,769,280 |
|
|
1,532,939 |
|
|
2,767,076 |
|
|
3,106,573 |
|
|
|
Ginnie Mae - HUD |
|
|
640,150 |
|
|
191,502 |
|
|
994,837 |
|
|
369,760 |
|
|
|
Brokered (1) |
|
|
1,495,500 |
|
|
1,945,006 |
|
|
5,489,385 |
|
|
3,379,135 |
|
|
|
Principal Lending and Investing (2) |
|
|
14,091 |
|
|
177,844 |
|
|
122,041 |
|
|
253,706 |
|
|
|
Total Debt Financing Volume |
|
$ |
6,681,320 |
|
$ |
6,204,851 |
|
$ |
16,307,129 |
|
$ |
11,449,544 |
|
|
|
Property Sales Volume |
|
|
446,684 |
|
|
1,101,518 |
|
|
2,177,301 |
|
|
1,798,129 |
|
|
|
Total Transaction Volume |
|
$ |
7,128,004 |
|
$ |
7,306,369 |
|
$ |
18,484,430 |
|
$ |
13,247,673 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Key Performance Metrics: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating margin |
|
|
33 |
% |
|
28 |
% |
|
30 |
% |
|
29 |
% |
|
|
Return on equity |
|
|
23 |
|
|
18 |
|
|
21 |
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
Walker & Dunlop net income |
|
$ |
62,059 |
|
$ |
42,196 |
|
$ |
109,888 |
|
$ |
86,414 |
|
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA (3) |
|
|
48,394 |
|
|
62,609 |
|
|
112,522 |
|
|
129,293 |
|
|
|
Diluted EPS |
|
|
1.95 |
|
|
1.33 |
|
|
3.44 |
|
|
2.72 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Key Expense Metrics (as a percentage of total revenues): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Personnel expenses |
|
|
42 |
% |
|
42 |
% |
|
40 |
% |
|
40 |
% |
|
|
Other operating expenses |
|
|
5 |
|
|
8 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Key Revenue Metrics (as a percentage of debt financing volume): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Origination related fees (4) |
|
|
1.17 |
% |
|
1.08 |
% |
|
0.95 |
% |
|
1.09 |
% |
|
|
Gains attributable to MSRs (4) |
|
|
1.36 |
|
|
0.68 |
|
|
0.98 |
|
|
0.73 |
|
|
|
Gains attributable to MSRs, as a percentage of Agency debt financing volume (5) |
|
|
1.75 |
|
|
1.01 |
|
|
1.48 |
|
|
1.05 |
|
|
|
35
Weighted-average remaining servicing portfolio term (years) |
|
|
9.5 |
|
|
9.8 |
|
The following table summarizes WDIP’s AUM as of June 30, 2020:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unfunded |
|
Funded |
|
|
|
|
||
Components of WDIP assets under management (in thousands) |
|
Commitments |
|
Investments |
|
Total |
|
|||
Fund III |
|
$ |
79,267 |
|
$ |
100,059 |
|
$ |
179,326 |
|
Fund IV |
|
|
165,294 |
|
|
141,087 |
|
|
306,381 |
|
Fund V |
|
|
194,753 |
|
|
7,342 |
|
|
202,095 |
|
Separate accounts |
|
|
— |
|
|
501,604 |
|
|
501,604 |
|
Total assets under management |
|
$ |
439,314 |
|
$ |
750,092 |
|
$ |
1,189,406 |
|
(1) | Brokered transactions for life insurance companies, commercial banks, and other capital sources. |
(2) | For the three months ended June 30, 2020, includes $14.1 million from WDIP separate accounts. For the six months ended June 30, 2020, includes $86.2 million from the Interim Program JV and $35.8 million from WDIP separate accounts. For the three months ended June 30, 2019, includes $128.5 million from the Interim Program JV, $2.5 million from the Interim Program, and $46.8 million from WDIP separate accounts. For the six months ended June 30, 2019, includes $143.7 million from the Interim Program JV, $35.9 million from the Interim Program, and $74.1 million from WDIP separate accounts. |
(3) | This is a non-GAAP financial measure. For more information on adjusted EBITDA, refer to the section below titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.” |
(4) | The fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with the servicing of the loan, net of any guaranty obligations retained. Excludes the income and mortgage banking volume from Principal Lending and Investing. |
(5) | The fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with the servicing of the loan, net of any guaranty obligations retained, as a percentage of Agency volume. |
(6) | Brokered loans serviced primarily for life insurance companies. |
(7) | Consists of interim loans not managed for the Interim Program JV. |
(8) | As of June 30, 2020, includes $624.1 million of Interim Program JV managed loans, $71.1 million of loans serviced directly for the Interim Program JV partner, and WDIP assets under management of $1.2 billion. As of June 30, 2019, includes $504.3 million of Interim Program JV managed loans, $70.1 million of loans serviced directly for the Interim Program JV partner, and WDIP assets under management of $1.0 billion. |
The following tables present a period-to-period comparison of our financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.
FINANCIAL RESULTS – THREE MONTHS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three months ended |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
June 30, |
|
Dollar |
|
Percentage |
|
|
|||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
Change |
|
Change |
|
|
|||
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net |
|
$ |
77,907 |
|
$ |
65,610 |
|
$ |
12,297 |
|
19 |
% |
|
Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net |
|
|
90,369 |
|
|
41,271 |
|
|
49,098 |
|
119 |
|
|
Servicing fees |
|
|
56,862 |
|
|
53,006 |
|
|
3,856 |
|
7 |
|
|
Net warehouse interest income |
|
|
9,401 |
|
|
6,411 |
|
|
2,990 |
|
47 |
|
|
Escrow earnings and other interest income |
|
|
2,671 |
|
|
14,616 |
|
|
(11,945) |
|
(82) |
|
|
Property sales broker fees |
|
|
3,561 |
|
|
5,752 |
|
|
(2,191) |
|
(38) |
|
|
Other revenues |
|
|
12,054 |
|
|
13,659 |
|
|
(1,605) |
|
(12) |
|
|
Total revenues |
|
$ |
252,825 |
|
$ |
200,325 |
|
$ |
52,500 |
|
26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Personnel |
|
$ |
106,920 |
|
$ |
84,398 |
|
$ |
22,522 |
|
27 |
% |
|
Amortization and depreciation |
|
|
42,317 |
|
|
37,381 |
|
|
4,936 |
|
13 |
|
|
Provision for credit losses |
|
|
4,903 |
|
|
961 |
|
|
3,942 |
|
410 |
|
|
Interest expense on corporate debt |
|
|
2,078 |
|
|
3,777 |
|
|
(1,699) |
|
(45) |
|
|
Other operating expenses |
|
|
13,069 |
|
|
16,830 |
|
|
(3,761) |
|
(22) |
|
|
Total expenses |
|
$ |
169,287 |
|
$ |
143,347 |
|
$ |
25,940 |
|
18 |
|
|
Income from operations |
|
$ |
83,538 |
|
$ |
56,978 |
|
$ |
26,560 |
|
47 |
|
|
36
Income tax expense |
|
|
21,479 |
|
|
14,832 |
|
|
6,647 |
|
45 |
|
|
Net income before noncontrolling interests |
|
$ |
62,059 |
|
$ |
42,146 |
|
$ |
19,913 |
|
47 |
|
|
Less: net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests |
|
|
— |
|
|
(50) |
|
|
50 |
|
(100) |
|
|
Walker & Dunlop net income |
|
$ |
62,059 |
|
$ |
42,196 |
|
$ |
19,863 |
|
47 |
|
|
FINANCIAL RESULTS – SIX MONTHS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the six months ended |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
June 30, |
|
Dollar |
|
Percentage |
|
|
|||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
Change |
|
Change |
|
|
|||
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net |
|
$ |
154,280 |
|
$ |
123,407 |
|
$ |
30,873 |
|
25 |
% |
|
Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net |
|
|
158,369 |
|
|
82,209 |
|
|
76,160 |
|
93 |
|
|
Servicing fees |
|
|
112,296 |
|
|
105,205 |
|
|
7,091 |
|
7 |
|
|
Net warehouse interest income |
|
|
14,896 |
|
|
13,432 |
|
|
1,464 |
|
11 |
|
|
Escrow earnings and other interest income |
|
|
13,414 |
|
|
28,684 |
|
|
(15,270) |
|
(53) |
|
|
Property sales broker fees |
|
|
13,173 |
|
|
10,293 |
|
|
2,880 |
|
28 |
|
|
Other revenues |
|
|
20,554 |
|
|
24,532 |
|
|
(3,978) |
|
(16) |
|
|
Total revenues |
|
$ |
486,982 |
|
$ |
387,762 |
|
$ |
99,220 |
|
26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Personnel |
|
$ |
196,445 |
|
$ |
156,029 |
|
$ |
40,416 |
|
26 |
% |
|
Amortization and depreciation |
|
|
82,079 |
|
|
75,284 |
|
|
6,795 |
|
9 |
|
|
Provision for credit losses |
|
|
28,546 |
|
|
3,636 |
|
|
24,910 |
|
685 |
|
|
Interest expense on corporate debt |
|
|
4,938 |
|
|
7,429 |
|
|
(2,491) |
|
(34) |
|
|
Other operating expenses |
|
|
31,159 |
|
|
32,322 |
|
|
(1,163) |
|
(4) |
|
|
Total expenses |
|
$ |
343,167 |
|
$ |
274,700 |
|
$ |
68,467 |
|
25 |
|
|
Income from operations |
|
$ |
143,815 |
|
$ |
113,062 |
|
$ |
30,753 |
|
27 |
|
|
Income tax expense |
|
|
34,151 |
|
|
26,856 |
|
|
7,295 |
|
27 |
|
|
Net income before noncontrolling interests |
|
$ |
109,664 |
|
$ |
86,206 |
|
$ |
23,458 |
|
27 |
|
|
Less: net income (loss) from noncontrolling interests |
|
|
(224) |
|
|
(208) |
|
|
(16) |
|
8 |
|
|
Walker & Dunlop net income |
|
$ |
109,888 |
|
$ |
86,414 |
|
$ |
23,474 |
|
27 |
|
|
Overview
For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in revenues was mainly driven by increases in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net (“MSR Income”). The increase in loan origination and debt brokerage fees was primarily related to an increase in debt financing volumes. The increase in MSR Income was primarily driven both by the increase in debt financing volume and an increase in the weighted-average servicing fee on the Fannie Mae debt originated during the quarter. Servicing fees increased largely from an increase in the average servicing portfolio outstanding. The increase in net warehouse interest income was related to an increase in net warehouse interest income from loans held for sale due to significant increases in the average balance and the net spread, partially offset by a decrease in net warehouse interest income from loans held for investment. Escrow earnings and other interest income decreased largely due to a decrease in the earnings rate. The decrease in property sales broker fees was principally due to a decrease in property sale volume.
For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in expenses was largely attributable to increases in personnel expenses and provision for credit losses. The increase in personnel expenses was primarily a result of an increase in salaries and benefits costs due primarily to an increase in the average headcount, subjective bonuses due to the Company’s strong performance during the quarter, and commissions due to the increase in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net. Amortization and depreciation expense increased due to an increase in the average MSR balance. The increase in provision for credit losses was mainly due to a change in the calculation of our allowances for credit losses due to a new accounting standard. During the prior year, our allowances for credit losses were calculated based on an incurred loss methodology. During the current year, we implemented the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) accounting standard, which requires
37
allowances to be calculated based on an expected lifetime credit loss methodology. The decrease in interest expense on corporate debt was driven by lower short-term interest rates on our long-term debt. Other operating expenses decreased primarily due to lower travel and entertainment costs due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in revenues was mainly driven by increases in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and MSR Income. The increase in loan origination and debt brokerage fees was primarily related to an increase in debt financing volumes. The increase in MSR Income was primarily driven both by the increase in debt financing volume and an increase in the weighted-average servicing fee on Fannie Mae debt servicing volume. Servicing fees increased largely from an increase in the average servicing portfolio outstanding. Escrow earnings and other interest income decreased principally due to a decrease in the earnings rate. The increase in property sales broker fees was principally due to an increase in property sale volume. Other revenues decreased largely as a result of a decrease in prepayment fees.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in expenses was principally driven by increases in personnel expenses and provision for credit losses. The increase in personnel expenses was largely a result of an increase in salaries and benefits costs due primarily to an increase in the average headcount, subjective bonuses due to the Company’s strong performance during the first half of 2020, and commissions due to the increase in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net. Amortization and depreciation expense increased due to an increase in the average MSR balance. The increase in provision for credit losses was mainly due to a change in the calculation of our allowances for credit losses due to the adoption of CECL. The decrease in interest expense on corporate debt was driven by lower short-term interest rates on our long-term debt.
Revenues
Loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net. The following tables provide additional information that helps explain changes in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net period over period:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Debt Financing Volume by Product Type |
|
|||||||||
|
|
For the three months ended |
|
|
For the six months ended |
|
||||||
|
|
June 30, |
|
|
June 30, |
|
||||||
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
|
2020 |
|
|
2019 |
|
Fannie Mae |
|
41 |
% |
|
38 |
% |
|
43 |
% |
|
38 |
% |
Freddie Mac |
|
26 |
|
|
25 |
|
|
17 |
|
|
27 |
|
Ginnie Mae - HUD |
|
10 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
3 |
|
Brokered |
|
23 |
|
|
31 |
|
|
33 |
|
|
30 |
|
Principal Lending and Investing |
|
- |
|
|
3 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
38
(1) | The fair value of the expected net cash flows associated with the servicing of the loan, net of any guaranty obligations retained. |
(2) | Origination fees as a percentage of total mortgage banking volume. |
(3) | MSR Income as a percentage of total mortgage banking volume. |
(4) | MSR Income as a percentage of Agency mortgage banking volume. |
The increases in origination fees and MSR income for the three months ended June 30, 2020 were related to an 8% increase in debt financing volume and a more favorable transaction mix leading to an increase in origination fee and MSR rates. During the three months ended June 30, 2020, 77% of our total mortgage banking volume related to Agency loans compared to 66% during the three months ended June 30, 2019, leading to increases in the origination fee and MSR rates. The weighted-average servicing fee on Fannie Mae debt financing volume nearly doubled year over year, contributing to the increase in MSR Income and the Agency MSR Rate. HUD debt financing volumes were a major contributor to the increase in Agency transaction mix year over year, with HUD loans accounting for 10% of debt financing volumes compared to 3% for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increases in origination fees was largely driven by a 42% increase in debt financing volume, partially offset by a decrease in the origination fee rate as our debt financing volume for the first quarter of 2020 included a $2.1 billion portfolio for which we received a small loan origination fee rate. The increase in MSR Income was primarily attributable to a 60% increase in Fannie Mae debt financing volume year over year and a significant increase in the weighted-average servicing fee on Fannie Mae debt financing volume year over year, both of which also led to the increase in the Agency MSR Rate.
See the “Overview of Current Business Environment” section above for a detailed discussion of the factors driving the changes in mortgage banking volumes.
Servicing Fees. For both the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the increases were principally the result of increases in the average servicing portfolio period over period as shown below due to new loan originations and relatively few payoffs, partially offset by a decrease in the servicing portfolio’s weighted-average servicing fee rate as shown below. The decrease in the weighted-average servicing fee was due to a lower weighted-average servicing fee on our new Fannie Mae debt financing volume than on the Fannie Mae loans that have matured or prepaid over the past year. The lower weighted-average servicing fee on Fannie Mae debt financing for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 was primarily driven by the large Fannie Mae portfolio mentioned above, which had a weighted-average servicing fee of ten basis points, slightly offset by higher servicing fees on the remainder of our Fannie Mae debt financing volumes.
Net Warehouse Interest Income. For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in net warehouse interest income was primarily the result of the increase in net warehouse interest income from loans held for sale (“LHFS”), partially offset by a decrease in the net warehouse interest income from loans held for investment (“LHFI”). The increase in net warehouse interest income from LHFS was due to an increase in net spreads from seven basis points to 97 basis points coupled with a 110% increase in the average LHFS outstanding balance. The decrease in interest income from LHFI was primarily due to a substantial decrease in the net spread and a slight decrease in the average LHFI outstanding balance. During the prior year, the Company held a large loan that was fully funded with corporate cash, resulting in an overall high net spread. During the current year, a much smaller balance of loans was fully funded with corporate cash.
39
Escrow Earnings and Other Interest Income. For both the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the decreases were due to substantial decreases in the average earnings rates period over period, slightly offset by increases in the average balance of escrow accounts. The increases in the average balance were due to increases in the average servicing portfolio. The decreases in the average earnings rate were due to substantial decreases in short-term interest rates, upon which our earnings rates are based, over the past 12 months as discussed above in the “Overview of Current Business Environment” section.
Property Sales Broker Fees. The decrease in property sales broker fees for the three months ended June 30, 2020 was the result of decreased property sales volume due to market participants’ pull back in activity due to uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 Crisis.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in property sales broker fees was the result of a 21% increase in property sales volume due to the strong property sales volume in the first quarter of 2020.
Other Revenues. For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the decrease was largely attributable to a $2.4 million decrease in prepayment fees and a $1.8 million decrease in income from equity-method investments.
Expenses
Personnel. For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the increase was primarily the result of an $8.5 million increase in salaries and benefits and a $3.8 million increase in other personnel costs, both due to acquisitions and hiring to support our growth. The average headcount increased from 735 in 2019 to 860 in 2020. Additionally, the accrual for subjective bonuses increased by $10.8 million due to the increases in the accrual rate and the average headcount period over period. Commission costs increased $6.8 million due to the increase in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net noted previously.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increase was primarily the result of a $3.1 million increase in salaries and benefits and a $2.3 million increase in other personnel costs, both due to acquisitions and hiring to support our growth. The average headcount increased from 734 in 2019 to 848 in 2020. Additionally, the accrual for subjective bonuses increased by $9.1 million due to the increases in the accrual rate and the average headcount period over period. Commission costs increased $17.8 million due to the increase in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net noted previously.
Amortization and Depreciation. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the increases were primarily attributable to loan origination activity and the resulting growth in the average MSR balances. Over the past 12 months, we have added $90.2 million of MSRs, net of amortization and write offs due to prepayment. Additionally, write off of MSRs increased $2.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and $2.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020.
Provision for Credit Losses. For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the increase was primarily attributable to the increase in the calculated CECL reserve for our at risk Fannie Mae servicing portfolio. The increase in the CECL reserve was driven by an increase in the
40
at risk portfolio upon which the CECL reserve is calculated. The loss rates for the one-year forecast period and the subsequent years used in our CECL reserve calculation did not change from those used as of March 31, 2020.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increase was principally due to the increase in the calculated CECL reserve for our at risk Fannie Mae servicing portfolio. As of June 30, 2020, the CECL reserve was $62.3 million compared to $34.7 million as of the date of the adoption of CECL on January 1, 2020. The significant increase in the CECL reserve during the first half of 2020 was principally related to the forecasted economic impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis. As a result of the COVID-19 Crisis, the charge-off rate for the forecast period increased from one basis point as of January 1, 2020 to seven basis points as of June 30, 2020.
Interest Expense on Corporate Debt. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the decreases were due to the aforementioned decrease in short-term rates over the past 12 months.
Other Operating Expenses. For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the decrease was largely due to a $2.9 million decrease in travel and entertainment costs due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Income Tax Expense. For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in income tax expense relates primarily to the 47% increase in income from operations, partially offset by a slight increase in excess tax benefits recognized year over year and a 19 basis-point drop in the estimated annual effective tax rate.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the increase in income tax expense was driven by the 27% increase in income from operations.
We do not expect our annual estimated effective tax rate to differ significantly from the 26.0% rate estimated for the six months ended June 30, 2020 as the vast majority of our equity compensation plans vest in the first quarter. Accordingly, we expect an estimated effective tax rate of between 26% and 27% for the remainder of the year.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, we use adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. The presentation of adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. When analyzing our operating performance, readers should use adjusted EBITDA in addition to, and not as an alternative for, net income. Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before income taxes, interest expense on our term loan facility, and amortization and depreciation, adjusted for provision for credit losses net of write-offs, stock-based incentive compensation charges, and non-cash revenues such as the fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net. Because not all companies use identical calculations, our presentation of adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Furthermore, adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be a measure of free cash flow for our management’s discretionary use, as it does not reflect certain cash requirements such as tax and debt service payments. The amounts shown for adjusted EBITDA may also differ from the amounts calculated under similarly titled definitions in our debt instruments, which are further adjusted to reflect certain other cash and non-cash charges that are used to determine compliance with financial covenants.
We use adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the operating performance of our business, for comparison with forecasts and strategic plans, and for benchmarking performance externally against competitors. We believe that adjusted EBITDA, when read in conjunction with our GAAP financials, provides useful information to investors by offering:
● | the ability to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of our on-going operating results; |
● | the ability to better identify trends in our underlying business and perform related trend analyses; and |
● | a better understanding of how management plans and measures our underlying business. |
We believe that adjusted EBITDA has limitations in that it does not reflect all of the amounts associated with our results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and that adjusted EBITDA should only be used to evaluate our results of operations in conjunction with net income. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as follows.
41
ADJUSTED FINANCIAL METRIC RECONCILIATION TO GAAP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three months ended |
|
For the six months ended |
|
||||||||
|
|
June 30, |
|
June 30, |
|
||||||||
(in thousands) |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
||||
Reconciliation of Walker & Dunlop Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Walker & Dunlop Net Income |
|
$ |
62,059 |
|
$ |
42,196 |
|
$ |
109,888 |
|
$ |
86,414 |
|
Income tax expense |
|
|
21,479 |
|
|
14,832 |
|
|
34,151 |
|
|
26,856 |
|
Interest expense on corporate debt |
|
|
2,078 |
|
|
3,777 |
|
|
4,938 |
|
|
7,429 |
|
Amortization and depreciation |
|
|
42,317 |
|
|
37,381 |
|
|
82,079 |
|
|
75,284 |
|
Provision for credit losses |
|
|
4,903 |
|
|
961 |
|
|
28,546 |
|
|
3,636 |
|
Net write-offs |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Stock compensation expense |
|
|
5,927 |
|
|
4,733 |
|
|
11,289 |
|
|
11,883 |
|
Fair value of expected net cash flows from servicing, net |
|
|
(90,369) |
|
|
(41,271) |
|
|
(158,369) |
|
|
(82,209) |
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
|
$ |
48,394 |
|
$ |
62,609 |
|
$ |
112,522 |
|
$ |
129,293 |
|
(1) | Represents the fair value of the expected net cash flows from servicing recognized at commitment, net of any expected guaranty obligation. |
The following tables present a period-to-period comparison of the components of adjusted EBITDA for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.
ADJUSTED EBITDA – THREE MONTHS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the three months ended |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
June 30, |
|
Dollar |
|
Percentage |
|
|||||
(dollars in thousands) |
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
Change |
|
Change |
|
|||
Origination fees |
$ |
77,907 |
|
$ |
65,610 |
|
$ |
12,297 |
|
19 |
% |
Servicing fees |
|
56,862 |
|
|
53,006 |
|
|
3,856 |
|
7 |
|
Net warehouse interest income |
|
9,401 |
|
|
6,411 |
|
|
2,990 |
|
47 |
|
Escrow earnings and other interest income |
|
2,671 |
|
|
14,616 |
|
|
(11,945) |
|
(82) |
|
Other revenues |
|
15,615 |
|
|
19,461 |
|
|
(3,846) |
|
(20) |
|
Personnel |
|
(100,993) |
|
|
(79,665) |
|
|
(21,328) |
|
27 |
|
Net write-offs |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
N/A |
|
Other operating expenses |
|
(13,069) |
|
|
(16,830) |
|
|
3,761 |
|
(22) |
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ |
48,394 |
|
$ |
62,609 |
|
$ |
(14,215) |
|
(23) |
|
ADJUSTED EBITDA – SIX MONTHS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the six months ended |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
June 30, |
|
Dollar |
|
Percentage |
|
|||||
(dollars in thousands) |
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
Change |
|
Change |
|
|||
Origination fees |
$ |
154,280 |
|
$ |
123,407 |
|
$ |
30,873 |
|
25 |
% |
Servicing fees |
|
112,296 |
|
|
105,205 |
|
|
7,091 |
|
7 |
|
Net warehouse interest income |
|
14,896 |
|
|
13,432 |
|
|
1,464 |
|
11 |
|
Escrow earnings and other interest income |
|
13,414 |
|
|
28,684 |
|
|
(15,270) |
|
(53) |
|
Other revenues |
|
33,951 |
|
|
35,033 |
|
|
(1,082) |
|
(3) |
|
Personnel |
|
(185,156) |
|
|
(144,146) |
|
|
(41,010) |
|
28 |
|
Net write-offs |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
N/A |
|
Other operating expenses |
|
(31,159) |
|
|
(32,322) |
|
|
1,163 |
|
(4) |
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ |
112,522 |
|
$ |
129,293 |
|
$ |
(16,771) |
|
(13) |
|
See the table above for the components of the change in adjusted EBITDA for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020. The increases in loan origination and debt brokerage fees were primarily related to the increases in debt financing volumes. Servicing fees
42
increased due to increases in the average servicing portfolio period over period as a result of new loan originations. The increases in net warehouse interest income were related to increases in net warehouse interest income from loans held for sale due to increases in both the average balance and net spread, partially offset by decreases in net warehouse interest income from loans held for investment primarily due to substantial decreases in the net spread. Escrow earnings and other interest income decreased as a result of decreases in the average earnings rate. Other revenues decreased primarily due to decreases in property sales broker fees and prepayment fees. The increases in personnel expense were primarily the result of the commissions from the increases in loan origination and debt brokerage fees, net and average headcount, resulting in increased salaries and benefits, other personnel costs, and subjective bonuses. Other operating expenses decreased primarily due to lower travel and entertainment costs due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, slightly offset by increased occupancy costs due to the larger average headcount period over period.
Financial Condition
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Our cash flows from operating activities are generated from loan sales, servicing fees, escrow earnings, net warehouse interest income, property sales broker fees, and other income, net of loan originations and operating costs. Our cash flows from operations are impacted by the fees generated by our loan originations, the timing of loan closings, and the period of time loans are held for sale in the warehouse loan facility prior to delivery to the investor.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
We usually lease facilities and equipment for our operations. Our cash flows from investing activities also include the funding and repayment of loans held for investment, contributions to and distributions from joint ventures, and the purchase of available-for-sale (“AFS”) securities pledged to Fannie Mae. We opportunistically invest cash for acquisitions and MSR portfolio purchases.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
We use our warehouse loan facilities and, when necessary, our corporate cash to fund loan closings. We believe that our current warehouse loan facilities are adequate to meet our increasing loan origination needs. Historically, we have used a combination of long-term debt and cash flows from operations to fund acquisitions, repurchase shares, pay cash dividends, and fund a portion of loans held for investment. We also use warehouse loan facilities and corporate cash to fund COVID-19 forbearance advances.
Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2019
The following table presents a period-to-period comparison of the significant components of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019.
43
SIGNIFICANT COMPONENTS OF CASH FLOWS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the six months ended June 30, |
|
Dollar |
|
Percentage |
|
|||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
Change |
|
Change |
|
|||
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities |
|
$ |
(822,643) |
|
$ |
(159,204) |
|
$ |
(663,439) |
|
417 |
% |
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
|
|
73,971 |
|
|
30,707 |
|
|
43,264 |
|
141 |
|
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
|
|
903,974 |
|
|
101,869 |
|
|
802,105 |
|
787 |
|
Total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents at end of period ("Total cash") |
|
|
291,868 |
|
|
93,720 |
|
|
198,148 |
|
211 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from (used in) operating activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net receipt (use) of cash for loan origination activity |
|
$ |
(900,150) |
|
$ |
(217,948) |
|
$ |
(682,202) |
|
313 |
% |
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, excluding loan origination activity |
|
|
77,507 |
|
|
58,744 |
|
|
18,763 |
|
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from (used in) investing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net purchases of pledged available-for-sale securities |
|
$ |
(9,416) |
|
$ |
(7,562) |
|
$ |
(1,854) |
|
25 |
% |
Distributions from (investments in) joint ventures, net |
|
|
(6,470) |
|
|
(18,518) |
|
|
12,048 |
|
(65) |
|
Acquisitions, net of cash received |
|
|
(46,784) |
|
|
(7,180) |
|
|
(39,604) |
|
552 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Originations of loans held for investment |
|
|
— |
|
|
(83,402) |
|
|
83,402 |
|
(100) |
|
Total principal collected on loans held for investment |
|
|
139,030 |
|
|
150,761 |
|
|
(11,731) |
|
(8) |
|
Net payoff of (investment in) loans held for investment |
|
$ |
139,030 |
|
$ |
67,359 |
|
$ |
71,671 |
|
106 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from (used in) financing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Borrowings (repayments) of warehouse notes payable, net |
|
$ |
1,009,302 |
|
$ |
129,412 |
|
$ |
879,890 |
|
680 |
% |
Borrowings of interim warehouse notes payable |
|
|
33,127 |
|
|
54,757 |
|
|
(21,630) |
|
(40) |
|
Repayments of interim warehouse notes payable |
|
|
(84,959) |
|
|
(32,264) |
|
|
(52,695) |
|
163 |
|
Repurchase of noncontrolling interest |
|
|
(5,216) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(5,216) |
|
N/A |
|
Cash dividends paid |
|
|
(22,641) |
|
|
(18,630) |
|
|
(4,011) |
|
22 |
|
Total cash increased by $198.1 million to $291.9 million as of June 30, 2020 from $93.7 million as of June 30, 2019. The increase was primarily driven by the significant increase in net loan origination activity and an increase in the net payoff on loans held for investment. The increase in origination activity resulted in cash provided by net warehouse borrowings of $1.0 billion compared to cash provided by net warehouse borrowings of $0.1 billion as of June 30, 2020 and June 20, 2019, respectively, offset by net cash used in loan origination activity of $0.9 billion and $0.2 billion as of June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2019, respectively.
Changes in cash flows from operating activities were driven primarily by loans originated and sold. Such loans are held for short periods of time, generally less than 60 days, and impact cash flows presented as of a point in time. The increase in cash flows from operating activities is primarily attributable to the use of $0.9 billion for the funding of loan originations, net of sales of loans to third parties during the first six months of 2020 compared to the use of $0.2 billion for the funding of loan originations, net of sales to third parties during the first six months of 2019. Excluding cash used for the origination and sale of loans, net cash provided by operations was $77.5 million during the first six months of 2020 compared to net cash provided by operations of $58.7 million during the first six months of 2019. Net cash provided by operating activities, excluding loan origination activity increased primarily due to a $24.9 million larger non-cash provision for credit losses in addition to favorable adjustments in other operating activities, partially offset by non-cash gains from our future servicing rights and change in fair value of premiums and origination fees in 2020 compared to 2019, resulting in a larger positive adjustment to net income before noncontrolling interests.
The change in cash provided by investing activities is primarily attributable to increases in the net payoff of loans held for investment and distributions from joint ventures, partially offset by increases in cash paid for acquisitions and net purchases of AFS securities. The net payoff of loans held for investment during the first six months of 2020 was $139.0 million compared to $67.4 million during the first six months of 2019. The increase in net payoffs was driven by significantly reduced levels of net loan originations in our Interim Loan Program in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019, as we did not originate any loans held for investment in the first six months of
44
2020. The increase in purchases of pledged AFS securities was due to an increase in our collateral requirements related to our guarantee obligation for loans under the Fannie Mae DUS program as a result of increases in the DUS servicing portfolio. The increase in cash used for acquisitions was due to a year-over-year increase in the size and number of companies acquired. The increase in distributions from joint ventures was related to a reduction in the number of loans originated by the joint venture due to the COVID-19 Crisis.
The change in cash provided by financing activities was primarily attributable to the change in net warehouse borrowings period to period, partially offset by increases in cash dividends paid, repurchases of noncontrolling interests, and net repayments of interim warehouse notes payable. The change in net borrowings of warehouse notes payable during the first six months of 2020 was due to a larger increase in the unpaid principal balance of LHFS funded by Agency Warehouse Facilities (as defined below) from December 31, 2019 to June 30, 2020 than from December 31, 2018 to June 30, 2019. During 2020, the unpaid principal balance of LHFS funded by Agency Warehouse Facilities increased $946.5 million from their December 31, 2019 balance compared to an increase of $228.6 million during the same period in 2019. Additionally, as of December 31, 2019, we funded $109.0 million of the LHFI with our own cash, resulting in lower repayments of warehouse notes payable for the six months ended June 30, 2020 than during the same period in 2019.
The change in net borrowings of interim warehouse notes payable was principally due to interim loan origination and repayment activity period over period. During 2019, we originated several loans that were fully funded with corporate cash and had multiple payoffs of loans. During 2020, we had no originations and significant payoff activity, leading to a change from net borrowings to net repayments period over period. The increase in cash used for purchase of noncontrolling interest was a result of our purchase of noncontrolling interests from one of the members of WDIS in the second quarter of 2020, a unique transaction. The increase in cash dividends paid was the result of our increasing the dividends paid per share by 20% year over year.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Uses of Liquidity, Cash and Cash Equivalents
Our significant recurring cash flow requirements consist of (i) short-term liquidity necessary to fund loans held for sale; (ii) liquidity necessary to fund loans held for investment under the Interim Program; (iii) liquidity necessary to pay cash dividends; (iv) liquidity necessary to fund our portion of the equity necessary for the operations of the Interim Program JV; (v) working capital to support our day-to-day operations, including servicing advances debt service payments and payments for salaries, commissions, and income taxes; and (vi) working capital to satisfy collateral requirements for our Fannie Mae DUS risk-sharing obligations and to meet the operational liquidity requirements of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, Ginnie Mae, and our warehouse facility lenders. Due to recent market developments as a result of the COVID-19 Crisis, we expect to experience an increase in our short term cash flow needs for servicing advances of principal and interest and guarantee fees related to certain Fannie Mae and HUD loans that are serviced and asset-managed by us and that are currently delinquent or in forbearance. The advances for principal and interest are guaranteed to be repaid to us by Fannie Mae and HUD.
Fannie Mae has established standards for capital adequacy and reserves the right to terminate our servicing authority for all or some of the portfolio if at any time it determines that our financial condition is not adequate to support our obligations under the DUS agreement. We are required to maintain acceptable net worth as defined in the standards, and we satisfied the June 30, 2020 requirements. The net worth requirement is derived primarily from unpaid balances on Fannie Mae loans and the level of risk-sharing. At June 30, 2020, the net worth requirement was $216.6 million and our net worth, as defined in the requirements, was $861.6 million, as measured at our wholly owned operating subsidiary, Walker & Dunlop, LLC. As of June 30, 2020, we were required to maintain at least $42.9 million of liquid assets to meet our operational liquidity requirements for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, Ginnie Mae and our warehouse facility lenders. As of June 30, 2020, we had operational liquidity, as defined in the requirements, of $325.0 million, as measured at our wholly owned operating subsidiary, Walker & Dunlop, LLC.
We paid a cash dividend of $0.36 per share in each of the first and second quarters of 2020, which is 20% higher than the quarterly dividends paid in 2019. On August 4, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.36 per share for the third quarter of 2020. The dividend will be paid September 8, 2020 to all holders of record of the Company’s restricted and unrestricted common stock as of August 21, 2020. Over the past three years, we have returned $181.0 million to investors in the form of the repurchase of 1.9 million shares of our common stock under share repurchase programs for a cost of $89.8 million and cash dividend payments of $91.2 million. Additionally, we have invested $141.5 million in acquisitions and the purchase of mortgage servicing rights. We occasionally use cash to fully fund some loans held for investment or loans held for sale instead of using our warehouse lines. As of June 30, 2020, we used corporate cash to fully fund loans held for investment with an unpaid principal balance of $70.6 million. In response to the pullback in lending on
45
transitional properties as a result of the COVID-19 Crisis, we have temporarily ceased originating new loans held for investment while we wait for the impacts of the Crisis to be better understood. We continually seek opportunities to execute additional acquisitions and purchases of mortgage servicing rights and complete such acquisitions if the economics of these acquisitions are favorable. In February 2020, our Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program that permits the repurchase of up to $50.0 million of shares of our common stock over a 12-month period beginning on February 11, 2020. Through June 30, 2020 we had repurchased 0.2 million shares under the 2020 repurchase program for an aggregate cost of $10.2 million and had $39.8 million of remaining capacity under that program.
Historically, our cash flows from operations and warehouse facilities have been sufficient to enable us to meet our short-term liquidity needs and other funding requirements. We believe that cash flows from operations and warehouse facilities will continue to be sufficient for us to meet our current obligations and funding requirements for the foreseeable future, including any additional advance obligations that may be required under our Fannie Mae and HUD loan servicing agreements due to the impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis.
Restricted Cash and Pledged Securities
Restricted cash consists primarily of good faith deposits held on behalf of borrowers between the time we enter into a loan commitment with the borrower and the investor purchases the loan. We are generally required to share the risk of any losses associated with loans sold under the Fannie Mae DUS program. We are required to secure this obligation by assigning collateral to Fannie Mae. We meet this obligation by assigning pledged securities to Fannie Mae. The amount of collateral required by Fannie Mae is a formulaic calculation at the loan level and considers the balance of the loan, the risk level of the loan, the age of the loan, and the level of risk-sharing. Fannie Mae requires collateral for Tier 2 loans of 75 basis points, which is funded over a 48-month period that begins upon delivery of the loan to Fannie Mae. Collateral held in the form of money market funds holding U.S. Treasuries is discounted 5%, and multifamily Agency mortgage-backed securities (“Agency MBS”) are discounted 4% for purposes of calculating compliance with the collateral requirements. As of June 30, 2020, we held substantially all collateral in Agency MBS. Additionally, the majority of the loans for which we have risk sharing are Tier 2 loans. We fund any growth in our Fannie Mae required operational liquidity and collateral requirements from our working capital.
We are in compliance with the June 30, 2020 collateral requirements as outlined above. As of June 30, 2020, reserve requirements for the DUS loan portfolio will require us to fund $68.8 million in additional restricted liquidity over the next 48 months, assuming no further principal paydowns, prepayments, or defaults within our at risk portfolio. Fannie Mae periodically reassesses the DUS Capital Standards and may make changes to these standards in the future. We generate sufficient cash flow from our operations to meet these capital standards and do not expect any future changes to have a material impact on our future operations; however, any future changes to collateral requirements may adversely impact our available cash.
Under the provisions of the DUS agreement, we must also maintain a certain level of liquid assets referred to as the operational and unrestricted portions of the required reserves each year. We satisfied these requirements as of June 30, 2020.
46
Sources of Liquidity: Warehouse Facilities
The following table provides information related to our warehouse facilities as of June 30, 2020.
(1) | Agency Warehouse Facilities, including the Fannie Mae repurchase agreement are used to fund loans held for sale, while Interim Warehouse Facilities are used to fund loans held for investment. |
Agency Warehouse Facilities
At June 30, 2020, to provide financing to borrowers under the Agencies’ programs, we have five committed and uncommitted warehouse lines of credit in the amount of $3.0 billion with certain national banks and a $1.5 billion uncommitted facility with Fannie Mae (collectively, the “Agency Warehouse Facilities”). Five of these facilities are revolving commitments we expect to renew annually (consistent with industry practice), and the Fannie Mae facility is provided on an uncommitted basis without a specific maturity date. Our ability to originate mortgage loans intended to be sold under an Agency execution depends upon our ability to secure and maintain these types of short-term financing agreements on acceptable terms.
Agency Warehouse Facility #1
We have a warehousing credit and security agreement with a national bank for a $350.0 million committed warehouse line that is scheduled to mature on October 26, 2020. The agreement provides us with the ability to fund Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, and FHA loans. Advances are made at 100% of the loan balance and borrowings under this line bear interest at the 30-day London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 115 basis points. In addition to the committed borrowing capacity, the agreement provides $200.0 million of uncommitted borrowing capacity that bears interest at the same rate as the committed facility. During the second quarter of 2020, we executed the fifth amendment to the warehouse agreement that created a $100.0 million sublimit within the $350.0 million committed capacity to fund COVID-19 forbearance advances under the Fannie Mae DUS program. Borrowings under the agreement are collateralized by Fannie Mae’s
47
commitment to repay the advances and are funded at 90% of the principal and interest advanced and bear interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 175 basis points with an interest-rate floor of 50 basis points. We had immaterial borrowings related to the COVID-19 forbearances as of June 30, 2020. During the third quarter of 2020, we executed an amendment to lower the interest-rate floor from 50 basis points to 25 basis points on the $100.0 million sublimit. No changes to the maturity date were made as part of the amendment and the facility including the sublimit are set to mature on October 26, 2020. No other material modifications have been made to the agreement in 2020.
Agency Warehouse Facility #2
We have a warehousing credit and security agreement with a national bank for a $500.0 million committed warehouse line that is scheduled to mature on September 8, 2020. The warehousing credit and security agreement provides us with the ability to fund Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, and FHA loans. Advances are made at 100% of the loan balance, and borrowings under this line bear interest at the 30-day LIBOR plus 115 basis points. In addition to the committed borrowing capacity, the agreement provides $300.0 million of uncommitted borrowing capacity that bears interest at the same rate as the committed facility. No material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
Agency Warehouse Facility #3
We have a warehousing credit and security agreement with a national bank for a $500.0 million committed warehouse line that is scheduled to mature on April 30, 2021. The committed warehouse facility provides us with the ability to fund Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, and FHA loans. Advances are made at 100% of the loan balance, and the borrowings under the warehouse agreement bear interest at a rate of 30-day LIBOR plus 115 basis points. During the second quarter of 2020, we executed the 11th amendment to the warehouse agreement related to this facility that extended the maturity date to April 30, 2021 for the committed borrowing capacity and added $265.0 million in uncommitted borrowing capacity that bears interest at the same rate and has the same maturity date as the committed facility. The amendment also added a 30-day LIBOR floor of 50 basis points. No other material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
Agency Warehouse Facility #4
We have a warehousing credit and security agreement with a national bank for a $350.0 million committed warehouse line that is scheduled to mature on October 4, 2020. The warehouse facility provides us with the ability to fund Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, FHA, and defaulted HUD and FHA loans. Advances are made at 100% of the loan balance, and borrowings under this line bear interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 115 basis points. No material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
Agency Warehouse Facility #5
We have a warehousing credit and security agreement with a national bank for a $500.0 million uncommitted warehouse line that is scheduled to mature on August 24, 2020. The Company can fund Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, and FHA loans under the facility. Advances are made at 100% of the loan balance, and the borrowings under the agreement bear interest at a rate of 30-day LIBOR plus 115 basis points. No material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
Interim Warehouse Facilities
To assist in funding loans held for investment under the Interim Program, we have three remaining committed and uncommitted warehouse facilities with certain national banks in the aggregate amount of $288.6 million as of June 30, 2020 (“Interim Warehouse Facilities”). Consistent with industry practice, two of these facilities are revolving commitments we expect to renew annually and two are commitments that mature according to the maturity dates of the underlying loans. Our ability to originate loans held for investment depends upon our ability to secure and maintain these types of short-term financings on acceptable terms.
Interim Warehouse Facility #1
We have a $135.0 million committed warehouse line agreement with a national bank that is scheduled to mature on April 30, 2021. The facility provides us with the ability to fund first mortgage loans on multifamily real estate properties for periods of up to three years, using available cash in combination with advances under the facility. Borrowings under the facility are full recourse to the Company and
48
bear interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 190 basis points. Repayments under the credit agreement are interest-only, with principal repayments made upon the earlier of the refinancing of an underlying mortgage or the maturity of an advance under the credit agreement. During the second quarter of 2020, we executed the 11th amendment to the credit and security agreement related to this facility that extended the maturity date to April 30, 2021. No other material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
Interim Warehouse Facility #2
We have a $100.0 million committed warehouse line agreement with a national bank that is scheduled to mature on December 13, 2021. The agreement provides us with the ability to fund first mortgage loans on multifamily real estate properties for periods of up to three years, using available cash in combination with advances under the facility. All borrowings bear interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 165 basis points. The lender retains a first priority security interest in all mortgages funded by such advances on a cross-collateralized basis. Repayments under the credit agreement are interest-only, with principal repayments made upon the earlier of the refinancing of an underlying mortgage or the maturity of an advance under the credit agreement. No material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
Interim Warehouse Facility #3
We had a $75.0 million repurchase agreement with a national bank that matured on May 18, 2020. According to the terms of the repurchase agreement, the lender is required to continue to fund the interim loan balances of $33.8 million that were outstanding as of the expiration date of the facility. The facility will be paid off as the underlying interim loans are paid off.
Interim Warehouse Facility #4
During the first quarter of 2020, we executed a loan and security agreement to establish Interim Warehouse Facility #4. The $19.8 million committed warehouse loan and security agreement with a national bank funds one specific loan. The agreement provides for a maturity date to coincide with the maturity date for the underlying loan. Borrowings under the facility are full recourse and bear interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 300 basis points, with a floor of 450 basis points. Repayments under the credit agreement are interest-only, with principal repayments made upon the earlier of the refinancing of an underlying mortgage or the maturity of an advance under the credit agreement. The committed warehouse loan and security agreement has only two financial covenants, both of which are similar to the other Interim Warehouse Facilities. We may request additional capacity under the agreement to fund specific loans. No material modifications have been made to the agreement during 2020.
During the second quarter of 2020, we allowed an interim warehouse facility with no outstanding borrowings to expire according to its terms. We believe that the three remaining committed and uncommitted interim credit facilities from national banks and our corporate cash provide us with sufficient borrowing capacity to conduct our Interim Program lending operations.
The warehouse agreements above contain cross-default provisions, such that if a default occurs under any of our warehouse agreements, generally the lenders under our other warehouse agreements could also declare a default. As of June 30, 2020, we were in compliance with all of our warehouse line covenants.
We believe that the combination of our capital and warehouse facilities is adequate to meet our loan origination needs.
Note Payable
We have a senior secured term loan credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement provides for a $300.0 million term loan that was issued at a discount of 0.5% (the “Term Loan”). The Term Loan has a stated maturity date of November 7, 2025 and bears interest at 30-day LIBOR plus 200 basis points. At any time, we may also elect to request one or more incremental term loan commitments not to exceed $150.0 million, provided that the total indebtedness would not cause the leverage ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) to exceed 2.00 to 1.00.
We are obligated to repay the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan in consecutive quarterly installments equal to $0.7 million on the last business day of each of March, June, September, and December. The Term Loan also requires certain other prepayments in certain circumstances pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement. The final principal installment of the Term Loan is
49
required to be paid in full on November 7, 2025 (or, if earlier, the date of acceleration of the Term Loan pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement) and will be in an amount equal to the aggregate outstanding principal of the Term Loan on such date (together with all accrued interest thereon).
Our obligations under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by Walker & Dunlop Multifamily, Inc., Walker & Dunlop, LLC, Walker & Dunlop Capital, LLC, and W&D BE, Inc., each of which is a direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (together with the Company, the “Loan Parties”), pursuant to the Amended and Restated Guarantee and Collateral Agreement entered into on November 7, 2018 among the Loan Parties and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent (the “Guarantee and Collateral Agreement”). Subject to certain exceptions and qualifications contained in the Credit Agreement, the Company is required to cause any newly created or acquired subsidiary, unless such subsidiary has been designated as an Excluded Subsidiary (as defined in the Credit Agreement) by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement, to guarantee the obligations of the Company under the Credit Agreement and become a party to the Guarantee and Collateral Agreement. The Company may designate a newly created or acquired subsidiary as an Excluded Subsidiary so long as certain conditions and requirements provided for in the Term Loan Agreement are met. As of June 30, 2020, the outstanding unpaid principal balance of the term loan was $296.3 million.
During the second quarter of 2020, we executed the 2nd amendment to the Credit Agreement to amend the definition of Permitted Subsidiary Collateral to include principal and interest forbearance advances funded by the sublimit created under Agency Warehouse #1.
The note payable and the warehouse facilities are senior obligations of the Company. The Credit Agreement contains affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants. As of June 30, 2020, we were in compliance with all such covenants.
Credit Quality and Allowance for Risk-Sharing Obligations
The following table sets forth certain information useful in evaluating our credit performance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 30, |
|
||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2020 |
|
2019 |
|
||
Key Credit Metrics |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Risk-sharing servicing portfolio: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fannie Mae Full Risk |
|
$ |
35,707,326 |
|
$ |
30,996,641 |
|
Fannie Mae Modified Risk |
|
|
9,411,097 |
|
|
7,180,234 |
|
Freddie Mac Modified Risk |
|
|
52,696 |
|
|
52,938 |
|
Total risk-sharing servicing portfolio |
|
$ |
45,171,119 |
|
$ |
38,229,813 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-risk-sharing servicing portfolio: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fannie Mae No Risk |
|
$ |
41,581 |
|
$ |
59,932 |
|
Freddie Mac No Risk |
|
|
33,169,394 |
|
|
31,758,207 |
|
GNMA - HUD No Risk |
|
|
9,749,888 |
|
|
10,066,874 |
|
Brokered |
|
|
11,519,629 |
|
|
9,535,470 |
|
Total non-risk-sharing servicing portfolio |
|
$ |
54,480,492 |
|
$ |
51,420,483 |
|
Total loans serviced for others |
|
$ |
99,651,611 |
|
$ |
89,650,296 |
|
Interim loans (full risk) servicing portfolio |
|
|
336,473 |
|
|
246,729 |
|
Total servicing portfolio unpaid principal balance |
|
$ |
99,988,084 |
|
$ |
89,897,025 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interim Program JV Managed Loans (1) |
|
|
695,267 |
|
|
574,430 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At risk servicing portfolio (2) |
|
$ |
40,640,024 |
|
$ |
34,795,771 |
|
Maximum exposure to at risk portfolio (3) |
|
|
8,266,261 |
|
|
7,118,314 |
|
Defaulted loans |
|
|
48,481 |
|
|
20,981 |
|
Specifically identified at risk loan balances associated with allowance for risk-sharing obligations |
|
|
48,481 |
|
|
20,981 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Defaulted loans as a percentage of the at risk portfolio |
|
|
0.12 |
% |
|
0.06 |
% |
Allowance for risk-sharing as a percentage of the at risk portfolio |
|
|
0.17 |
|
|
0.02 |
|
Allowance for risk-sharing as a percentage of maximum exposure |
|
|
0.84 |
|
|
0.11 |
|
50
(1) | As of June 30, 2020, this balance consists of $71.1 million of loans serviced directly for the Interim Program JV partner and $624.1 million of Interim Program JV managed loans. As of June 30, 2019, this balance consists of $70.1 million of loans serviced directly for the Interim Program JV partner and $504.3 million of Interim Program JV managed loans. We indirectly share in a portion of the risk of loss associated with Interim Program JV managed loans through our 15% equity ownership in the Interim Program JV. We have no exposure to risk of loss for the loans serviced directly for the Interim Program JV partner. The balance of this line is included as a component of assets under management in the Supplemental Operating Data table above. |
(2) | At risk servicing portfolio is defined as the balance of Fannie Mae DUS loans subject to the risk-sharing formula described below, as well as a small number of Freddie Mac loans on which we share in the risk of loss. Use of the at risk portfolio provides for comparability of the full risk-sharing and modified risk-sharing loans because the provision and allowance for risk-sharing obligations are based on the at risk balances of the associated loans. Accordingly, we have presented the key statistics as a percentage of the at risk portfolio. |
For example, a $15.0 million loan with 50% risk-sharing has the same potential risk exposure as a $7.5 million loan with full DUS risk sharing. Accordingly, if the $15.0 million loan with 50% risk-sharing were to default, we would view the overall loss as a percentage of the at risk balance, or $7.5 million, to ensure comparability between all risk-sharing obligations. To date, substantially all of the risk-sharing obligations that we have settled have been from full risk-sharing loans.
(3) | Represents the maximum loss we would incur under our risk-sharing obligations if all of the loans we service, for which we retain some risk of loss, were to default and all of the collateral underlying these loans was determined to be without value at the time of settlement. The maximum exposure is not representative of the actual loss we would incur. |
Fannie Mae DUS risk-sharing obligations are based on a tiered formula and represent substantially all of our risk-sharing activities. The risk-sharing tiers and amount of the risk-sharing obligations we absorb under full risk-sharing are provided below. Except as described in the following paragraph, the maximum amount of risk-sharing obligations we absorb at the time of default is 20% of the origination UPB of the loan.
Fannie Mae can double or triple our risk-sharing obligation if the loan does not meet specific underwriting criteria or if a loan defaults within 12 months of its sale to Fannie Mae. We may request modified risk-sharing at the time of origination, which reduces our potential risk-sharing obligation from the levels described above.
We use several techniques to manage our risk exposure under the Fannie Mae DUS risk-sharing program. These techniques include maintaining a strong underwriting and approval process, evaluating and modifying our underwriting criteria given the underlying multifamily housing market fundamentals, limiting our geographic market and borrower exposures, and electing the modified risk-sharing option under the Fannie Mae DUS program.
Our Fannie Mae risk-sharing cap is currently $200.0 million. Accordingly, our maximum loss exposure on any one loan is $40.0 million (such exposure would occur if the underlying collateral is determined to be completely without value at the time of loss). We may request modified risk-sharing at the time of origination, which reduces our potential risk-sharing losses from the levels described above if we do not believe that we are being fairly compensated for the risks of the transaction.
We regularly monitor the credit quality of all loans for which we have a risk-sharing obligation. Loans with indicators of underperforming credit are placed on watch lists, assigned a numerical risk rating based on our assessment of the relative credit weakness, and subjected to additional evaluation or loss mitigation. Indicators of underperforming credit include poor financial performance, poor physical condition, and delinquency. A specific reserve is recorded when it is probable that a risk-sharing loan will foreclose or has foreclosed, and a reserve for estimated credit losses and a guaranty obligation are recorded for all other risk-sharing loans.
With the spread of the COVID-19 Crisis across the world and the resulting global social distancing and lockdown measures that have been put in place by national/state/local authorities, macroeconomic conditions have reversed from sustained strength to short-term global economic contraction, causing unemployment rates to rise sharply and a recession to ensue. The calculated CECL reserve for our at risk Fannie Mae servicing portfolio as of June 30, 2020 was $62.3 million compared to $34.7 million as of the date of adoption of the CECL
51
accounting standard on January 1, 2020. The significant increase in the CECL reserve is principally related to the forecasted impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis.
As of June 30, 2020 and 2019, our allowance for risk-sharing obligations was $69.2 million and $8.0 million, respectively, or 17 basis points and two basis points of the at risk balance, respectively. The allowance for risk-sharing obligations as of June 30, 2020 was substantially comprised of the aforementioned CECL reserve. As there was only one small defaulted loan in the at risk servicing portfolio as of June 30, 2019, the allowance for risk-sharing obligations was based primarily on our collective assessment of the probability of loss related to the loans on the watch list as of June 30, 2019, using the accounting standards in place at the time.
As of June 30, 2020, loans with an aggregate UPB of $48.5 million in our at risk portfolio were in default compared to $21.0 million at June 30, 2019. Our provision for risk-sharing obligations were $5.1 million and $0.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $27.6 million and $3.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. For the three months ended June 30, 2020, the provision was entirely the result of an increase in the UPB of our at risk servicing portfolio. For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the provision was primarily the result of an increase in the forecasted losses resulting from the COVID-19 Crisis. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the majority of the provision was associated with a loan that defaulted during the period.
We have never been required to repurchase a loan.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Other than the risk-sharing obligations under the Fannie Mae DUS Program disclosed previously in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we do not have any off-balance-sheet arrangements.
New/Recent Accounting Pronouncements
As discussed in NOTE 2 to the financial statements in Item 1 of Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, there are no accounting pronouncements that the Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued and that have the potential to impact us but have not yet been adopted by us as of June 30, 2020.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk
For loans held for sale to the Agencies, we are not currently exposed to unhedged interest rate risk during the loan commitment, closing, and delivery processes. The sale or placement of each loan to an investor is negotiated prior to closing on the loan with the borrower, and the sale or placement is typically effectuated within 60 days of closing. The coupon rate for the loan is set at the time we establish the interest rate with the investor.
Some of our assets and liabilities are subject to changes in interest rates. Earnings from escrows are generally based on LIBOR. 30-day LIBOR as of June 30, 2020 and 2019 was 16 basis points and 240 basis points, respectively. The following table shows the impact on our annual escrow earnings due to a 100-basis point increase and decrease in 30-day LIBOR based on our escrow balances outstanding at each period end. A portion of these changes in earnings as a result of a 100-basis point increase in the 30-day LIBOR would be delayed several months due to the negotiated nature of some of our escrow arrangements.
The borrowing cost of our warehouse facilities used to fund loans held for sale and loans held for investment is based on LIBOR. The interest income on our loans held for investment is based on LIBOR. The LIBOR reset date for loans held for investment is the same date as the LIBOR reset date for the corresponding warehouse facility. The following table shows the impact on our annual net warehouse interest
52
income due to a 100-basis point increase and decrease in 30-day LIBOR based on our warehouse borrowings outstanding at each period end. The changes shown below do not reflect an increase or decrease in the interest rate earned on our loans held for sale.
All of our corporate debt is based on 30-day LIBOR. The following table shows the impact on our annual income from operations due to a 100-basis point increase and decrease in 30-day LIBOR based on our note payable balance outstanding at each period end.
Market Value Risk
The fair value of our MSRs is subject to market risk. A 100-basis point increase or decrease in the weighted average discount rate would decrease or increase, respectively, the fair value of our MSRs by approximately $28.6 million as of June 30, 2020, compared to $27.1 million as of June 30, 2019. Our Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac servicing engagements provide for prepayment fees in the event of a voluntary prepayment prior to the expiration of the prepayment protection period. Our servicing contracts with institutional investors and HUD do not require them to provide us with prepayment fees. As of June 30, 2020, 87% of the servicing fees are protected from the risk of prepayment through prepayment provisions compared to 86% as of June 30, 2019; given this significant level of prepayment protection, we do not hedge our servicing portfolio for prepayment risk.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
As of the end of the period covered by this report, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Based on that evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that the design and operation of these disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended June 30, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
PART II
53
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
In the ordinary course of business, we may be party to various claims and litigation, none of which we believe is material. We cannot predict the outcome of any pending litigation and may be subject to consequences that could include fines, penalties and other costs, and our reputation and business may be impacted. Our management believes that any liability that could be imposed on us in connection with the disposition of any pending lawsuits would not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, liquidity, or financial condition.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
We have included in Part I, Item 1A of our 2019 Form 10-K descriptions of certain risks and uncertainties that could affect our business, future performance, or financial condition (the “Risk Factors”). There have been no material changes from the disclosures provided in the 2019 Form 10-K and in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 with respect to the Risk Factors. Investors should consider the Risk Factors prior to making an investment decision with respect to the Company’s stock.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, subject to the Company’s approval, grantees have the option of electing to satisfy tax withholding obligations at the time of vesting or exercise by allowing us to withhold and purchase at the prevailing market price the shares of stock otherwise issuable to the grantee. During the quarter ended June 30, 2020, we purchased 11 thousand shares to satisfy grantee tax withholding obligations on share-vesting events. Additionally, we announced a share repurchase program in the first quarter of 2020. The repurchase program authorized by our Board of Directors permits us to repurchase up to $50.0 million of shares of our common stock over a 12-month period ending February 10, 2021. During the quarter ended June 30, 2020 we did not repurchase any shares under the 2020 share repurchase program. The Company had $39.8 million of authorized share repurchase capacity remaining as of June 30, 2020. The following table provides information regarding common stock repurchases for the quarter ended June 30, 2020:
On January 29, 2020, we issued 75,734 shares of our common stock as partial consideration for our acquisition of certain assets of AKS Capital Partners LLC. The shares issued are prohibited from being transferred until January 29, 2021. The issuance of the shares was deemed to be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
54
Item 5. Other Information
None.
Item 6. Exhibits
(a) Exhibits:
2.1 |
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2.2 |
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2.3 |
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2.4 |
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3.1 |
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3.2 |
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4.1 |
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4.2 |
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4.3 |
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4.4 |
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4.5 |
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4.6 |
|
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10.1†* |
|
Employment Agreement, dated May 14, 2020, between Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and William M. Walker |
10.2†* |
|
Employment Agreement, dated May 14, 2020, between Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Howard W. Smith, III |
10.3†* |
|
Employment Agreement, dated May 14, 2020, between Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Stephen P. Theobald |
10.4†* |
|
Employment Agreement, dated May 14, 2020, between Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Richard M. Lucas |
10.5†* |
|
Employment Agreement, dated May 14, 2020, between Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Paula A. Pryor |
10.6†* |
|
Indemnification Agreement, dated May 14, 2020, between Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and Paula A. Pryor |
10.7 |
|
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10.8† |
|
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10.9† |
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10.10† |
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10.11† |
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10.12† |
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10.13† |
|
55
10.14† |
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10.15† |
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10.16† |
|
|
31.1 |
* |
|
31.2 |
* |
|
32 |
** |
|
101.1 |
* |
Inline XBRL Instance Document |
101.2 |
* |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document |
101.3 |
* |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document |
101.4 |
* |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document |
101.5 |
* |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document |
101.6 |
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Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document |
104 |
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained an Exhibit 101) |
†: Denotes a management contract or compensation plan, contract, or arrangement.
*: Filed herewith.
**: Furnished herewith.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
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Date: August 5, 2020 |
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By: |
/s/ William M. Walker |
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William M. Walker |
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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
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Date: August 5, 2020 |
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By: |
/s/ Stephen P. Theobald |
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Stephen P. Theobald |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
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Exhibit 10.1
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 14th day of May, 2020, by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) with its principal place of business at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200E, Bethesda, MD 20814, and William M. Walker, residing at the address on file with the Company (the “Executive”).
WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement to reflect the Executive’s executive capacities in the Company’s business and to provide for the Company’s continued employment of the Executive; and
WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth the terms and conditions of that employment.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
1. Term of Employment
The Company hereby continues to employ the Executive, and the Executive hereby accepts continued employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Unless terminated earlier pursuant to Section 5, the Executive’s employment pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the three (3) year period commencing on May 14, 2020 (the “Commencement Date”) and ending on the third anniversary of the Commencement Date (the “Initial Term”). The Initial Term shall be extended for an additional twelve (12) months on the third and each subsequent anniversary of the Commencement Date unless the Company or the Executive provides written notice to the contrary at least sixty (60) days before the applicable anniversary of the Commencement Date. The Initial Term, together with any such extensions, shall be referred to herein as the “Employment Period.”
2. Title; Duties
The Executive shall be employed as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The Executive shall report to the Board of Directors of the Company, who shall have the authority to direct, control and supervise the activities of the Executive. The Executive shall perform such services consistent with the Executive’s position as may be assigned to Executive from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company and are consistent with the bylaws of the Company as it may be amended from time to time, including, but not limited to, managing the affairs of the Company.
3. Extent of Services
(a) General. The Executive agrees not to engage in any business activities during the Employment Period except those which are for the sole benefit of the Company and its subsidiaries, and to devote Executive’s entire business time, attention, skill and effort to the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may, without impairing or otherwise adversely affecting the Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties to the Company, (i) engage in personal investments and charitable, professional and civic activities, and (ii) with the prior approval of the Board of Directors of the Company, serve on the boards of directors of corporations other than the Company, provided, however, that no such approval shall be necessary for the Executive’s continued service on any board of directors on which the Executive was serving on the date of this Agreement, all of which have been previously disclosed to the Company’s Board of Directors in writing and provided further, that in no event shall the Executive be permitted to serve on the board of directors of any other entity that competes with the Company. The Executive shall perform Executive’s duties to the best of Executive’s ability, shall adhere to the Company’s published policies and procedures, and shall use Executive’s best efforts to promote the Company’s interests, reputation, business and welfare.
(b) Corporate Opportunities. The Executive agrees that Executive will not take personal advantage of any business opportunities which arise during Executive’s employment with the Company and which may be of benefit to the Company. All material facts regarding such opportunities must be promptly reported by the Executive to the Board of Directors of the Company for consideration by the Company.
4. Compensation and Benefits
(a) Salary. The Company shall pay the Executive a gross base annual salary (“Base Salary”) of $900,000. The Base Salary shall be payable in arrears and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, minus such deductions as may be required by law or reasonably requested by the Executive. The Company’s Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) shall review Executive’s Base Salary annually in conjunction with its regular review of employee salaries and may increase (but not decrease) the Base Salary as in effect from time to time as the Compensation Committee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Annual Bonus. Executive shall be entitled to earn bonuses with respect to each calendar year of the Employment Period (or partial calendar year), based upon Executive’s and the Company’s achievement of performance objectives set by the Company (“Annual Bonus”), with a target bonus (“Target Bonus”) of 150% of Executive’s Base Salary. Any such Annual Bonus earned by the Executive shall be paid annually by March 15 of the year following the end of the year for which the Annual Bonus was earned.
(c) Equity Grants. The Executive will be eligible for grants of equity or equity-based awards under any equity compensation plans of the Company as in effect from time to time at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
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(d) Other Benefits. The Executive shall be entitled to paid time off and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies in effect from time to time and shall be eligible to participate in such life, health, and disability insurance, pension, deferred compensation (including any matching contribution program) and incentive plans, equity award plans (including any performance-based equity award program), performance bonuses and other benefits as the Company extends, as a matter of policy, to its executive employees, consistent with the terms of such plans and arrangements and as such plans and arrangements may be amended from time to time.
(e) Reimbursement of Business Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all reasonable travel, entertainment and other expenses incurred or paid by the Executive in connection with, or related to, the performance of Executive’s duties, responsibilities or services under this Agreement, upon presentation by the Executive of documentation, expense statements, vouchers, and/or such other supporting information as the Company may reasonably request.
(f) Timing of Reimbursements. Any reimbursement under this Agreement that is taxable to the Executive shall be made in no event later than sixty (60) days following the calendar year in which the Executive incurred the expense.
5. Termination
(a) Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Cause, upon written notice by the Company to the Executive. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” for termination shall mean any of the following: (i) the conviction of the Executive of, or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the Executive to, any felony; (ii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement by the Executive; (iii) the Executive’s willful failure or gross negligence in the performance of Executive’s assigned duties for the Company, which failure or negligence continues for more than fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such willful failure or gross negligence; (iv) the Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duties to the Company; (v) a material violation of a material Company policy which, if such violation is curable, such failure is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such failure, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such failure; or (vi) the material breach by the Executive of any material term of this Agreement, which, if such breach is curable, such breach is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such breach, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such breach.
(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive Without Good Reason. Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time without Cause (in
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the case of the Company) or without Good Reason (in the case of the Executive), upon giving the other party sixty (60) days’ written notice. At the Company’s sole discretion, it may substitute sixty (60) days’ Base Salary (or any lesser portion for any shortened period provided) in lieu of notice. Any Base Salary paid to the Executive in lieu of notice shall not be offset against any entitlement the Executive may have to the Severance Payment pursuant to Section 6(c). For purposes of this Agreement, in the event the Company elects not to extend the Employment Period in accordance with Section 1 hereof, Executive’s employment shall terminate on the last day of the Employment Period and such election shall be deemed a termination by the Company without Cause.
(c) Termination by Executive for Good Reason. The Executive may terminate Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Good Reason, upon written notice by the Executive to the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, Good Reason for termination shall mean, without the Executive’s consent: (i) the assignment to the Executive of substantial duties or responsibilities inconsistent with the Executive’s position at the Company, or any other action by the Company which results in a substantial diminution of the Executive’s duties or responsibilities other than any such reduction which is remedied by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt of written notice thereof from the Executive; (ii) a requirement that the Executive work principally from a location that is twenty (20) miles further from the Executive’s residence than the Company’s address first written above; (iii) a ten (10) percent or greater reduction in the Executive’s Base Salary, Target Bonus, excluding any reductions caused by the failure to achieve performance targets, or annual grant date fair value (as reasonably determined by the Company) of equity or equity-based awards granted under any equity compensation plans of the Company that vest solely based on the passage of time (the “Time-Based Equity Awards”); or (iv) any material breach by the Company of this Agreement. Good Reason shall not exist pursuant to any subsection of this Section 5(c) unless (A) the Executive shall have delivered notice to the Company’s Board of Directors within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of such event constituting Good Reason, and (B) the Company’s Board of Directors fails to remedy the circumstances giving rise to the Executive’s notice within thirty (30) days of receipt of notice. The Executive must terminate employment under this Section 5(c) at a time agreed reasonably with the Company, but in any event within one hundred fifty (150) days from the occurrence of an event constituting Good Reason. For purposes of Good Reason, the Company shall be defined to include any successor to the Company which has assumed the obligations of the Company through merger, acquisition, stock purchase, asset purchase or otherwise.
(d) Executive’s Death or Disability. The Executive’s employment shall terminate immediately upon Executive’s death or, upon written notice as set forth below, Executive’s Disability. As used in this Agreement, “Disability” shall mean such physical or mental impairment as would render the Executive unable to perform each of the essential duties of the Executive’s position by reason of a medically
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determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months. If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Disability, either party shall give thirty (30) days’ advance written notice to that effect to the other.
(e) Executive’s Retirement. The Executive’s employment shall terminate upon Executive’s Retirement. As used in this Agreement, “Retirement” shall mean the Executive resigns on or after age sixty five pursuant to this Section 5(e). If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Retirement, the Executive shall give one hundred eighty (180) days’ advance notice to the effect to the Company.
6. Effect of Termination
(a) General. Regardless of the reason for any termination of this Agreement and subject to this Section 6, the Executive (or the Executive’s estate if the Employment Period ends on account of the Executive’s death) shall be entitled to (i) payment of any unpaid portion of the Base Salary through the effective date of termination; (ii) reimbursement for any outstanding reasonable business expense incurred under Section 4(e) in performing Executive’s duties hereunder in accordance with Company policy; (iii) continued insurance benefits to the extent required by law; (iv) payment of any vested but unpaid rights as required independent of this Agreement by the terms of any bonus or other incentive pay or equity plan, or any other employee benefit plan or program of the Company in accordance with the terms of such plan or program; and (v) except in the case of Termination by the Company for Cause, any unpaid Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the calendar year prior to the calendar year in which Executive’s termination occurs, as determined by the Company based on actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive when bonuses for such year are paid to actively employed senior executives of the Company. Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Executive shall resign from all boards and committees of the Company, its affiliates and its subsidiaries.
(b) Termination by the Company for Cause or by Executive Without Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment for Cause or the Executive terminates Executive’s employment without Good Reason, the Executive shall have no rights or claims against the Company except to receive the payments and benefits described in Section 6(a).
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(c) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment without Cause pursuant to Section 5(b), or the Executive terminates employment with Good Reason pursuant to Section 5(c), the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) continued payment of the Base Salary, at the rate in effect on the last day of employment (but in no event in an annual amount less than as set forth in Section 4(a)), for a period of twelve (12) months. Such amount shall be paid in approximately equal installments on the Company’s regularly scheduled payroll dates, subject to all legally required payroll deductions and withholdings for sums owed by the Executive to the Company;
(ii) continued payment by the Company for the Executive’s life and health insurance coverage for twelve (12) months (the “Continuation Period”) to the same extent that the Company paid for such coverage immediately prior to the termination of the Executive’s employment and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such insurance coverage; provided that if continued payment by the Company of the Executive’s health insurance coverage would result in a violation of the nondiscrimination rules of Section 105(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any statute or regulation of similar effect (including, without limitation, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the 2010 Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act), then in lieu of providing such continued payment, the Company will instead pay the Executive on the first day of each month a fully taxable cash payment equal to the Company’s premiums for that month (the “Monthly Premium”) and a corresponding Tax Indemnity Payment (defined below), subject to applicable tax withholdings, for the remainder of the Continuation Period;
(iii) payments equal to two (2) times the average Annual Bonus earned by the Executive over the two (2) calendar years preceding the year of termination (or if the Executive has not been employed for two (2) calendar years, payments equal to two (2) times the Executive’s Target Bonus for the year of termination). By way of example only, if the Executive’s Annual Bonus over the preceding two (2) years was $300,000 and $0, the average would be $150,000 and the payment under this Section 6(c)(iii) would equal $300,000. Such amount shall be paid to the Executive within ten (10) days after the end of the Restricted Period (as defined below);
(iv) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
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(v) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions (“Performance-Based Equity Awards”) being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
None of the benefits described in this Section 6(c) (the “Severance Payments”) will be payable unless the Executive has signed a general release (in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A) within forty five (45) days of date of termination, which has (and not until it has) become irrevocable, satisfactory to the Company in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, releasing the Company, its affiliates, and their directors, officers and employees, from any and all claims or potential claims arising from or related to the Executive’s employment or termination of employment. The Severance Payments shall commence on the Company’s first regular payroll date occurring on or after the sixtieth (60th) date following the date of termination (the “First Payroll Date”), with amounts otherwise payable under the Company’s normal payroll procedures prior to the First Payroll Date to be paid in lump sum on the First Payroll Date without interest thereon.
For purposes of Section 6(c)(ii), the “Tax Indemnity Payment” shall equal the aggregate amount of additional payments necessary to deliver to the Executive the Monthly Premium amount in full on a net after-tax basis with the amount of each such Tax Indemnity Payment to be based upon the Tax Rate in effect when the corresponding Monthly Premium amount is paid. For the purposes of the foregoing, “Tax Rate” means the Executive’s current tax rate based upon the combined federal and state and local income, earnings, Medicare and any other tax rates applicable to the Executive, all at the highest marginal rates of taxation in the county and state of the Executive’s residence on the date of determination, net of the reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained by deduction of such state and local taxes.
(d) Termination In the Event of Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event of a termination of employment due to death, Disability or Retirement, the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive (or Executive’s estate) no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
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(ii) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any Performance-Based Equity Awards being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
7. Confidentiality
(a) Definition of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges that Executive may be furnished or may otherwise receive or have access to confidential information which relates to the Company’s past, present or future business activities, strategies, services or products, research and development; financial analysis and data; improvements, inventions, processes, techniques, designs or other technical data; profit margins and other financial information; fee arrangements; compilations for marketing or development; confidential personnel and payroll information; or other information regarding administrative, management, or financial activities of the Company, or of a third party which provided proprietary information to the Company on a confidential basis. All such information, including in any electronic form, and including any materials or documents containing such information, shall be considered by the Company and the Executive as proprietary and confidential (the “Proprietary Information”).
(b) Exclusions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Proprietary Information shall not include information in the public domain not as a result of a breach of any duty by the Executive or any other person.
(c) Obligations. Both during and after the Employment Period, the Executive agrees to preserve and protect the confidentiality of the Proprietary Information and all physical forms thereof, whether disclosed to Executive before this Agreement is signed or afterward. In addition, the Executive shall not (i) disclose or disseminate the Proprietary Information to any third party, including employees of the Company (or its affiliates) without a legitimate business need to know during the Employment Period; (ii) remove the Proprietary Information from the Company’s premises without a valid business purpose; or (iii) use the Proprietary Information for Executive’s own benefit or for the benefit of any third party.
(d) Return of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that all the Proprietary Information used or generated during the course of working for the Company is the property of the Company. The Executive agrees to deliver to the Company all documents and other tangibles containing the Proprietary Information at any time upon request by the Company’s Board of Directors during Executive’s employment and immediately upon termination of Executive’s employment.
(e) Whistleblower and Trade Secret Protections. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing in this Agreement is intended to or will be used by the Company in any way to prohibit Executive from reporting possible violations of
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federal law or regulation to any United States governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation (including the right to receive an award for information provided to any such government agencies). Furthermore, in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 1833, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement: (A) Executive shall not be in breach of this Agreement and shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law (x) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official or to an attorney solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, or (y) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal; and (B) if Executive files a lawsuit for retaliation by the Company for reporting a suspected violation of law, Executive may disclose the trade secret to Executive’s attorney, and may use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if Executive files any document containing the trade secret under seal, and does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.
8. Noncompetition
(a) Restriction on Competition. For the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for twelve (12) months following the expiration or termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company (the “Restricted Period”), the Executive agrees not to engage, directly or indirectly, as a manager, employee, consultant, partner, principal, agent, representative, or in any other individual or representative capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment, including but not limited to the multifamily finance business, where material is defined as fifteen (15) percent of the gross revenues of the Company based on the most recent quarterly earnings. Executive further agrees that for the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for the Restricted Period, the Executive will not engage, directly or indirectly, as an owner, director, trustee, member, stockholder, or in any other corporate capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive shall not be deemed to have violated this Section 8(a) solely (i) by reason of Executive’s passive ownership of 1% or less of the outstanding stock of any publicly traded corporation or other entity, (ii) by providing legal, accounting or audit services as an employee or partner of a professional services organization or (iii) by providing services to any investment banking or other institution that do not relate to any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment.
(b) Non-Solicitation of Clients. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees not to solicit, directly or indirectly, on Executive’s own behalf or on behalf of any other
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person(s), any client of the Company to whom the Company had provided services at any time during the Executive’s employment with the Company in any line of business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment or that the Company is actively soliciting, for the purpose of marketing or providing any service competitive with any service then offered by the Company.
(c) Non-Solicitation of Employees. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, hire or attempt to hire or cause any business, other than an affiliate of the Company, to hire any person who is then or was at any time during the preceding six (6) months an employee of the Company and who is at the time of such hire or attempted hire, or was at the date of such employee’s separation from the Company a vice president, senior vice president or executive vice president or other senior executive employee of the Company.
(d) Acknowledgement. The Executive acknowledges that Executive will acquire much Proprietary Information concerning the past, present and future business of the Company as the result of Executive’s employment, as well as access to the relationships between the Company and its clients and employees. The Executive further acknowledges that the business of the Company is very competitive and that competition by Executive in that business during Executive’s employment, or after Executive’s employment terminates, would severely injure the Company. The Executive understands and agrees that the restrictions contained in this Section 8 are reasonable and are required for the Company’s legitimate protection, and do not unduly limit Executive’s ability to earn a livelihood.
(e) Rights and Remedies upon Breach. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that any breach by Executive of any of the provisions of Sections 7 and 8 (the “Restrictive Covenants”) would result in irreparable injury and damage for which money damages would not provide an adequate remedy. Therefore, if the Executive breaches, or threatens to commit a breach of, any of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants, the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, shall have the following rights and remedies, each of which rights and remedies shall be independent of the other and severally enforceable, and all of which rights and remedies shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available to the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, under law or in equity (including, without limitation, the recovery of damages):
(i) The right and remedy to have the Restrictive Covenants specifically enforced (without posting bond and without the need to prove damages) by any court of competent jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the right to an entry against the Executive of restraining orders and injunctions (preliminary, mandatory, temporary and permanent) against violations, threatened or actual, and whether or not then continuing, of such covenants; and
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(ii) The right and remedy to require the Executive to account for and pay over to the Company and its affiliates all compensation, profits, monies, accruals, increments or other benefits (collectively, “Benefits”) derived or received by Executive as the result of any transactions constituting a breach of the Restrictive Covenants, and the Executive shall account for and pay over such Benefits to the Company and, if applicable, its affected affiliates.
(f) Without limiting Section 13(j), if any court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction determines that any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is unenforceable because of the duration or geographical scope of such provision, then, after such determination has become final and unappealable, the duration or scope of such provision, as the case may be, shall be reduced so that such provision becomes enforceable and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced.
9. Executive Representation
The Executive represents and warrants to the Company that Executive is not now under any obligation of a contractual or other nature to any person, business or other entity which is inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or which would prevent Executive from performing Executive’s obligations under this Agreement.
10. Mediation and Arbitration
(a) Except as provided in Section 10(b), any disputes between the Company and the Executive in any way concerning the Executive’s employment, the termination of Executive’s employment, this Agreement or its enforcement shall be subject to mediation. If the Company and the Executive cannot agree upon a mediator, each shall select one name from a list of mediators maintained by any bona fide dispute resolution provider or other private mediator; the two selected shall then choose a third person who will serve as the sole mediator. The first mediation session shall occur within forty five (45) calendar days following the notice of a dispute. If within sixty (60) days of the first mediation session the claim is not resolved, either party may request that the dispute be settled exclusively by arbitration in the state of Maryland by a single arbitrator, selected in the same manner as the mediator, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the time of submission to arbitration. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators’ award in any court having jurisdiction. For purposes of entering any judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators, any or all of the following courts have jurisdiction: (i) the United States District Court for the Fourth Circuit, (ii) any of the courts of the State of Maryland, or (iii) any other court having jurisdiction. Any service of process or notice requirements in any such proceeding shall be satisfied if the rules of such court relating thereto have been substantially satisfied. The Company and the Executive waive to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may
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now or hereafter have to such jurisdiction and any defense of inconvenient forum. A judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Each party shall bear its costs and expenses arising in connection with any arbitration proceeding.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company, in its sole discretion, may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to seek injunctive relief and such other relief as the Company shall elect to enforce the Restrictive Covenants. If the courts of any one or more of such jurisdictions hold the Restrictive Covenants wholly unenforceable by reason of breadth of scope or otherwise it is the intention of the Company and the Executive that such determination not bar or in any way affect the Company’s right, or the right of any of its affiliates, to the relief provided in Section 8(e) above in the courts of any other jurisdiction within the geographical scope of such Restrictive Covenants, as to breaches of such Restrictive Covenants in such other respective jurisdictions, such Restrictive Covenants as they relate to each jurisdiction being, for this purpose, severable, diverse and independent covenants, subject, where appropriate, to the doctrine of res judicata. The parties hereby agree to waive any right to a trial by jury for any and all disputes hereunder (whether or not relating to the Restrictive Covenants).
11. Section 409A.
To the extent the Executive would be subject to the additional twenty (20) percent tax imposed on certain deferred compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”), as a result of any provision of this Agreement, such provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to avoid application of such tax and preserve to the maximum extent possible the original intent and economic benefit to the Executive and the Company, and the parties shall promptly execute any amendment reasonably necessary to implement this Section 11.
(a) For purposes of Section 409A, the Executive’s right to receive installment payments pursuant to this Agreement including, without limitation, each severance payment and health insurance payment shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.
(b) The Executive will be deemed to have a date of termination for purposes of determining the timing of any payments or benefits hereunder that are classified as deferred compensation only upon a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service, (i) the Executive is a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A and using the identification methodology selected by the Company from time to time), and (ii) the Company
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makes a good faith determination that an amount payable on account of such separation from service to the Executive constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six (6) month delay rule set forth in Section 409A in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A (the “Delay Period”), then the Company will not pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but will instead pay it in a lump sum on the first business day after such six (6) month period (or upon the Executive’s death, if earlier), together with interest for the period of delay, compounded annually, equal to the prime rate (as published in the Wall Street Journal) in effect as of the dates the payments should otherwise have been provided. To the extent that any benefits to be provided during the Delay Period are considered deferred compensation under Section 409A provided on account of a “separation from service,” and such benefits are not otherwise exempt from Section 409A, the Executive shall pay the cost of such benefit during the Delay Period, and the Company shall reimburse the Executive, to the extent that such costs would otherwise have been paid by the Company or to the extent that such benefits would otherwise have been provided by the Company at no cost to the Executive, the Company’s share of the cost of such benefits upon expiration of the Delay Period, and any remaining benefits shall be reimbursed or provided by the Company in accordance with the procedures specified herein.
(d) (A) Any amount that the Executive is entitled to be reimbursed under this Agreement will be reimbursed to the Executive as promptly as practical and in any event not later than the last day of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expenses are incurred, (B) any right to reimbursement or in kind benefits will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (C) the amount of the expenses eligible for reimbursement during any taxable year will not affect the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year.
(e) Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days (e.g., “payment shall be made within thirty (30) days following the date of termination”), the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.
12. Clawback Policies
The Executive is subject to any recoupment or clawback policies that the Company may implement or maintain at any time regarding incentive-based compensation, which is granted or awarded to Executive on or after the date of this Agreement. Such policies may include the right to recover incentive-based compensation (including equity or equity-based awards granted as compensation) awarded or received during the three-year period preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under federal securities laws. The Executive agrees to amend any awards and agreements entered into on or after the date of this Agreement as the Company may request to reasonably implement its policies.
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13. Miscellaneous
(a) Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective (i) upon personal delivery, (ii) upon deposit with the United States Postal Service, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or (iii) in the case of facsimile transmission or delivery by nationally recognized overnight delivery service, when received, addressed as follows:
(b) If to the Company, to:
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 1200E
Bethesda, MD 20814
Attention: General Counsel
(i) If to the Executive, to:
William M. Walker
Address on file with the Company
or to such other address or addresses as either party shall designate to the other in writing from time to time by like notice.
(c) Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
(d) Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.
(e) Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Executive, which amendment or modification is consented to by the Company.
(f) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflicts of laws principles.
(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any entity with which or into which the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business or any entity to which the Company may assign its rights
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and obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, that the obligations of the Executive are personal and shall not be assigned or delegated by the Executive.
(h) Waiver. No delays or omission by the Company or the Executive in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent by the Company shall not be effective unless consented to by the Company. A waiver or consent given by the Company or the Executive on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
(i) Captions. The captions appearing in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
(j) Severability. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be held by a court or arbitrator with jurisdiction over the parties to this Agreement to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, such provision shall be restated to reflect as nearly as possible the original intentions of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
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WALKER & DUNLOP, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Stephen P. Theobald |
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Name: |
Stephen P. Theobald |
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Title: |
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer |
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WILLIAM M. WALKER |
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/s/ William M. Walker |
Exhibit A
WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT
THIS WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT (this “Release”) is entered into as of [________] (the “Effective Date”), by William M. Walker (“Executive”) in consideration of severance pay (the “Severance Payment”) provided to Executive by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”).
1. Waiver and Release. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of Executive’s heirs, executors, administrators, attorneys and assigns, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably releases, waives and forever discharges the Company and each of its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and the subsidiaries, directors, owners, members, shareholders, officers, agents, and employees of the Company and its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and subsidiaries (collectively, all of the foregoing are referred to as the “Employer”), from any and all causes of action, claims and damages, including attorneys’ fees, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of Executive’s signing of this Release, concerning Executive’s employment or separation from employment. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, this Release includes, but is not limited to, any payments, benefits or damages arising under any federal law (including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Executive Order 11246, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, each as amended, and all other employment discrimination laws whatsoever as may be created or amended from time to time); any claim arising under any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations (including, but not limited to, any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations requiring that advance notice be given of certain workforce reductions); and any claim arising under any common law principle or public policy, including, but not limited to, all suits in tort or contract, such as wrongful termination, defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy or loss of consortium. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Release to the contrary, this Release does not encompass, and Executive does not release, waive or discharge, the obligations of the Company (a) to make the payments and provide the other benefits contemplated by Section 6(a) and Section 6(c) of the Employment Agreement, or (b) with respect to Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company, or (c) under any indemnification or similar agreement with Executive or indemnification under the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other governing instruments of the Company.
Executive understands that by signing this Release, Executive is not waiving any claims or administrative charges which cannot be waived by law. Executive is waiving, however, any right to monetary recovery or individual relief should any federal, state or local agency (including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) pursue any claim on
Executive’s behalf arising out of or related to Executive’s employment with and/or separation from employment with the Company.
Executive further agrees without any reservation whatsoever, never to sue the Employer or become a party to a lawsuit on the basis of any and all claims of any type lawfully and validly released in this Release.
2. Acknowledgments. Executive is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily. Executive acknowledges that:
(a) Executive is hereby advised in writing to consult an attorney before signing this Release;
(b) Executive has relied solely on Executive’s own judgment and/or that of Executive’s attorney regarding the consideration for and the terms of this Release and is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily of Executive’s own free will;
(c) Executive is not entitled to the Severance Payment unless Executive agrees to and honors the terms of this Release;
(d) Executive has been given at least twenty-one (21) calendar days to consider this Release, or Executive expressly waives the right to have at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this Release;
(e) Executive may revoke this Release within seven (7) calendar days after signing it by submitting a written notice of revocation to the Employer. Executive further understands that this Release is not effective or enforceable until after the seven (7) day period of revocation has expired without revocation, and that if Executive revokes this Release within the seven (7) day revocation period, Executive will not receive the Severance Payment;
(f) Executive has read and understands the Release and further understands that, subject to the limitations contained herein, it includes a general release of any and all known and unknown, foreseen or unforeseen claims presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of signing of this Release that Executive may have against the Employer; and
(g) No statements made or conduct by the Employer has in any way coerced or unduly influenced Executive to execute this Release.
3. No Admission of Liability. This Release does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the Employer, the Employer does not admit there has been any wrongdoing whatsoever against the Executive, and the Employer expressly denies that any wrongdoing has occurred.
4. Entire Agreement. There are no other agreements of any nature between the Employer and Executive with respect to the matters discussed in this Release, except as expressly stated herein, and in signing this Release, Executive is not relying on any agreements or representations, except those expressly contained in this Release.
5. Execution. It is not necessary that the Employer sign this Release following Executive’s full and complete execution of it for it to become fully effective and enforceable.
6. Severability. If any provision of this Release is found, held or deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void, unlawful or unenforceable under any applicable statute or controlling law, the remainder of this Release shall continue in full force and effect.
7. Governing Law. This Release shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding the choice of law rules thereof.
8. Headings. Section and subsection headings contained in this Release are inserted for the convenience of reference only. Section and subsection headings shall not be deemed to be a part of this Release for any purpose, and they shall not in any way define or affect the meaning, construction or scope of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first herein above written.
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EXECUTIVE: |
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William M. Walker |
Exhibit 10.2
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 14th day of May, 2020, by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) with its principal place of business at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200E, Bethesda, MD 20814, and Howard W. Smith, III, residing at the address on file with the Company (the “Executive”).
WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement to reflect the Executive’s executive capacities in the Company’s business and to provide for the Company’s continued employment of the Executive; and
WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth the terms and conditions of that employment.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
1. Term of Employment
The Company hereby continues to employ the Executive, and the Executive hereby accepts continued employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Unless terminated earlier pursuant to Section 5, the Executive’s employment pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the three (3) year period commencing on May 14, 2020 (the “Commencement Date”) and ending on the third anniversary of the Commencement Date (the “Initial Term”). The Initial Term shall be extended for an additional twelve (12) months on the third and each subsequent anniversary of the Commencement Date unless the Company or the Executive provides written notice to the contrary at least sixty (60) days before the applicable anniversary of the Commencement Date. The Initial Term, together with any such extensions, shall be referred to herein as the “Employment Period.”
2. Title; Duties
The Executive shall be employed as President of the Company. The Executive shall report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, who shall have the authority to direct, control and supervise the activities of the Executive. The Executive shall perform such services consistent with the Executive’s position as may be assigned to Executive from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and are consistent with the bylaws of the Company as it may be amended from time to time, including, but not limited to, managing the affairs of the Company.
3. Extent of Services
(a) General. The Executive agrees not to engage in any business activities during the Employment Period except those which are for the sole benefit of the Company and its subsidiaries, and to devote Executive’s entire business time, attention, skill and effort to the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may, without impairing or otherwise
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adversely affecting the Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties to the Company, (i) engage in personal investments and charitable, professional and civic activities, and (ii) with the prior approval of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, serve on the boards of directors of corporations other than the Company, provided, however, that no such approval shall be necessary for the Executive’s continued service on any board of directors on which the Executive was serving on the date of this Agreement, all of which have been previously disclosed to the Company’s Board of Directors in writing and provided further, that in no event shall the Executive be permitted to serve on the board of directors of any other entity that competes with the Company. The Executive shall perform Executive’s duties to the best of Executive’s ability, shall adhere to the Company’s published policies and procedures, and shall use Executive’s best efforts to promote the Company’s interests, reputation, business and welfare.
(b) Corporate Opportunities. The Executive agrees that Executive will not take personal advantage of any business opportunities which arise during Executive’s employment with the Company and which may be of benefit to the Company. All material facts regarding such opportunities must be promptly reported by the Executive to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company for consideration by the Company.
4. Compensation and Benefits
(a) Salary. The Company shall pay the Executive a gross base annual salary (“Base Salary”) of $625,000. The Base Salary shall be payable in arrears and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, minus such deductions as may be required by law or reasonably requested by the Executive. The Company’s Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) shall review Executive’s Base Salary annually in conjunction with its regular review of employee salaries and may increase (but not decrease) the Base Salary as in effect from time to time as the Compensation Committee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Annual Bonus. Executive shall be entitled to earn bonuses with respect to each calendar year of the Employment Period (or partial calendar year), based upon Executive’s and the Company’s achievement of performance objectives set by the Company (“Annual Bonus”), with a target bonus (“Target Bonus”) of 125% of Executive’s Base Salary. Any such Annual Bonus earned by the Executive shall be paid annually by March 15 of the year following the end of the year for which the Annual Bonus was earned.
(c) Equity Grants. The Executive will be eligible for grants of equity or equity-based awards under any equity compensation plans of the Company as in effect from time to time at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
(d) Other Benefits. The Executive shall be entitled to paid time off and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies in effect from time to time and shall be
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eligible to participate in such life, health, and disability insurance, pension, deferred compensation (including any matching contribution program) and incentive plans, equity award plans (including any performance-based equity award program), performance bonuses and other benefits as the Company extends, as a matter of policy, to its executive employees, consistent with the terms of such plans and arrangements and as such plans and arrangements may be amended from time to time.
(e) Reimbursement of Business Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all reasonable travel, entertainment and other expenses incurred or paid by the Executive in connection with, or related to, the performance of Executive’s duties, responsibilities or services under this Agreement, upon presentation by the Executive of documentation, expense statements, vouchers, and/or such other supporting information as the Company may reasonably request.
(f) Timing of Reimbursements. Any reimbursement under this Agreement that is taxable to the Executive shall be made in no event later than sixty (60) days following the calendar year in which the Executive incurred the expense.
5. Termination
(a) Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Cause, upon written notice by the Company to the Executive. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” for termination shall mean any of the following: (i) the conviction of the Executive of, or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the Executive to, any felony; (ii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement by the Executive; (iii) the Executive’s willful failure or gross negligence in the performance of Executive’s assigned duties for the Company, which failure or negligence continues for more than fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such willful failure or gross negligence; (iv) the Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duties to the Company; (v) a material violation of a material Company policy which, if such violation is curable, such failure is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such failure, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such failure; or (vi) the material breach by the Executive of any material term of this Agreement, which, if such breach is curable, such breach is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such breach, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such breach.
(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive Without Good Reason. Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time without Cause (in the case of the Company) or without Good Reason (in the case of the Executive), upon giving the other party sixty (60) days’ written notice. At the Company’s sole discretion, it may substitute sixty (60) days’ Base Salary (or any lesser portion for
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any shortened period provided) in lieu of notice. Any Base Salary paid to the Executive in lieu of notice shall not be offset against any entitlement the Executive may have to the Severance Payment pursuant to Section 6(c). For purposes of this Agreement, in the event the Company elects not to extend the Employment Period in accordance with Section 1 hereof, Executive’s employment shall terminate on the last day of the Employment Period and such election shall be deemed a termination by the Company without Cause.
(c) Termination by Executive for Good Reason. The Executive may terminate Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Good Reason, upon written notice by the Executive to the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, Good Reason for termination shall mean, without the Executive’s consent: (i) the assignment to the Executive of substantial duties or responsibilities inconsistent with the Executive’s position at the Company, or any other action by the Company which results in a substantial diminution of the Executive’s duties or responsibilities other than any such reduction which is remedied by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt of written notice thereof from the Executive; (ii) a requirement that the Executive work principally from a location that is twenty (20) miles further from the Executive’s residence than the Company’s address first written above; (iii) a ten (10) percent or greater reduction in the Executive’s Base Salary, Target Bonus, excluding any reductions caused by the failure to achieve performance targets, or annual grant date fair value (as reasonably determined by the Company) of equity or equity-based awards granted under any equity compensation plans of the Company that vest solely based on the passage of time (the “Time-Based Equity Awards”); or (iv) any material breach by the Company of this Agreement. Good Reason shall not exist pursuant to any subsection of this Section 5(c) unless (A) the Executive shall have delivered notice to the Company’s Board of Directors within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of such event constituting Good Reason, and (B) the Company’s Board of Directors fails to remedy the circumstances giving rise to the Executive’s notice within thirty (30) days of receipt of notice. The Executive must terminate employment under this Section 5(c) at a time agreed reasonably with the Company, but in any event within one hundred fifty (150) days from the occurrence of an event constituting Good Reason. For purposes of Good Reason, the Company shall be defined to include any successor to the Company which has assumed the obligations of the Company through merger, acquisition, stock purchase, asset purchase or otherwise.
(d) Executive’s Death or Disability. The Executive’s employment shall terminate immediately upon Executive’s death or, upon written notice as set forth below, Executive’s Disability. As used in this Agreement, “Disability” shall mean such physical or mental impairment as would render the Executive unable to perform each of the essential duties of the Executive’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months. If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the
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Executive’s Disability, either party shall give thirty (30) days’ advance written notice to that effect to the other.
(e) Executive’s Retirement. The Executive’s employment shall terminate upon Executive’s Retirement. As used in this Agreement, “Retirement” shall mean the Executive resigns on or after age sixty five pursuant to this Section 5(e). If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Retirement, the Executive shall give one hundred eighty (180) days’ advance notice to the effect to the Company.
6. Effect of Termination
(a) General. Regardless of the reason for any termination of this Agreement and subject to this Section 6, the Executive (or the Executive’s estate if the Employment Period ends on account of the Executive’s death) shall be entitled to (i) payment of any unpaid portion of the Base Salary through the effective date of termination; (ii) reimbursement for any outstanding reasonable business expense incurred under Section 4(e) in performing Executive’s duties hereunder in accordance with Company policy; (iii) continued insurance benefits to the extent required by law; (iv) payment of any vested but unpaid rights as required independent of this Agreement by the terms of any bonus or other incentive pay or equity plan, or any other employee benefit plan or program of the Company in accordance with the terms of such plan or program; and (v) except in the case of Termination by the Company for Cause, any unpaid Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the calendar year prior to the calendar year in which Executive’s termination occurs, as determined by the Company based on actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive when bonuses for such year are paid to actively employed senior executives of the Company. Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Executive shall resign from all boards and committees of the Company, its affiliates and its subsidiaries.
(b) Termination by the Company for Cause or by Executive Without Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment for Cause or the Executive terminates Executive’s employment without Good Reason, the Executive shall have no rights or claims against the Company except to receive the payments and benefits described in Section 6(a).
(c) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment without Cause pursuant to Section 5(b), or the Executive terminates employment with Good Reason pursuant to Section 5(c), the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
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(i) continued payment of the Base Salary, at the rate in effect on the last day of employment (but in no event in an annual amount less than as set forth in Section 4(a)), for a period of twelve (12) months. Such amount shall be paid in approximately equal installments on the Company’s regularly scheduled payroll dates, subject to all legally required payroll deductions and withholdings for sums owed by the Executive to the Company;
(ii) continued payment by the Company for the Executive’s life and health insurance coverage for twelve (12) months (the “Continuation Period”) to the same extent that the Company paid for such coverage immediately prior to the termination of the Executive’s employment and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such insurance coverage; provided that if continued payment by the Company of the Executive’s health insurance coverage would result in a violation of the nondiscrimination rules of Section 105(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any statute or regulation of similar effect (including, without limitation, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the 2010 Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act), then in lieu of providing such continued payment, the Company will instead pay the Executive on the first day of each month a fully taxable cash payment equal to the Company’s premiums for that month (the “Monthly Premium”) and a corresponding Tax Indemnity Payment (defined below), subject to applicable tax withholdings, for the remainder of the Continuation Period;
(iii) payments equal to two (2) times the average Annual Bonus earned by the Executive over the two (2) calendar years preceding the year of termination (or if the Executive has not been employed for two (2) calendar years, payments equal to two (2) times the Executive’s Target Bonus for the year of termination). By way of example only, if the Executive’s Annual Bonus over the preceding two (2) years was $300,000 and $0, the average would be $150,000 and the payment under this Section 6(c)(iii) would equal $300,000. Such amount shall be paid to the Executive within ten (10) days after the end of the Restricted Period (as defined below);
(iv) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(v) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions (“Performance-Based Equity Awards”) being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
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None of the benefits described in this Section 6(c) (the “Severance Payments”) will be payable unless the Executive has signed a general release (in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A) within forty five (45) days of date of termination, which has (and not until it has) become irrevocable, satisfactory to the Company in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, releasing the Company, its affiliates, and their directors, officers and employees, from any and all claims or potential claims arising from or related to the Executive’s employment or termination of employment. The Severance Payments shall commence on the Company’s first regular payroll date occurring on or after the sixtieth (60th) date following the date of termination (the “First Payroll Date”), with amounts otherwise payable under the Company’s normal payroll procedures prior to the First Payroll Date to be paid in lump sum on the First Payroll Date without interest thereon.
For purposes of Section 6(c)(ii), the “Tax Indemnity Payment” shall equal the aggregate amount of additional payments necessary to deliver to the Executive the Monthly Premium amount in full on a net after-tax basis with the amount of each such Tax Indemnity Payment to be based upon the Tax Rate in effect when the corresponding Monthly Premium amount is paid. For the purposes of the foregoing, “Tax Rate” means the Executive’s current tax rate based upon the combined federal and state and local income, earnings, Medicare and any other tax rates applicable to the Executive, all at the highest marginal rates of taxation in the county and state of the Executive’s residence on the date of determination, net of the reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained by deduction of such state and local taxes.
(d) Termination In the Event of Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event of a termination of employment due to death, Disability or Retirement, the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive (or Executive’s estate) no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(ii) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any Performance-Based Equity Awards being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
7. Confidentiality
(a) Definition of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges that Executive may be furnished or may otherwise receive or have access to confidential information which relates to the Company’s past, present or future business
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activities, strategies, services or products, research and development; financial analysis and data; improvements, inventions, processes, techniques, designs or other technical data; profit margins and other financial information; fee arrangements; compilations for marketing or development; confidential personnel and payroll information; or other information regarding administrative, management, or financial activities of the Company, or of a third party which provided proprietary information to the Company on a confidential basis. All such information, including in any electronic form, and including any materials or documents containing such information, shall be considered by the Company and the Executive as proprietary and confidential (the “Proprietary Information”).
(b) Exclusions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Proprietary Information shall not include information in the public domain not as a result of a breach of any duty by the Executive or any other person.
(c) Obligations. Both during and after the Employment Period, the Executive agrees to preserve and protect the confidentiality of the Proprietary Information and all physical forms thereof, whether disclosed to Executive before this Agreement is signed or afterward. In addition, the Executive shall not (i) disclose or disseminate the Proprietary Information to any third party, including employees of the Company (or its affiliates) without a legitimate business need to know during the Employment Period; (ii) remove the Proprietary Information from the Company’s premises without a valid business purpose; or (iii) use the Proprietary Information for Executive’s own benefit or for the benefit of any third party.
(d) Return of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that all the Proprietary Information used or generated during the course of working for the Company is the property of the Company. The Executive agrees to deliver to the Company all documents and other tangibles containing the Proprietary Information at any time upon request by the Company’s Board of Directors during Executive’s employment and immediately upon termination of Executive’s employment.
(e) Whistleblower and Trade Secret Protections. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing in this Agreement is intended to or will be used by the Company in any way to prohibit Executive from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any United States governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation (including the right to receive an award for information provided to any such government agencies). Furthermore, in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 1833, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement: (A) Executive shall not be in breach of this Agreement and shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law (x) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official or to an
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attorney solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, or (y) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal; and (B) if Executive files a lawsuit for retaliation by the Company for reporting a suspected violation of law, Executive may disclose the trade secret to Executive’s attorney, and may use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if Executive files any document containing the trade secret under seal, and does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.
8. Noncompetition
(a) Restriction on Competition. For the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for twelve (12) months following the expiration or termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company (the “Restricted Period”), the Executive agrees not to engage, directly or indirectly, as a manager, employee, consultant, partner, principal, agent, representative, or in any other individual or representative capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment, including but not limited to the multifamily finance business, where material is defined as fifteen (15) percent of the gross revenues of the Company based on the most recent quarterly earnings. Executive further agrees that for the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for the Restricted Period, the Executive will not engage, directly or indirectly, as an owner, director, trustee, member, stockholder, or in any other corporate capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive shall not be deemed to have violated this Section 8(a) solely (i) by reason of Executive’s passive ownership of 1% or less of the outstanding stock of any publicly traded corporation or other entity, (ii) by providing legal, accounting or audit services as an employee or partner of a professional services organization or (iii) by providing services to any investment banking or other institution that do not relate to any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment.
(b) Non-Solicitation of Clients. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees not to solicit, directly or indirectly, on Executive’s own behalf or on behalf of any other person(s), any client of the Company to whom the Company had provided services at any time during the Executive’s employment with the Company in any line of business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment or that the Company is actively soliciting, for the purpose of marketing or providing any service competitive with any service then offered by the Company.
(c) Non-Solicitation of Employees. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, hire or attempt to hire or cause any business, other than an affiliate of the Company, to hire any person who is then or was at any time during the preceding six (6) months an employee of the Company
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and who is at the time of such hire or attempted hire, or was at the date of such employee’s separation from the Company a vice president, senior vice president or executive vice president or other senior executive employee of the Company.
(d) Acknowledgement. The Executive acknowledges that Executive will acquire much Proprietary Information concerning the past, present and future business of the Company as the result of Executive’s employment, as well as access to the relationships between the Company and its clients and employees. The Executive further acknowledges that the business of the Company is very competitive and that competition by Executive in that business during Executive’s employment, or after Executive’s employment terminates, would severely injure the Company. The Executive understands and agrees that the restrictions contained in this Section 8 are reasonable and are required for the Company’s legitimate protection, and do not unduly limit Executive’s ability to earn a livelihood.
(e) Rights and Remedies upon Breach. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that any breach by Executive of any of the provisions of Sections 7 and 8 (the “Restrictive Covenants”) would result in irreparable injury and damage for which money damages would not provide an adequate remedy. Therefore, if the Executive breaches, or threatens to commit a breach of, any of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants, the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, shall have the following rights and remedies, each of which rights and remedies shall be independent of the other and severally enforceable, and all of which rights and remedies shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available to the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, under law or in equity (including, without limitation, the recovery of damages):
(i) The right and remedy to have the Restrictive Covenants specifically enforced (without posting bond and without the need to prove damages) by any court of competent jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the right to an entry against the Executive of restraining orders and injunctions (preliminary, mandatory, temporary and permanent) against violations, threatened or actual, and whether or not then continuing, of such covenants; and
(ii) The right and remedy to require the Executive to account for and pay over to the Company and its affiliates all compensation, profits, monies, accruals, increments or other benefits (collectively, “Benefits”) derived or received by Executive as the result of any transactions constituting a breach of the Restrictive Covenants, and the Executive shall account for and pay over such Benefits to the Company and, if applicable, its affected affiliates.
(f) Without limiting Section 13(j), if any court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction determines that any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is unenforceable because of the duration or geographical scope of such provision, then, after such determination has become final and unappealable, the duration or
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scope of such provision, as the case may be, shall be reduced so that such provision becomes enforceable and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced.
9. Executive Representation
The Executive represents and warrants to the Company that Executive is not now under any obligation of a contractual or other nature to any person, business or other entity which is inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or which would prevent Executive from performing Executive’s obligations under this Agreement.
10. Mediation and Arbitration
(a) Except as provided in Section 10(b), any disputes between the Company and the Executive in any way concerning the Executive’s employment, the termination of Executive’s employment, this Agreement or its enforcement shall be subject to mediation. If the Company and the Executive cannot agree upon a mediator, each shall select one name from a list of mediators maintained by any bona fide dispute resolution provider or other private mediator; the two selected shall then choose a third person who will serve as the sole mediator. The first mediation session shall occur within forty five (45) calendar days following the notice of a dispute. If within sixty (60) days of the first mediation session the claim is not resolved, either party may request that the dispute be settled exclusively by arbitration in the state of Maryland by a single arbitrator, selected in the same manner as the mediator, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the time of submission to arbitration. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators’ award in any court having jurisdiction. For purposes of entering any judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators, any or all of the following courts have jurisdiction: (i) the United States District Court for the Fourth Circuit, (ii) any of the courts of the State of Maryland, or (iii) any other court having jurisdiction. Any service of process or notice requirements in any such proceeding shall be satisfied if the rules of such court relating thereto have been substantially satisfied. The Company and the Executive waive to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to such jurisdiction and any defense of inconvenient forum. A judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Each party shall bear its costs and expenses arising in connection with any arbitration proceeding.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company, in its sole discretion, may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to seek injunctive relief and such other relief as the Company shall elect to enforce the Restrictive Covenants. If the courts of any one or more of such jurisdictions hold the Restrictive Covenants wholly unenforceable by reason of breadth of scope or otherwise it is the intention of the Company and the Executive that such determination not bar or in any way affect
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the Company’s right, or the right of any of its affiliates, to the relief provided in Section 8(e) above in the courts of any other jurisdiction within the geographical scope of such Restrictive Covenants, as to breaches of such Restrictive Covenants in such other respective jurisdictions, such Restrictive Covenants as they relate to each jurisdiction being, for this purpose, severable, diverse and independent covenants, subject, where appropriate, to the doctrine of res judicata. The parties hereby agree to waive any right to a trial by jury for any and all disputes hereunder (whether or not relating to the Restrictive Covenants).
11. Section 409A.
To the extent the Executive would be subject to the additional twenty (20) percent tax imposed on certain deferred compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”), as a result of any provision of this Agreement, such provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to avoid application of such tax and preserve to the maximum extent possible the original intent and economic benefit to the Executive and the Company, and the parties shall promptly execute any amendment reasonably necessary to implement this Section 11.
(a) For purposes of Section 409A, the Executive’s right to receive installment payments pursuant to this Agreement including, without limitation, each severance payment and health insurance payment shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.
(b) The Executive will be deemed to have a date of termination for purposes of determining the timing of any payments or benefits hereunder that are classified as deferred compensation only upon a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service, (i) the Executive is a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A and using the identification methodology selected by the Company from time to time), and (ii) the Company makes a good faith determination that an amount payable on account of such separation from service to the Executive constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six (6) month delay rule set forth in Section 409A in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A (the “Delay Period”), then the Company will not pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but will instead pay it in a lump sum on the first business day after such six (6) month period (or upon the Executive’s death, if earlier), together with interest for the period of delay, compounded annually, equal to the prime rate (as published in the Wall Street Journal) in effect as of the dates the payments should otherwise have been provided. To the extent that any benefits to be provided during the Delay Period are considered deferred compensation under Section 409A provided on account of a “separation from service,” and such benefits are not otherwise exempt from Section
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409A, the Executive shall pay the cost of such benefit during the Delay Period, and the Company shall reimburse the Executive, to the extent that such costs would otherwise have been paid by the Company or to the extent that such benefits would otherwise have been provided by the Company at no cost to the Executive, the Company’s share of the cost of such benefits upon expiration of the Delay Period, and any remaining benefits shall be reimbursed or provided by the Company in accordance with the procedures specified herein.
(d) (A) Any amount that the Executive is entitled to be reimbursed under this Agreement will be reimbursed to the Executive as promptly as practical and in any event not later than the last day of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expenses are incurred, (B) any right to reimbursement or in kind benefits will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (C) the amount of the expenses eligible for reimbursement during any taxable year will not affect the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year.
(e) Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days (e.g., “payment shall be made within thirty (30) days following the date of termination”), the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.
12. Clawback Policies
The Executive is subject to any recoupment or clawback policies that the Company may implement or maintain at any time regarding incentive-based compensation, which is granted or awarded to Executive on or after the date of this Agreement. Such policies may include the right to recover incentive-based compensation (including equity or equity-based awards granted as compensation) awarded or received during the three-year period preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under federal securities laws. The Executive agrees to amend any awards and agreements entered into on or after the date of this Agreement as the Company may request to reasonably implement its policies.
13. Miscellaneous
(a) Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective (i) upon personal delivery, (ii) upon deposit with the United States Postal Service, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or (iii) in the case of facsimile transmission or delivery by nationally recognized overnight delivery service, when received, addressed as follows:
(b) If to the Company, to:
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 1200E
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Bethesda, MD 20814
Attention: General Counsel
(i) If to the Executive, to:
Howard W. Smith, III
Address on file with the Company
or to such other address or addresses as either party shall designate to the other in writing from time to time by like notice.
(c) Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
(d) Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.
(e) Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Executive, which amendment or modification is consented to by the Company.
(f) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflicts of laws principles.
(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any entity with which or into which the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business or any entity to which the Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, that the obligations of the Executive are personal and shall not be assigned or delegated by the Executive.
(h) Waiver. No delays or omission by the Company or the Executive in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent by the Company shall not be effective unless consented to by the Company. A waiver or consent given by the Company or the Executive on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
(i) Captions. The captions appearing in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
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(j) Severability. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be held by a court or arbitrator with jurisdiction over the parties to this Agreement to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, such provision shall be restated to reflect as nearly as possible the original intentions of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
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WALKER & DUNLOP, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ William M. Walker |
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Name: |
William M. Walker |
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Title: |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
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HOWARD W. SMITH, III |
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/s/ Howard W. Smith, III |
Exhibit A
WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT
THIS WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT (this “Release”) is entered into as of [________] (the “Effective Date”), by Howard W. Smith, III (“Executive”) in consideration of severance pay (the “Severance Payment”) provided to Executive by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”).
1. Waiver and Release. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of Executive’s heirs, executors, administrators, attorneys and assigns, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably releases, waives and forever discharges the Company and each of its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and the subsidiaries, directors, owners, members, shareholders, officers, agents, and employees of the Company and its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and subsidiaries (collectively, all of the foregoing are referred to as the “Employer”), from any and all causes of action, claims and damages, including attorneys’ fees, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of Executive’s signing of this Release, concerning Executive’s employment or separation from employment. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, this Release includes, but is not limited to, any payments, benefits or damages arising under any federal law (including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Executive Order 11246, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, each as amended, and all other employment discrimination laws whatsoever as may be created or amended from time to time); any claim arising under any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations (including, but not limited to, any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations requiring that advance notice be given of certain workforce reductions); and any claim arising under any common law principle or public policy, including, but not limited to, all suits in tort or contract, such as wrongful termination, defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy or loss of consortium. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Release to the contrary, this Release does not encompass, and Executive does not release, waive or discharge, the obligations of the Company (a) to make the payments and provide the other benefits contemplated by Section 6(a) and Section 6(c) of the Employment Agreement, or (b) with respect to Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company, or (c) under any indemnification or similar agreement with Executive or indemnification under the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other governing instruments of the Company.
Executive understands that by signing this Release, Executive is not waiving any claims or administrative charges which cannot be waived by law. Executive is waiving, however, any right to monetary recovery or individual relief should any federal, state or local agency (including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) pursue any claim on
Executive’s behalf arising out of or related to Executive’s employment with and/or separation from employment with the Company.
Executive further agrees without any reservation whatsoever, never to sue the Employer or become a party to a lawsuit on the basis of any and all claims of any type lawfully and validly released in this Release.
2. Acknowledgments. Executive is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily. Executive acknowledges that:
(a) Executive is hereby advised in writing to consult an attorney before signing this Release;
(b) Executive has relied solely on Executive’s own judgment and/or that of Executive’s attorney regarding the consideration for and the terms of this Release and is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily of Executive’s own free will;
(c) Executive is not entitled to the Severance Payment unless Executive agrees to and honors the terms of this Release;
(d) Executive has been given at least twenty-one (21) calendar days to consider this Release, or Executive expressly waives the right to have at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this Release;
(e) Executive may revoke this Release within seven (7) calendar days after signing it by submitting a written notice of revocation to the Employer. Executive further understands that this Release is not effective or enforceable until after the seven (7) day period of revocation has expired without revocation, and that if Executive revokes this Release within the seven (7) day revocation period, Executive will not receive the Severance Payment;
(f) Executive has read and understands the Release and further understands that, subject to the limitations contained herein, it includes a general release of any and all known and unknown, foreseen or unforeseen claims presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of signing of this Release that Executive may have against the Employer; and
(g) No statements made or conduct by the Employer has in any way coerced or unduly influenced Executive to execute this Release.
3. No Admission of Liability. This Release does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the Employer, the Employer does not admit there has been
any wrongdoing whatsoever against the Executive, and the Employer expressly denies that any wrongdoing has occurred.
4. Entire Agreement. There are no other agreements of any nature between the Employer and Executive with respect to the matters discussed in this Release, except as expressly stated herein, and in signing this Release, Executive is not relying on any agreements or representations, except those expressly contained in this Release.
5. Execution. It is not necessary that the Employer sign this Release following Executive’s full and complete execution of it for it to become fully effective and enforceable.
6. Severability. If any provision of this Release is found, held or deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void, unlawful or unenforceable under any applicable statute or controlling law, the remainder of this Release shall continue in full force and effect.
7. Governing Law. This Release shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding the choice of law rules thereof.
8. Headings. Section and subsection headings contained in this Release are inserted for the convenience of reference only. Section and subsection headings shall not be deemed to be a part of this Release for any purpose, and they shall not in any way define or affect the meaning, construction or scope of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first herein above written.
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EXECUTIVE: |
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Howard W. Smith, III |
Exhibit 10.3
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 14th day of May, 2020, by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) with its principal place of business at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200E, Bethesda, MD 20814, and Stephen P. Theobald, residing at the address on file with the Company (the “Executive”).
WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement to reflect the Executive’s executive capacities in the Company’s business and to provide for the Company’s continued employment of the Executive; and
WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth the terms and conditions of that employment.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
1. Term of Employment
The Company hereby continues to employ the Executive, and the Executive hereby accepts continued employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Unless terminated earlier pursuant to Section 5, the Executive’s employment pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the three (3) year period commencing on May 14, 2020 (the “Commencement Date”) and ending on the third anniversary of the Commencement Date (the “Initial Term”). The Initial Term shall be extended for an additional twelve (12) months on the third and each subsequent anniversary of the Commencement Date unless the Company or the Executive provides written notice to the contrary at least sixty (60) days before the applicable anniversary of the Commencement Date. The Initial Term, together with any such extensions, shall be referred to herein as the “Employment Period.”
2. Title; Duties
The Executive shall be employed as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The Executive shall report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, who shall have the authority to direct, control and supervise the activities of the Executive. The Executive shall perform such services consistent with the Executive’s position as may be assigned to Executive from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and are consistent with the bylaws of the Company as it may be amended from time to time, including, but not limited to, managing the affairs of the Company.
3. Extent of Services
(a) General. The Executive agrees not to engage in any business activities during the Employment Period except those which are for the sole benefit of the Company and its subsidiaries, and to devote Executive’s entire business time, attention, skill and effort to the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may, without impairing or otherwise adversely affecting the Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties to the Company, (i) engage in personal investments and charitable, professional and civic activities, and (ii) with the prior approval of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, serve on the boards of directors of corporations other than the Company, provided, however, that no such approval shall be necessary for the Executive’s continued service on any board of directors on which the Executive was serving on the date of this Agreement, all of which have been previously disclosed to the Company’s Board of Directors in writing and provided further, that in no event shall the Executive be permitted to serve on the board of directors of any other entity that competes with the Company. The Executive shall perform Executive’s duties to the best of Executive’s ability, shall adhere to the Company’s published policies and procedures, and shall use Executive’s best efforts to promote the Company’s interests, reputation, business and welfare.
(b) Corporate Opportunities. The Executive agrees that Executive will not take personal advantage of any business opportunities which arise during Executive’s employment with the Company and which may be of benefit to the Company. All material facts regarding such opportunities must be promptly reported by the Executive to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company for consideration by the Company.
4. Compensation and Benefits
(a) Salary. The Company shall pay the Executive a gross base annual salary (“Base Salary”) of $500,000. The Base Salary shall be payable in arrears and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, minus such deductions as may be required by law or reasonably requested by the Executive. The Company’s Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) shall review Executive’s Base Salary annually in conjunction with its regular review of employee salaries and may increase (but not decrease) the Base Salary as in effect from time to time as the Compensation Committee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Annual Bonus. Executive shall be entitled to earn bonuses with respect to each calendar year of the Employment Period (or partial calendar year), based upon Executive’s and the Company’s achievement of performance objectives set by the Company (“Annual Bonus”), with a target bonus (“Target Bonus”) of 100% of Executive’s Base Salary. Any such Annual Bonus earned by the Executive shall be paid annually by March 15 of the year following the end of the year for which the Annual Bonus was earned.
(c) Equity Grants. The Executive will be eligible for grants of equity or equity-based awards under any equity compensation plans of the Company as in effect from time to time at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
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(d) Other Benefits. The Executive shall be entitled to paid time off and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies in effect from time to time and shall be eligible to participate in such life, health, and disability insurance, pension, deferred compensation (including any matching contribution program) and incentive plans, equity award plans (including any performance-based equity award program), performance bonuses and other benefits as the Company extends, as a matter of policy, to its executive employees, consistent with the terms of such plans and arrangements and as such plans and arrangements may be amended from time to time.
(e) Reimbursement of Business Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all reasonable travel, entertainment and other expenses incurred or paid by the Executive in connection with, or related to, the performance of Executive’s duties, responsibilities or services under this Agreement, upon presentation by the Executive of documentation, expense statements, vouchers, and/or such other supporting information as the Company may reasonably request.
(f) Timing of Reimbursements. Any reimbursement under this Agreement that is taxable to the Executive shall be made in no event later than sixty (60) days following the calendar year in which the Executive incurred the expense.
5. Termination
(a) Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Cause, upon written notice by the Company to the Executive. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” for termination shall mean any of the following: (i) the conviction of the Executive of, or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the Executive to, any felony; (ii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement by the Executive; (iii) the Executive’s willful failure or gross negligence in the performance of Executive’s assigned duties for the Company, which failure or negligence continues for more than fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such willful failure or gross negligence; (iv) the Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duties to the Company; (v) a material violation of a material Company policy which, if such violation is curable, such failure is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such failure, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such failure; or (vi) the material breach by the Executive of any material term of this Agreement, which, if such breach is curable, such breach is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such breach, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such breach.
(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive Without Good Reason. Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time without Cause (in the case of the Company) or without Good Reason (in the case of the Executive),
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upon giving the other party sixty (60) days’ written notice. At the Company’s sole discretion, it may substitute sixty (60) days’ Base Salary (or any lesser portion for any shortened period provided) in lieu of notice. Any Base Salary paid to the Executive in lieu of notice shall not be offset against any entitlement the Executive may have to the Severance Payment pursuant to Section 6(c). For purposes of this Agreement, in the event the Company elects not to extend the Employment Period in accordance with Section 1 hereof, Executive’s employment shall terminate on the last day of the Employment Period and such election shall be deemed a termination by the Company without Cause.
(c) Termination by Executive for Good Reason. The Executive may terminate Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Good Reason, upon written notice by the Executive to the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, Good Reason for termination shall mean, without the Executive’s consent: (i) the assignment to the Executive of substantial duties or responsibilities inconsistent with the Executive’s position at the Company, or any other action by the Company which results in a substantial diminution of the Executive’s duties or responsibilities other than any such reduction which is remedied by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt of written notice thereof from the Executive; (ii) a requirement that the Executive work principally from a location that is twenty (20) miles further from the Executive’s residence than the Company’s address first written above; (iii) a ten (10) percent or greater reduction in the Executive’s Base Salary, Target Bonus, excluding any reductions caused by the failure to achieve performance targets, or annual grant date fair value (as reasonably determined by the Company) of equity or equity-based awards granted under any equity compensation plans of the Company that vest solely based on the passage of time (the “Time-Based Equity Awards”); or (iv) any material breach by the Company of this Agreement. Good Reason shall not exist pursuant to any subsection of this Section 5(c) unless (A) the Executive shall have delivered notice to the Company’s Board of Directors within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of such event constituting Good Reason, and (B) the Company’s Board of Directors fails to remedy the circumstances giving rise to the Executive’s notice within thirty (30) days of receipt of notice. The Executive must terminate employment under this Section 5(c) at a time agreed reasonably with the Company, but in any event within one hundred fifty (150) days from the occurrence of an event constituting Good Reason. For purposes of Good Reason, the Company shall be defined to include any successor to the Company which has assumed the obligations of the Company through merger, acquisition, stock purchase, asset purchase or otherwise.
(d) Executive’s Death or Disability. The Executive’s employment shall terminate immediately upon Executive’s death or, upon written notice as set forth below, Executive’s Disability. As used in this Agreement, “Disability” shall mean such physical or mental impairment as would render the Executive unable to perform each of the essential duties of the Executive’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in
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character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months. If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Disability, either party shall give thirty (30) days’ advance written notice to that effect to the other.
(e) Executive’s Retirement. The Executive’s employment shall terminate upon Executive’s Retirement. As used in this Agreement, “Retirement” shall mean the Executive resigns on or after age sixty five pursuant to this Section 5(e). If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Retirement, the Executive shall give one hundred eighty (180) days’ advance notice to the effect to the Company.
6. Effect of Termination
(a) General. Regardless of the reason for any termination of this Agreement and subject to this Section 6, the Executive (or the Executive’s estate if the Employment Period ends on account of the Executive’s death) shall be entitled to (i) payment of any unpaid portion of the Base Salary through the effective date of termination; (ii) reimbursement for any outstanding reasonable business expense incurred under Section 4(e) in performing Executive’s duties hereunder in accordance with Company policy; (iii) continued insurance benefits to the extent required by law; (iv) payment of any vested but unpaid rights as required independent of this Agreement by the terms of any bonus or other incentive pay or equity plan, or any other employee benefit plan or program of the Company in accordance with the terms of such plan or program; and (v) except in the case of Termination by the Company for Cause, any unpaid Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the calendar year prior to the calendar year in which Executive’s termination occurs, as determined by the Company based on actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive when bonuses for such year are paid to actively employed senior executives of the Company. Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Executive shall resign from all boards and committees of the Company, its affiliates and its subsidiaries.
(b) Termination by the Company for Cause or by Executive Without Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment for Cause or the Executive terminates Executive’s employment without Good Reason, the Executive shall have no rights or claims against the Company except to receive the payments and benefits described in Section 6(a).
(c) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment without Cause pursuant to Section 5(b), or the Executive terminates employment with Good
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Reason pursuant to Section 5(c), the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) continued payment of the Base Salary, at the rate in effect on the last day of employment (but in no event in an annual amount less than as set forth in Section 4(a)), for a period of twelve (12) months. Such amount shall be paid in approximately equal installments on the Company’s regularly scheduled payroll dates, subject to all legally required payroll deductions and withholdings for sums owed by the Executive to the Company;
(ii) continued payment by the Company for the Executive’s life and health insurance coverage for twelve (12) months (the “Continuation Period”) to the same extent that the Company paid for such coverage immediately prior to the termination of the Executive’s employment and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such insurance coverage; provided that if continued payment by the Company of the Executive’s health insurance coverage would result in a violation of the nondiscrimination rules of Section 105(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any statute or regulation of similar effect (including, without limitation, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the 2010 Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act), then in lieu of providing such continued payment, the Company will instead pay the Executive on the first day of each month a fully taxable cash payment equal to the Company’s premiums for that month (the “Monthly Premium”) and a corresponding Tax Indemnity Payment (defined below), subject to applicable tax withholdings, for the remainder of the Continuation Period;
(iii) payments equal to two (2) times the average Annual Bonus earned by the Executive over the two (2) calendar years preceding the year of termination (or if the Executive has not been employed for two (2) calendar years, payments equal to two (2) times the Executive’s Target Bonus for the year of termination). By way of example only, if the Executive’s Annual Bonus over the preceding two (2) years was $300,000 and $0, the average would be $150,000 and the payment under this Section 6(c)(iii) would equal $300,000. Such amount shall be paid to the Executive within ten (10) days after the end of the Restricted Period (as defined below);
(iv) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(v) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions (“Performance-
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Based Equity Awards”) being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
None of the benefits described in this Section 6(c) (the “Severance Payments”) will be payable unless the Executive has signed a general release (in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A) within forty five (45) days of date of termination, which has (and not until it has) become irrevocable, satisfactory to the Company in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, releasing the Company, its affiliates, and their directors, officers and employees, from any and all claims or potential claims arising from or related to the Executive’s employment or termination of employment. The Severance Payments shall commence on the Company’s first regular payroll date occurring on or after the sixtieth (60th) date following the date of termination (the “First Payroll Date”), with amounts otherwise payable under the Company’s normal payroll procedures prior to the First Payroll Date to be paid in lump sum on the First Payroll Date without interest thereon.
For purposes of Section 6(c)(ii), the “Tax Indemnity Payment” shall equal the aggregate amount of additional payments necessary to deliver to the Executive the Monthly Premium amount in full on a net after-tax basis with the amount of each such Tax Indemnity Payment to be based upon the Tax Rate in effect when the corresponding Monthly Premium amount is paid. For the purposes of the foregoing, “Tax Rate” means the Executive’s current tax rate based upon the combined federal and state and local income, earnings, Medicare and any other tax rates applicable to the Executive, all at the highest marginal rates of taxation in the county and state of the Executive’s residence on the date of determination, net of the reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained by deduction of such state and local taxes.
(d) Termination In the Event of Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event of a termination of employment due to death, Disability or Retirement, the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive (or Executive’s estate) no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(ii) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any Performance-Based Equity Awards being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
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7. Confidentiality
(a) Definition of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges that Executive may be furnished or may otherwise receive or have access to confidential information which relates to the Company’s past, present or future business activities, strategies, services or products, research and development; financial analysis and data; improvements, inventions, processes, techniques, designs or other technical data; profit margins and other financial information; fee arrangements; compilations for marketing or development; confidential personnel and payroll information; or other information regarding administrative, management, or financial activities of the Company, or of a third party which provided proprietary information to the Company on a confidential basis. All such information, including in any electronic form, and including any materials or documents containing such information, shall be considered by the Company and the Executive as proprietary and confidential (the “Proprietary Information”).
(b) Exclusions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Proprietary Information shall not include information in the public domain not as a result of a breach of any duty by the Executive or any other person.
(c) Obligations. Both during and after the Employment Period, the Executive agrees to preserve and protect the confidentiality of the Proprietary Information and all physical forms thereof, whether disclosed to Executive before this Agreement is signed or afterward. In addition, the Executive shall not (i) disclose or disseminate the Proprietary Information to any third party, including employees of the Company (or its affiliates) without a legitimate business need to know during the Employment Period; (ii) remove the Proprietary Information from the Company’s premises without a valid business purpose; or (iii) use the Proprietary Information for Executive’s own benefit or for the benefit of any third party.
(d) Return of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that all the Proprietary Information used or generated during the course of working for the Company is the property of the Company. The Executive agrees to deliver to the Company all documents and other tangibles containing the Proprietary Information at any time upon request by the Company’s Board of Directors during Executive’s employment and immediately upon termination of Executive’s employment.
(e) Whistleblower and Trade Secret Protections. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing in this Agreement is intended to or will be used by the Company in any way to prohibit Executive from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any United States governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation (including the right to receive an award for information provided to any
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such government agencies). Furthermore, in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 1833, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement: (A) Executive shall not be in breach of this Agreement and shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law (x) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official or to an attorney solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, or (y) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal; and (B) if Executive files a lawsuit for retaliation by the Company for reporting a suspected violation of law, Executive may disclose the trade secret to Executive’s attorney, and may use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if Executive files any document containing the trade secret under seal, and does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.
8. Noncompetition
(a) Restriction on Competition. For the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for twelve (12) months following the expiration or termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company (the “Restricted Period”), the Executive agrees not to engage, directly or indirectly, as a manager, employee, consultant, partner, principal, agent, representative, or in any other individual or representative capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment, including but not limited to the multifamily finance business, where material is defined as fifteen (15) percent of the gross revenues of the Company based on the most recent quarterly earnings. Executive further agrees that for the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for the Restricted Period, the Executive will not engage, directly or indirectly, as an owner, director, trustee, member, stockholder, or in any other corporate capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive shall not be deemed to have violated this Section 8(a) solely (i) by reason of Executive’s passive ownership of 1% or less of the outstanding stock of any publicly traded corporation or other entity, (ii) by providing legal, accounting or audit services as an employee or partner of a professional services organization or (iii) by providing services to any investment banking or other institution that do not relate to any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment.
(b) Non-Solicitation of Clients. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees not to solicit, directly or indirectly, on Executive’s own behalf or on behalf of any other person(s), any client of the Company to whom the Company had provided services at any time during the Executive’s employment with the Company in any line of business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment or that the Company is actively soliciting, for the purpose of
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marketing or providing any service competitive with any service then offered by the Company.
(c) Non-Solicitation of Employees. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, hire or attempt to hire or cause any business, other than an affiliate of the Company, to hire any person who is then or was at any time during the preceding six (6) months an employee of the Company and who is at the time of such hire or attempted hire, or was at the date of such employee’s separation from the Company a vice president, senior vice president or executive vice president or other senior executive employee of the Company.
(d) Acknowledgement. The Executive acknowledges that Executive will acquire much Proprietary Information concerning the past, present and future business of the Company as the result of Executive’s employment, as well as access to the relationships between the Company and its clients and employees. The Executive further acknowledges that the business of the Company is very competitive and that competition by Executive in that business during Executive’s employment, or after Executive’s employment terminates, would severely injure the Company. The Executive understands and agrees that the restrictions contained in this Section 8 are reasonable and are required for the Company’s legitimate protection, and do not unduly limit Executive’s ability to earn a livelihood.
(e) Rights and Remedies upon Breach. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that any breach by Executive of any of the provisions of Sections 7 and 8 (the “Restrictive Covenants”) would result in irreparable injury and damage for which money damages would not provide an adequate remedy. Therefore, if the Executive breaches, or threatens to commit a breach of, any of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants, the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, shall have the following rights and remedies, each of which rights and remedies shall be independent of the other and severally enforceable, and all of which rights and remedies shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available to the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, under law or in equity (including, without limitation, the recovery of damages):
(i) The right and remedy to have the Restrictive Covenants specifically enforced (without posting bond and without the need to prove damages) by any court of competent jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the right to an entry against the Executive of restraining orders and injunctions (preliminary, mandatory, temporary and permanent) against violations, threatened or actual, and whether or not then continuing, of such covenants; and
(ii) The right and remedy to require the Executive to account for and pay over to the Company and its affiliates all compensation, profits, monies, accruals, increments or other benefits (collectively, “Benefits”) derived or received by Executive as the result of any transactions constituting a breach of the
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Restrictive Covenants, and the Executive shall account for and pay over such Benefits to the Company and, if applicable, its affected affiliates.
(f) Without limiting Section 13(j), if any court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction determines that any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is unenforceable because of the duration or geographical scope of such provision, then, after such determination has become final and unappealable, the duration or scope of such provision, as the case may be, shall be reduced so that such provision becomes enforceable and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced.
9. Executive Representation
The Executive represents and warrants to the Company that Executive is not now under any obligation of a contractual or other nature to any person, business or other entity which is inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or which would prevent Executive from performing Executive’s obligations under this Agreement.
10. Mediation and Arbitration
(a) Except as provided in Section 10(b), any disputes between the Company and the Executive in any way concerning the Executive’s employment, the termination of Executive’s employment, this Agreement or its enforcement shall be subject to mediation. If the Company and the Executive cannot agree upon a mediator, each shall select one name from a list of mediators maintained by any bona fide dispute resolution provider or other private mediator; the two selected shall then choose a third person who will serve as the sole mediator. The first mediation session shall occur within forty five (45) calendar days following the notice of a dispute. If within sixty (60) days of the first mediation session the claim is not resolved, either party may request that the dispute be settled exclusively by arbitration in the state of Maryland by a single arbitrator, selected in the same manner as the mediator, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the time of submission to arbitration. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators’ award in any court having jurisdiction. For purposes of entering any judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators, any or all of the following courts have jurisdiction: (i) the United States District Court for the Fourth Circuit, (ii) any of the courts of the State of Maryland, or (iii) any other court having jurisdiction. Any service of process or notice requirements in any such proceeding shall be satisfied if the rules of such court relating thereto have been substantially satisfied. The Company and the Executive waive to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to such jurisdiction and any defense of inconvenient forum. A judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Each party shall bear its costs and expenses arising in connection with any arbitration proceeding.
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(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company, in its sole discretion, may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to seek injunctive relief and such other relief as the Company shall elect to enforce the Restrictive Covenants. If the courts of any one or more of such jurisdictions hold the Restrictive Covenants wholly unenforceable by reason of breadth of scope or otherwise it is the intention of the Company and the Executive that such determination not bar or in any way affect the Company’s right, or the right of any of its affiliates, to the relief provided in Section 8(e) above in the courts of any other jurisdiction within the geographical scope of such Restrictive Covenants, as to breaches of such Restrictive Covenants in such other respective jurisdictions, such Restrictive Covenants as they relate to each jurisdiction being, for this purpose, severable, diverse and independent covenants, subject, where appropriate, to the doctrine of res judicata. The parties hereby agree to waive any right to a trial by jury for any and all disputes hereunder (whether or not relating to the Restrictive Covenants).
11. Section 409A.
To the extent the Executive would be subject to the additional twenty (20) percent tax imposed on certain deferred compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”), as a result of any provision of this Agreement, such provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to avoid application of such tax and preserve to the maximum extent possible the original intent and economic benefit to the Executive and the Company, and the parties shall promptly execute any amendment reasonably necessary to implement this Section 11.
(a) For purposes of Section 409A, the Executive’s right to receive installment payments pursuant to this Agreement including, without limitation, each severance payment and health insurance payment shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.
(b) The Executive will be deemed to have a date of termination for purposes of determining the timing of any payments or benefits hereunder that are classified as deferred compensation only upon a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service, (i) the Executive is a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A and using the identification methodology selected by the Company from time to time), and (ii) the Company makes a good faith determination that an amount payable on account of such separation from service to the Executive constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six (6) month delay rule set forth in Section 409A in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A (the “Delay Period”), then the Company will not pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but will instead pay it in a lump sum on the first business day after such six (6) month period (or upon
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the Executive’s death, if earlier), together with interest for the period of delay, compounded annually, equal to the prime rate (as published in the Wall Street Journal) in effect as of the dates the payments should otherwise have been provided. To the extent that any benefits to be provided during the Delay Period are considered deferred compensation under Section 409A provided on account of a “separation from service,” and such benefits are not otherwise exempt from Section 409A, the Executive shall pay the cost of such benefit during the Delay Period, and the Company shall reimburse the Executive, to the extent that such costs would otherwise have been paid by the Company or to the extent that such benefits would otherwise have been provided by the Company at no cost to the Executive, the Company’s share of the cost of such benefits upon expiration of the Delay Period, and any remaining benefits shall be reimbursed or provided by the Company in accordance with the procedures specified herein.
(d) (A) Any amount that the Executive is entitled to be reimbursed under this Agreement will be reimbursed to the Executive as promptly as practical and in any event not later than the last day of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expenses are incurred, (B) any right to reimbursement or in kind benefits will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (C) the amount of the expenses eligible for reimbursement during any taxable year will not affect the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year.
(e) Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days (e.g., “payment shall be made within thirty (30) days following the date of termination”), the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.
12. Clawback Policies
The Executive is subject to any recoupment or clawback policies that the Company may implement or maintain at any time regarding incentive-based compensation, which is granted or awarded to Executive on or after the date of this Agreement. Such policies may include the right to recover incentive-based compensation (including equity or equity-based awards granted as compensation) awarded or received during the three-year period preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under federal securities laws. The Executive agrees to amend any awards and agreements entered into on or after the date of this Agreement as the Company may request to reasonably implement its policies.
13. Miscellaneous
(a) Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective (i) upon personal delivery, (ii) upon deposit with the United States Postal Service, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or (iii) in the case of facsimile transmission or delivery by nationally recognized overnight delivery service, when received, addressed as follows:
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(b) If to the Company, to:
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 1200E
Bethesda, MD 20814
Attention: General Counsel
(i) If to the Executive, to:
Stephen P. Theobald
Address on file with the Company
or to such other address or addresses as either party shall designate to the other in writing from time to time by like notice.
(c) Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
(d) Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.
(e) Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Executive, which amendment or modification is consented to by the Company.
(f) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflicts of laws principles.
(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any entity with which or into which the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business or any entity to which the Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, that the obligations of the Executive are personal and shall not be assigned or delegated by the Executive.
(h) Waiver. No delays or omission by the Company or the Executive in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent by the Company shall not be effective unless consented to by the Company. A waiver or consent given by the Company or the Executive on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
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(i) Captions. The captions appearing in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
(j) Severability. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be held by a court or arbitrator with jurisdiction over the parties to this Agreement to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, such provision shall be restated to reflect as nearly as possible the original intentions of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
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WALKER & DUNLOP, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ William M. Walker |
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Name: |
William M. Walker |
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Title: |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
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STEPHEN P. THEOBALD |
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/s/ Stephen P. Theobald |
Exhibit A
WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT
THIS WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT (this “Release”) is entered into as of [________] (the “Effective Date”), by Stephen P. Theobald (“Executive”) in consideration of severance pay (the “Severance Payment”) provided to Executive by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”).
1. Waiver and Release. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of Executive’s heirs, executors, administrators, attorneys and assigns, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably releases, waives and forever discharges the Company and each of its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and the subsidiaries, directors, owners, members, shareholders, officers, agents, and employees of the Company and its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and subsidiaries (collectively, all of the foregoing are referred to as the “Employer”), from any and all causes of action, claims and damages, including attorneys’ fees, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of Executive’s signing of this Release, concerning Executive’s employment or separation from employment. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, this Release includes, but is not limited to, any payments, benefits or damages arising under any federal law (including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Executive Order 11246, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, each as amended, and all other employment discrimination laws whatsoever as may be created or amended from time to time); any claim arising under any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations (including, but not limited to, any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations requiring that advance notice be given of certain workforce reductions); and any claim arising under any common law principle or public policy, including, but not limited to, all suits in tort or contract, such as wrongful termination, defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy or loss of consortium. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Release to the contrary, this Release does not encompass, and Executive does not release, waive or discharge, the obligations of the Company (a) to make the payments and provide the other benefits contemplated by Section 6(a) and Section 6(c) of the Employment Agreement, or (b) with respect to Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company, or (c) under any indemnification or similar agreement with Executive or indemnification under the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other governing instruments of the Company.
Executive understands that by signing this Release, Executive is not waiving any claims or administrative charges which cannot be waived by law. Executive is waiving, however, any right to monetary recovery or individual relief should any federal, state or local agency (including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) pursue any claim on
Executive’s behalf arising out of or related to Executive’s employment with and/or separation from employment with the Company.
Executive further agrees without any reservation whatsoever, never to sue the Employer or become a party to a lawsuit on the basis of any and all claims of any type lawfully and validly released in this Release.
2. Acknowledgments. Executive is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily. Executive acknowledges that:
(a) Executive is hereby advised in writing to consult an attorney before signing this Release;
(b) Executive has relied solely on Executive’s own judgment and/or that of Executive’s attorney regarding the consideration for and the terms of this Release and is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily of Executive’s own free will;
(c) Executive is not entitled to the Severance Payment unless Executive agrees to and honors the terms of this Release;
(d) Executive has been given at least twenty-one (21) calendar days to consider this Release, or Executive expressly waives the right to have at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this Release;
(e) Executive may revoke this Release within seven (7) calendar days after signing it by submitting a written notice of revocation to the Employer. Executive further understands that this Release is not effective or enforceable until after the seven (7) day period of revocation has expired without revocation, and that if Executive revokes this Release within the seven (7) day revocation period, Executive will not receive the Severance Payment;
(f) Executive has read and understands the Release and further understands that, subject to the limitations contained herein, it includes a general release of any and all known and unknown, foreseen or unforeseen claims presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of signing of this Release that Executive may have against the Employer; and
(g) No statements made or conduct by the Employer has in any way coerced or unduly influenced Executive to execute this Release.
3. No Admission of Liability. This Release does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the Employer, the Employer does not admit there has been any wrongdoing whatsoever against the Executive, and the Employer expressly denies that any wrongdoing has occurred.
4. Entire Agreement. There are no other agreements of any nature between the Employer and Executive with respect to the matters discussed in this Release, except as expressly stated herein, and in signing this Release, Executive is not relying on any agreements or representations, except those expressly contained in this Release.
5. Execution. It is not necessary that the Employer sign this Release following Executive’s full and complete execution of it for it to become fully effective and enforceable.
6. Severability. If any provision of this Release is found, held or deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void, unlawful or unenforceable under any applicable statute or controlling law, the remainder of this Release shall continue in full force and effect.
7. Governing Law. This Release shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding the choice of law rules thereof.
8. Headings. Section and subsection headings contained in this Release are inserted for the convenience of reference only. Section and subsection headings shall not be deemed to be a part of this Release for any purpose, and they shall not in any way define or affect the meaning, construction or scope of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first herein above written.
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EXECUTIVE: |
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Stephen P. Theobald |
Exhibit 10.4
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 14th day of May, 2020, by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) with its principal place of business at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200E, Bethesda, MD 20814, and Richard M. Lucas, residing at the address on file with the Company (the “Executive”).
WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement to reflect the Executive’s executive capacities in the Company’s business and to provide for the Company’s continued employment of the Executive; and
WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth the terms and conditions of that employment.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
1. Term of Employment
The Company hereby continues to employ the Executive, and the Executive hereby accepts continued employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Unless terminated earlier pursuant to Section 5, the Executive’s employment pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the three (3) year period commencing on May 14, 2020 (the “Commencement Date”) and ending on the third anniversary of the Commencement Date (the “Initial Term”). The Initial Term shall be extended for an additional twelve (12) months on the third and each subsequent anniversary of the Commencement Date unless the Company or the Executive provides written notice to the contrary at least sixty (60) days before the applicable anniversary of the Commencement Date. The Initial Term, together with any such extensions, shall be referred to herein as the “Employment Period.”
2. Title; Duties
The Executive shall be employed as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company. The Executive shall report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, who shall have the authority to direct, control and supervise the activities of the Executive. The Executive shall perform such services consistent with the Executive’s position as may be assigned to Executive from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and are consistent with the bylaws of the Company as it may be amended from time to time, including, but not limited to, managing the affairs of the Company.
3. Extent of Services
(a) General. The Executive agrees not to engage in any business activities during the Employment Period except those which are for the sole benefit of the Company and its subsidiaries, and to devote Executive’s entire business time, attention, skill and effort to the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may, without impairing or otherwise adversely affecting the Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties to the Company, (i) engage in personal investments and charitable, professional and civic activities, and (ii) with the prior approval of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, serve on the boards of directors of corporations other than the Company, provided, however, that no such approval shall be necessary for the Executive’s continued service on any board of directors on which the Executive was serving on the date of this Agreement, all of which have been previously disclosed to the Company’s Board of Directors in writing and provided further, that in no event shall the Executive be permitted to serve on the board of directors of any other entity that competes with the Company. The Executive shall perform Executive’s duties to the best of Executive’s ability, shall adhere to the Company’s published policies and procedures, and shall use Executive’s best efforts to promote the Company’s interests, reputation, business and welfare.
(b) Corporate Opportunities. The Executive agrees that Executive will not take personal advantage of any business opportunities which arise during Executive’s employment with the Company and which may be of benefit to the Company. All material facts regarding such opportunities must be promptly reported by the Executive to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company for consideration by the Company.
4. Compensation and Benefits
(a) Salary. The Company shall pay the Executive a gross base annual salary (“Base Salary”) of $500,000. The Base Salary shall be payable in arrears and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, minus such deductions as may be required by law or reasonably requested by the Executive. The Company’s Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) shall review Executive’s Base Salary annually in conjunction with its regular review of employee salaries and may increase (but not decrease) the Base Salary as in effect from time to time as the Compensation Committee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Annual Bonus. Executive shall be entitled to earn bonuses with respect to each calendar year of the Employment Period (or partial calendar year), based upon Executive’s and the Company’s achievement of performance objectives set by the Company (“Annual Bonus”), with a target bonus (“Target Bonus”) of 100% of Executive’s Base Salary. Any such Annual Bonus earned by the Executive shall be paid annually by March 15 of the year following the end of the year for which the Annual Bonus was earned.
(c) Equity Grants. The Executive will be eligible for grants of equity or equity-based awards under any equity compensation plans of the Company as in effect from time to time at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
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(d) Other Benefits. The Executive shall be entitled to paid time off and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies in effect from time to time and shall be eligible to participate in such life, health, and disability insurance, pension, deferred compensation (including any matching contribution program) and incentive plans, equity award plans (including any performance-based equity award program), performance bonuses and other benefits as the Company extends, as a matter of policy, to its executive employees, consistent with the terms of such plans and arrangements and as such plans and arrangements may be amended from time to time.
(e) Reimbursement of Business Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all reasonable travel, entertainment and other expenses incurred or paid by the Executive in connection with, or related to, the performance of Executive’s duties, responsibilities or services under this Agreement, upon presentation by the Executive of documentation, expense statements, vouchers, and/or such other supporting information as the Company may reasonably request.
(f) Timing of Reimbursements. Any reimbursement under this Agreement that is taxable to the Executive shall be made in no event later than sixty (60) days following the calendar year in which the Executive incurred the expense.
5. Termination
(a) Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Cause, upon written notice by the Company to the Executive. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” for termination shall mean any of the following: (i) the conviction of the Executive of, or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the Executive to, any felony; (ii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement by the Executive; (iii) the Executive’s willful failure or gross negligence in the performance of Executive’s assigned duties for the Company, which failure or negligence continues for more than fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such willful failure or gross negligence; (iv) the Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duties to the Company; (v) a material violation of a material Company policy which, if such violation is curable, such failure is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such failure, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such failure; or (vi) the material breach by the Executive of any material term of this Agreement, which, if such breach is curable, such breach is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such breach, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such breach.
(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive Without Good Reason. Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time without Cause (in the case of the Company) or without Good Reason (in the case of the Executive),
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upon giving the other party sixty (60) days’ written notice. At the Company’s sole discretion, it may substitute sixty (60) days’ Base Salary (or any lesser portion for any shortened period provided) in lieu of notice. Any Base Salary paid to the Executive in lieu of notice shall not be offset against any entitlement the Executive may have to the Severance Payment pursuant to Section 6(c). For purposes of this Agreement, in the event the Company elects not to extend the Employment Period in accordance with Section 1 hereof, Executive’s employment shall terminate on the last day of the Employment Period and such election shall be deemed a termination by the Company without Cause.
(c) Termination by Executive for Good Reason. The Executive may terminate Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Good Reason, upon written notice by the Executive to the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, Good Reason for termination shall mean, without the Executive’s consent: (i) the assignment to the Executive of substantial duties or responsibilities inconsistent with the Executive’s position at the Company, or any other action by the Company which results in a substantial diminution of the Executive’s duties or responsibilities other than any such reduction which is remedied by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt of written notice thereof from the Executive; (ii) a requirement that the Executive work principally from a location that is twenty (20) miles further from the Executive’s residence than the Company’s address first written above; (iii) a ten (10) percent or greater reduction in the Executive’s Base Salary, Target Bonus, excluding any reductions caused by the failure to achieve performance targets, or annual grant date fair value (as reasonably determined by the Company) of equity or equity-based awards granted under any equity compensation plans of the Company that vest solely based on the passage of time (the “Time-Based Equity Awards”); or (iv) any material breach by the Company of this Agreement. Good Reason shall not exist pursuant to any subsection of this Section 5(c) unless (A) the Executive shall have delivered notice to the Company’s Board of Directors within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of such event constituting Good Reason, and (B) the Company’s Board of Directors fails to remedy the circumstances giving rise to the Executive’s notice within thirty (30) days of receipt of notice. The Executive must terminate employment under this Section 5(c) at a time agreed reasonably with the Company, but in any event within one hundred fifty (150) days from the occurrence of an event constituting Good Reason. For purposes of Good Reason, the Company shall be defined to include any successor to the Company which has assumed the obligations of the Company through merger, acquisition, stock purchase, asset purchase or otherwise.
(d) Executive’s Death or Disability. The Executive’s employment shall terminate immediately upon Executive’s death or, upon written notice as set forth below, Executive’s Disability. As used in this Agreement, “Disability” shall mean such physical or mental impairment as would render the Executive unable to perform each of the essential duties of the Executive’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in
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character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months. If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Disability, either party shall give thirty (30) days’ advance written notice to that effect to the other.
(e) Executive’s Retirement. The Executive’s employment shall terminate upon Executive’s Retirement. As used in this Agreement, “Retirement” shall mean the Executive resigns on or after age sixty five pursuant to this Section 5(e). If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Retirement, the Executive shall give one hundred eighty (180) days’ advance notice to the effect to the Company.
6. Effect of Termination
(a) General. Regardless of the reason for any termination of this Agreement and subject to this Section 6, the Executive (or the Executive’s estate if the Employment Period ends on account of the Executive’s death) shall be entitled to (i) payment of any unpaid portion of the Base Salary through the effective date of termination; (ii) reimbursement for any outstanding reasonable business expense incurred under Section 4(e) in performing Executive’s duties hereunder in accordance with Company policy; (iii) continued insurance benefits to the extent required by law; (iv) payment of any vested but unpaid rights as required independent of this Agreement by the terms of any bonus or other incentive pay or equity plan, or any other employee benefit plan or program of the Company in accordance with the terms of such plan or program; and (v) except in the case of Termination by the Company for Cause, any unpaid Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the calendar year prior to the calendar year in which Executive’s termination occurs, as determined by the Company based on actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive when bonuses for such year are paid to actively employed senior executives of the Company. Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Executive shall resign from all boards and committees of the Company, its affiliates and its subsidiaries.
(b) Termination by the Company for Cause or by Executive Without Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment for Cause or the Executive terminates Executive’s employment without Good Reason, the Executive shall have no rights or claims against the Company except to receive the payments and benefits described in Section 6(a).
(c) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment without Cause pursuant to Section 5(b), or the Executive terminates employment with Good
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Reason pursuant to Section 5(c), the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) continued payment of the Base Salary, at the rate in effect on the last day of employment (but in no event in an annual amount less than as set forth in Section 4(a)), for a period of twelve (12) months. Such amount shall be paid in approximately equal installments on the Company’s regularly scheduled payroll dates, subject to all legally required payroll deductions and withholdings for sums owed by the Executive to the Company;
(ii) continued payment by the Company for the Executive’s life and health insurance coverage for twelve (12) months (the “Continuation Period”) to the same extent that the Company paid for such coverage immediately prior to the termination of the Executive’s employment and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such insurance coverage; provided that if continued payment by the Company of the Executive’s health insurance coverage would result in a violation of the nondiscrimination rules of Section 105(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any statute or regulation of similar effect (including, without limitation, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the 2010 Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act), then in lieu of providing such continued payment, the Company will instead pay the Executive on the first day of each month a fully taxable cash payment equal to the Company’s premiums for that month (the “Monthly Premium”) and a corresponding Tax Indemnity Payment (defined below), subject to applicable tax withholdings, for the remainder of the Continuation Period;
(iii) payments equal to two (2) times the average Annual Bonus earned by the Executive over the two (2) calendar years preceding the year of termination (or if the Executive has not been employed for two (2) calendar years, payments equal to two (2) times the Executive’s Target Bonus for the year of termination). By way of example only, if the Executive’s Annual Bonus over the preceding two (2) years was $300,000 and $0, the average would be $150,000 and the payment under this Section 6(c)(iii) would equal $300,000. Such amount shall be paid to the Executive within ten (10) days after the end of the Restricted Period (as defined below);
(iv) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(v) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions (“Performance-
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Based Equity Awards”) being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
None of the benefits described in this Section 6(c) (the “Severance Payments”) will be payable unless the Executive has signed a general release (in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A) within forty five (45) days of date of termination, which has (and not until it has) become irrevocable, satisfactory to the Company in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, releasing the Company, its affiliates, and their directors, officers and employees, from any and all claims or potential claims arising from or related to the Executive’s employment or termination of employment. The Severance Payments shall commence on the Company’s first regular payroll date occurring on or after the sixtieth (60th) date following the date of termination (the “First Payroll Date”), with amounts otherwise payable under the Company’s normal payroll procedures prior to the First Payroll Date to be paid in lump sum on the First Payroll Date without interest thereon.
For purposes of Section 6(c)(ii), the “Tax Indemnity Payment” shall equal the aggregate amount of additional payments necessary to deliver to the Executive the Monthly Premium amount in full on a net after-tax basis with the amount of each such Tax Indemnity Payment to be based upon the Tax Rate in effect when the corresponding Monthly Premium amount is paid. For the purposes of the foregoing, “Tax Rate” means the Executive’s current tax rate based upon the combined federal and state and local income, earnings, Medicare and any other tax rates applicable to the Executive, all at the highest marginal rates of taxation in the county and state of the Executive’s residence on the date of determination, net of the reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained by deduction of such state and local taxes.
(d) Termination In the Event of Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event of a termination of employment due to death, Disability or Retirement, the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive (or Executive’s estate) no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(ii) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any Performance-Based Equity Awards being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
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7. Confidentiality
(a) Definition of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges that Executive may be furnished or may otherwise receive or have access to confidential information which relates to the Company’s past, present or future business activities, strategies, services or products, research and development; financial analysis and data; improvements, inventions, processes, techniques, designs or other technical data; profit margins and other financial information; fee arrangements; compilations for marketing or development; confidential personnel and payroll information; or other information regarding administrative, management, or financial activities of the Company, or of a third party which provided proprietary information to the Company on a confidential basis. All such information, including in any electronic form, and including any materials or documents containing such information, shall be considered by the Company and the Executive as proprietary and confidential (the “Proprietary Information”).
(b) Exclusions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Proprietary Information shall not include information in the public domain not as a result of a breach of any duty by the Executive or any other person.
(c) Obligations. Both during and after the Employment Period, the Executive agrees to preserve and protect the confidentiality of the Proprietary Information and all physical forms thereof, whether disclosed to Executive before this Agreement is signed or afterward. In addition, the Executive shall not (i) disclose or disseminate the Proprietary Information to any third party, including employees of the Company (or its affiliates) without a legitimate business need to know during the Employment Period; (ii) remove the Proprietary Information from the Company’s premises without a valid business purpose; or (iii) use the Proprietary Information for Executive’s own benefit or for the benefit of any third party.
(d) Return of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that all the Proprietary Information used or generated during the course of working for the Company is the property of the Company. The Executive agrees to deliver to the Company all documents and other tangibles containing the Proprietary Information at any time upon request by the Company’s Board of Directors during Executive’s employment and immediately upon termination of Executive’s employment.
(e) Whistleblower and Trade Secret Protections. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing in this Agreement is intended to or will be used by the Company in any way to prohibit Executive from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any United States governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation (including the right to receive an award for information provided to any
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such government agencies). Furthermore, in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 1833, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement: (A) Executive shall not be in breach of this Agreement and shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law (x) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official or to an attorney solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, or (y) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal; and (B) if Executive files a lawsuit for retaliation by the Company for reporting a suspected violation of law, Executive may disclose the trade secret to Executive’s attorney, and may use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if Executive files any document containing the trade secret under seal, and does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.
8. Noncompetition
(a) Restriction on Competition. For the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for twelve (12) months following the expiration or termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company (the “Restricted Period”), the Executive agrees not to engage, directly or indirectly, as a manager, employee, consultant, partner, principal, agent, representative, or in any other individual or representative capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment, including but not limited to the multifamily finance business, where material is defined as fifteen (15) percent of the gross revenues of the Company based on the most recent quarterly earnings. Executive further agrees that for the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for the Restricted Period, the Executive will not engage, directly or indirectly, as an owner, director, trustee, member, stockholder, or in any other corporate capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive shall not be deemed to have violated this Section 8(a) solely (i) by reason of Executive’s passive ownership of 1% or less of the outstanding stock of any publicly traded corporation or other entity, (ii) by providing legal, accounting or audit services as an employee or partner of a professional services organization or (iii) by providing services to any investment banking or other institution that do not relate to any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment.
(b) Non-Solicitation of Clients. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees not to solicit, directly or indirectly, on Executive’s own behalf or on behalf of any other person(s), any client of the Company to whom the Company had provided services at any time during the Executive’s employment with the Company in any line of business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment or that the Company is actively soliciting, for the purpose of
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marketing or providing any service competitive with any service then offered by the Company.
(c) Non-Solicitation of Employees. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, hire or attempt to hire or cause any business, other than an affiliate of the Company, to hire any person who is then or was at any time during the preceding six (6) months an employee of the Company and who is at the time of such hire or attempted hire, or was at the date of such employee’s separation from the Company a vice president, senior vice president or executive vice president or other senior executive employee of the Company.
(d) Acknowledgement. The Executive acknowledges that Executive will acquire much Proprietary Information concerning the past, present and future business of the Company as the result of Executive’s employment, as well as access to the relationships between the Company and its clients and employees. The Executive further acknowledges that the business of the Company is very competitive and that competition by Executive in that business during Executive’s employment, or after Executive’s employment terminates, would severely injure the Company. The Executive understands and agrees that the restrictions contained in this Section 8 are reasonable and are required for the Company’s legitimate protection, and do not unduly limit Executive’s ability to earn a livelihood.
(e) Rights and Remedies upon Breach. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that any breach by Executive of any of the provisions of Sections 7 and 8 (the “Restrictive Covenants”) would result in irreparable injury and damage for which money damages would not provide an adequate remedy. Therefore, if the Executive breaches, or threatens to commit a breach of, any of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants, the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, shall have the following rights and remedies, each of which rights and remedies shall be independent of the other and severally enforceable, and all of which rights and remedies shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available to the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, under law or in equity (including, without limitation, the recovery of damages):
(i) The right and remedy to have the Restrictive Covenants specifically enforced (without posting bond and without the need to prove damages) by any court of competent jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the right to an entry against the Executive of restraining orders and injunctions (preliminary, mandatory, temporary and permanent) against violations, threatened or actual, and whether or not then continuing, of such covenants; and
(ii) The right and remedy to require the Executive to account for and pay over to the Company and its affiliates all compensation, profits, monies, accruals, increments or other benefits (collectively, “Benefits”) derived or received by Executive as the result of any transactions constituting a breach of the
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Restrictive Covenants, and the Executive shall account for and pay over such Benefits to the Company and, if applicable, its affected affiliates.
(f) Without limiting Section 13(j), if any court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction determines that any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is unenforceable because of the duration or geographical scope of such provision, then, after such determination has become final and unappealable, the duration or scope of such provision, as the case may be, shall be reduced so that such provision becomes enforceable and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced.
9. Executive Representation
The Executive represents and warrants to the Company that Executive is not now under any obligation of a contractual or other nature to any person, business or other entity which is inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or which would prevent Executive from performing Executive’s obligations under this Agreement.
10. Mediation and Arbitration
(a) Except as provided in Section 10(b), any disputes between the Company and the Executive in any way concerning the Executive’s employment, the termination of Executive’s employment, this Agreement or its enforcement shall be subject to mediation. If the Company and the Executive cannot agree upon a mediator, each shall select one name from a list of mediators maintained by any bona fide dispute resolution provider or other private mediator; the two selected shall then choose a third person who will serve as the sole mediator. The first mediation session shall occur within forty five (45) calendar days following the notice of a dispute. If within sixty (60) days of the first mediation session the claim is not resolved, either party may request that the dispute be settled exclusively by arbitration in the state of Maryland by a single arbitrator, selected in the same manner as the mediator, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the time of submission to arbitration. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators’ award in any court having jurisdiction. For purposes of entering any judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators, any or all of the following courts have jurisdiction: (i) the United States District Court for the Fourth Circuit, (ii) any of the courts of the State of Maryland, or (iii) any other court having jurisdiction. Any service of process or notice requirements in any such proceeding shall be satisfied if the rules of such court relating thereto have been substantially satisfied. The Company and the Executive waive to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to such jurisdiction and any defense of inconvenient forum. A judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Each party shall bear its costs and expenses arising in connection with any arbitration proceeding.
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(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company, in its sole discretion, may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to seek injunctive relief and such other relief as the Company shall elect to enforce the Restrictive Covenants. If the courts of any one or more of such jurisdictions hold the Restrictive Covenants wholly unenforceable by reason of breadth of scope or otherwise it is the intention of the Company and the Executive that such determination not bar or in any way affect the Company’s right, or the right of any of its affiliates, to the relief provided in Section 8(e) above in the courts of any other jurisdiction within the geographical scope of such Restrictive Covenants, as to breaches of such Restrictive Covenants in such other respective jurisdictions, such Restrictive Covenants as they relate to each jurisdiction being, for this purpose, severable, diverse and independent covenants, subject, where appropriate, to the doctrine of res judicata. The parties hereby agree to waive any right to a trial by jury for any and all disputes hereunder (whether or not relating to the Restrictive Covenants).
11. Section 409A.
To the extent the Executive would be subject to the additional twenty (20) percent tax imposed on certain deferred compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”), as a result of any provision of this Agreement, such provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to avoid application of such tax and preserve to the maximum extent possible the original intent and economic benefit to the Executive and the Company, and the parties shall promptly execute any amendment reasonably necessary to implement this Section 11.
(a) For purposes of Section 409A, the Executive’s right to receive installment payments pursuant to this Agreement including, without limitation, each severance payment and health insurance payment shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.
(b) The Executive will be deemed to have a date of termination for purposes of determining the timing of any payments or benefits hereunder that are classified as deferred compensation only upon a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service, (i) the Executive is a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A and using the identification methodology selected by the Company from time to time), and (ii) the Company makes a good faith determination that an amount payable on account of such separation from service to the Executive constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six (6) month delay rule set forth in Section 409A in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A (the “Delay Period”), then the Company will not pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but will instead pay it in a lump sum on the first business day after such six (6) month period (or upon
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the Executive’s death, if earlier), together with interest for the period of delay, compounded annually, equal to the prime rate (as published in the Wall Street Journal) in effect as of the dates the payments should otherwise have been provided. To the extent that any benefits to be provided during the Delay Period are considered deferred compensation under Section 409A provided on account of a “separation from service,” and such benefits are not otherwise exempt from Section 409A, the Executive shall pay the cost of such benefit during the Delay Period, and the Company shall reimburse the Executive, to the extent that such costs would otherwise have been paid by the Company or to the extent that such benefits would otherwise have been provided by the Company at no cost to the Executive, the Company’s share of the cost of such benefits upon expiration of the Delay Period, and any remaining benefits shall be reimbursed or provided by the Company in accordance with the procedures specified herein.
(d) (A) Any amount that the Executive is entitled to be reimbursed under this Agreement will be reimbursed to the Executive as promptly as practical and in any event not later than the last day of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expenses are incurred, (B) any right to reimbursement or in kind benefits will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (C) the amount of the expenses eligible for reimbursement during any taxable year will not affect the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year.
(e) Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days (e.g., “payment shall be made within thirty (30) days following the date of termination”), the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.
12. Clawback Policies
The Executive is subject to any recoupment or clawback policies that the Company may implement or maintain at any time regarding incentive-based compensation, which is granted or awarded to Executive on or after the date of this Agreement. Such policies may include the right to recover incentive-based compensation (including equity or equity-based awards granted as compensation) awarded or received during the three-year period preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under federal securities laws. The Executive agrees to amend any awards and agreements entered into on or after the date of this Agreement as the Company may request to reasonably implement its policies.
13. Miscellaneous
(a) Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective (i) upon personal delivery, (ii) upon deposit with the United States Postal Service, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or (iii) in the case of facsimile transmission or delivery by nationally recognized overnight delivery service, when received, addressed as follows:
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(b) If to the Company, to:
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 1200E
Bethesda, MD 20814
Attention: EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer
(i) If to the Executive, to:
Richard M. Lucas
Address on file with the Company
or to such other address or addresses as either party shall designate to the other in writing from time to time by like notice.
(c) Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
(d) Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.
(e) Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Executive, which amendment or modification is consented to by the Company.
(f) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflicts of laws principles.
(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any entity with which or into which the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business or any entity to which the Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, that the obligations of the Executive are personal and shall not be assigned or delegated by the Executive.
(h) Waiver. No delays or omission by the Company or the Executive in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent by the Company shall not be effective unless consented to by the Company. A waiver or consent given by the Company or the Executive on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
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(i) Captions. The captions appearing in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
(j) Severability. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be held by a court or arbitrator with jurisdiction over the parties to this Agreement to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, such provision shall be restated to reflect as nearly as possible the original intentions of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
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WALKER & DUNLOP, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ William M. Walker |
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Name: |
William M. Walker |
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Title: |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
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RICHARD M. LUCAS |
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/s/ Richard M. Lucas |
Exhibit A
WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT
THIS WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT (this “Release”) is entered into as of [________] (the “Effective Date”), by Richard M. Lucas (“Executive”) in consideration of severance pay (the “Severance Payment”) provided to Executive by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”).
1. Waiver and Release. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of Executive’s heirs, executors, administrators, attorneys and assigns, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably releases, waives and forever discharges the Company and each of its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and the subsidiaries, directors, owners, members, shareholders, officers, agents, and employees of the Company and its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and subsidiaries (collectively, all of the foregoing are referred to as the “Employer”), from any and all causes of action, claims and damages, including attorneys’ fees, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of Executive’s signing of this Release, concerning Executive’s employment or separation from employment. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, this Release includes, but is not limited to, any payments, benefits or damages arising under any federal law (including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Executive Order 11246, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, each as amended, and all other employment discrimination laws whatsoever as may be created or amended from time to time); any claim arising under any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations (including, but not limited to, any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations requiring that advance notice be given of certain workforce reductions); and any claim arising under any common law principle or public policy, including, but not limited to, all suits in tort or contract, such as wrongful termination, defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy or loss of consortium. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Release to the contrary, this Release does not encompass, and Executive does not release, waive or discharge, the obligations of the Company (a) to make the payments and provide the other benefits contemplated by Section 6(a) and Section 6(c) of the Employment Agreement, or (b) with respect to Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company, or (c) under any indemnification or similar agreement with Executive or indemnification under the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other governing instruments of the Company.
Executive understands that by signing this Release, Executive is not waiving any claims or administrative charges which cannot be waived by law. Executive is waiving, however, any right to monetary recovery or individual relief should any federal, state or local agency (including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) pursue any claim on
Executive’s behalf arising out of or related to Executive’s employment with and/or separation from employment with the Company.
Executive further agrees without any reservation whatsoever, never to sue the Employer or become a party to a lawsuit on the basis of any and all claims of any type lawfully and validly released in this Release.
2. Acknowledgments. Executive is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily. Executive acknowledges that:
(a) Executive is hereby advised in writing to consult an attorney before signing this Release;
(b) Executive has relied solely on Executive’s own judgment and/or that of Executive’s attorney regarding the consideration for and the terms of this Release and is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily of Executive’s own free will;
(c) Executive is not entitled to the Severance Payment unless Executive agrees to and honors the terms of this Release;
(d) Executive has been given at least twenty-one (21) calendar days to consider this Release, or Executive expressly waives the right to have at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this Release;
(e) Executive may revoke this Release within seven (7) calendar days after signing it by submitting a written notice of revocation to the Employer. Executive further understands that this Release is not effective or enforceable until after the seven (7) day period of revocation has expired without revocation, and that if Executive revokes this Release within the seven (7) day revocation period, Executive will not receive the Severance Payment;
(f) Executive has read and understands the Release and further understands that, subject to the limitations contained herein, it includes a general release of any and all known and unknown, foreseen or unforeseen claims presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of signing of this Release that Executive may have against the Employer; and
(g) No statements made or conduct by the Employer has in any way coerced or unduly influenced Executive to execute this Release.
3. No Admission of Liability. This Release does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the Employer, the Employer does not admit there has been
any wrongdoing whatsoever against the Executive, and the Employer expressly denies that any wrongdoing has occurred.
4. Entire Agreement. There are no other agreements of any nature between the Employer and Executive with respect to the matters discussed in this Release, except as expressly stated herein, and in signing this Release, Executive is not relying on any agreements or representations, except those expressly contained in this Release.
5. Execution. It is not necessary that the Employer sign this Release following Executive’s full and complete execution of it for it to become fully effective and enforceable.
6. Severability. If any provision of this Release is found, held or deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void, unlawful or unenforceable under any applicable statute or controlling law, the remainder of this Release shall continue in full force and effect.
7. Governing Law. This Release shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding the choice of law rules thereof.
8. Headings. Section and subsection headings contained in this Release are inserted for the convenience of reference only. Section and subsection headings shall not be deemed to be a part of this Release for any purpose, and they shall not in any way define or affect the meaning, construction or scope of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first herein above written.
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EXECUTIVE: |
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Richard M. Lucas |
Exhibit 10.5
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of the 14th day of May, 2020, by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) with its principal place of business at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200E, Bethesda, MD 20814, and Paula A. Pryor, residing at the address on file with the Company (the “Executive”).
WHEREAS, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement to reflect the Executive’s executive capacities in the Company’s business and to provide for the Company’s continued employment of the Executive; and
WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth the terms and conditions of that employment.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises contained herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged by the parties hereto, the parties agree as follows:
1. Term of Employment
The Company hereby continues to employ the Executive, and the Executive hereby accepts continued employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. Unless terminated earlier pursuant to Section 5, the Executive’s employment pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the three (3) year period commencing on May 14, 2020 (the “Commencement Date”) and ending on the third anniversary of the Commencement Date (the “Initial Term”). The Initial Term shall be extended for an additional twelve (12) months on the third and each subsequent anniversary of the Commencement Date unless the Company or the Executive provides written notice to the contrary at least sixty (60) days before the applicable anniversary of the Commencement Date. The Initial Term, together with any such extensions, shall be referred to herein as the “Employment Period.”
2. Title; Duties
The Executive shall be employed as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of the Company. The Executive shall report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, who shall have the authority to direct, control and supervise the activities of the Executive. The Executive shall perform such services consistent with the Executive’s position as may be assigned to Executive from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and are consistent with the bylaws of the Company as it may be amended from time to time, including, but not limited to, managing the affairs of the Company.
3. Extent of Services
(a) General. The Executive agrees not to engage in any business activities during the Employment Period except those which are for the sole benefit of the Company and its subsidiaries, and to devote Executive’s entire business time, attention, skill and effort to the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may, without impairing or otherwise adversely affecting the Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties to the Company, (i) engage in personal investments and charitable, professional and civic activities, and (ii) with the prior approval of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, serve on the boards of directors of corporations other than the Company, provided, however, that no such approval shall be necessary for the Executive’s continued service on any board of directors on which the Executive was serving on the date of this Agreement, all of which have been previously disclosed to the Company’s Board of Directors in writing and provided further, that in no event shall the Executive be permitted to serve on the board of directors of any other entity that competes with the Company. The Executive shall perform Executive’s duties to the best of Executive’s ability, shall adhere to the Company’s published policies and procedures, and shall use Executive’s best efforts to promote the Company’s interests, reputation, business and welfare.
(b) Corporate Opportunities. The Executive agrees that Executive will not take personal advantage of any business opportunities which arise during Executive’s employment with the Company and which may be of benefit to the Company. All material facts regarding such opportunities must be promptly reported by the Executive to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company for consideration by the Company.
4. Compensation and Benefits
(a) Salary. The Company shall pay the Executive a gross base annual salary (“Base Salary”) of $400,000. The Base Salary shall be payable in arrears and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, minus such deductions as may be required by law or reasonably requested by the Executive. The Company’s Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) shall review Executive’s Base Salary annually in conjunction with its regular review of employee salaries and may increase (but not decrease) the Base Salary as in effect from time to time as the Compensation Committee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Annual Bonus. Executive shall be entitled to earn bonuses with respect to each calendar year of the Employment Period (or partial calendar year), based upon Executive’s and the Company’s achievement of performance objectives set by the Company (“Annual Bonus”), with a target bonus (“Target Bonus”) of 100% of Executive’s Base Salary. Any such Annual Bonus earned by the Executive shall be paid annually by March 15 of the year following the end of the year for which the Annual Bonus was earned.
(c) Equity Grants. The Executive will be eligible for grants of equity or equity-based awards under any equity compensation plans of the Company as in effect from time to time at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors.
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(d) Other Benefits. The Executive shall be entitled to paid time off and holiday pay in accordance with the Company’s policies in effect from time to time and shall be eligible to participate in such life, health, and disability insurance, pension, deferred compensation (including any matching contribution program) and incentive plans, equity award plans (including any performance-based equity award program), performance bonuses and other benefits as the Company extends, as a matter of policy, to its executive employees, consistent with the terms of such plans and arrangements and as such plans and arrangements may be amended from time to time.
(e) Reimbursement of Business Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all reasonable travel, entertainment and other expenses incurred or paid by the Executive in connection with, or related to, the performance of Executive’s duties, responsibilities or services under this Agreement, upon presentation by the Executive of documentation, expense statements, vouchers, and/or such other supporting information as the Company may reasonably request.
(f) Timing of Reimbursements. Any reimbursement under this Agreement that is taxable to the Executive shall be made in no event later than sixty (60) days following the calendar year in which the Executive incurred the expense.
5. Termination
(a) Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Cause, upon written notice by the Company to the Executive. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” for termination shall mean any of the following: (i) the conviction of the Executive of, or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the Executive to, any felony; (ii) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement by the Executive; (iii) the Executive’s willful failure or gross negligence in the performance of Executive’s assigned duties for the Company, which failure or negligence continues for more than fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such willful failure or gross negligence; (iv) the Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duties to the Company; (v) a material violation of a material Company policy which, if such violation is curable, such failure is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such failure, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such failure; or (vi) the material breach by the Executive of any material term of this Agreement, which, if such breach is curable, such breach is not cured within fifteen (15) calendar days following the Executive’s receipt of written notice of such breach, with such detail as sufficient to apprise Executive of the nature and extent of such breach.
(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive Without Good Reason. Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time without Cause (in the case of the Company) or without Good Reason (in the case of the Executive),
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upon giving the other party sixty (60) days’ written notice. At the Company’s sole discretion, it may substitute sixty (60) days’ Base Salary (or any lesser portion for any shortened period provided) in lieu of notice. Any Base Salary paid to the Executive in lieu of notice shall not be offset against any entitlement the Executive may have to the Severance Payment pursuant to Section 6(c). For purposes of this Agreement, in the event the Company elects not to extend the Employment Period in accordance with Section 1 hereof, Executive’s employment shall terminate on the last day of the Employment Period and such election shall be deemed a termination by the Company without Cause.
(c) Termination by Executive for Good Reason. The Executive may terminate Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time for Good Reason, upon written notice by the Executive to the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, Good Reason for termination shall mean, without the Executive’s consent: (i) the assignment to the Executive of substantial duties or responsibilities inconsistent with the Executive’s position at the Company, or any other action by the Company which results in a substantial diminution of the Executive’s duties or responsibilities other than any such reduction which is remedied by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt of written notice thereof from the Executive; (ii) a requirement that the Executive work principally from a location that is twenty (20) miles further from the Executive’s residence than the Company’s address first written above; (iii) a ten (10) percent or greater reduction in the Executive’s Base Salary, Target Bonus, excluding any reductions caused by the failure to achieve performance targets, or annual grant date fair value (as reasonably determined by the Company) of equity or equity-based awards granted under any equity compensation plans of the Company that vest solely based on the passage of time (the “Time-Based Equity Awards”); or (iv) any material breach by the Company of this Agreement. Good Reason shall not exist pursuant to any subsection of this Section 5(c) unless (A) the Executive shall have delivered notice to the Company’s Board of Directors within ninety (90) days of the occurrence of such event constituting Good Reason, and (B) the Company’s Board of Directors fails to remedy the circumstances giving rise to the Executive’s notice within thirty (30) days of receipt of notice. The Executive must terminate employment under this Section 5(c) at a time agreed reasonably with the Company, but in any event within one hundred fifty (150) days from the occurrence of an event constituting Good Reason. For purposes of Good Reason, the Company shall be defined to include any successor to the Company which has assumed the obligations of the Company through merger, acquisition, stock purchase, asset purchase or otherwise.
(d) Executive’s Death or Disability. The Executive’s employment shall terminate immediately upon Executive’s death or, upon written notice as set forth below, Executive’s Disability. As used in this Agreement, “Disability” shall mean such physical or mental impairment as would render the Executive unable to perform each of the essential duties of the Executive’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in
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character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months. If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Disability, either party shall give thirty (30) days’ advance written notice to that effect to the other.
(e) Executive’s Retirement. The Executive’s employment shall terminate upon Executive’s Retirement. As used in this Agreement, “Retirement” shall mean the Executive resigns on or after age sixty five pursuant to this Section 5(e). If the Employment Period is terminated by reason of the Executive’s Retirement, the Executive shall give one hundred eighty (180) days’ advance notice to the effect to the Company.
6. Effect of Termination
(a) General. Regardless of the reason for any termination of this Agreement and subject to this Section 6, the Executive (or the Executive’s estate if the Employment Period ends on account of the Executive’s death) shall be entitled to (i) payment of any unpaid portion of the Base Salary through the effective date of termination; (ii) reimbursement for any outstanding reasonable business expense incurred under Section 4(e) in performing Executive’s duties hereunder in accordance with Company policy; (iii) continued insurance benefits to the extent required by law; (iv) payment of any vested but unpaid rights as required independent of this Agreement by the terms of any bonus or other incentive pay or equity plan, or any other employee benefit plan or program of the Company in accordance with the terms of such plan or program; and (v) except in the case of Termination by the Company for Cause, any unpaid Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the calendar year prior to the calendar year in which Executive’s termination occurs, as determined by the Company based on actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive when bonuses for such year are paid to actively employed senior executives of the Company. Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Executive shall resign from all boards and committees of the Company, its affiliates and its subsidiaries.
(b) Termination by the Company for Cause or by Executive Without Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment for Cause or the Executive terminates Executive’s employment without Good Reason, the Executive shall have no rights or claims against the Company except to receive the payments and benefits described in Section 6(a).
(c) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason. If the Company terminates the Executive’s employment without Cause pursuant to Section 5(b), or the Executive terminates employment with Good
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Reason pursuant to Section 5(c), the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) continued payment of the Base Salary, at the rate in effect on the last day of employment (but in no event in an annual amount less than as set forth in Section 4(a)), for a period of twelve (12) months. Such amount shall be paid in approximately equal installments on the Company’s regularly scheduled payroll dates, subject to all legally required payroll deductions and withholdings for sums owed by the Executive to the Company;
(ii) continued payment by the Company for the Executive’s life and health insurance coverage for twelve (12) months (the “Continuation Period”) to the same extent that the Company paid for such coverage immediately prior to the termination of the Executive’s employment and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such insurance coverage; provided that if continued payment by the Company of the Executive’s health insurance coverage would result in a violation of the nondiscrimination rules of Section 105(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any statute or regulation of similar effect (including, without limitation, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the 2010 Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act), then in lieu of providing such continued payment, the Company will instead pay the Executive on the first day of each month a fully taxable cash payment equal to the Company’s premiums for that month (the “Monthly Premium”) and a corresponding Tax Indemnity Payment (defined below), subject to applicable tax withholdings, for the remainder of the Continuation Period;
(iii) payments equal to two (2) times the average Annual Bonus earned by the Executive over the two (2) calendar years preceding the year of termination (or if the Executive has not been employed for two (2) calendar years, payments equal to two (2) times the Executive’s Target Bonus for the year of termination). By way of example only, if the Executive’s Annual Bonus over the preceding two (2) years was $300,000 and $0, the average would be $150,000 and the payment under this Section 6(c)(iii) would equal $300,000. Such amount shall be paid to the Executive within ten (10) days after the end of the Restricted Period (as defined below);
(iv) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(v) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions (“Performance-
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Based Equity Awards”) being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
None of the benefits described in this Section 6(c) (the “Severance Payments”) will be payable unless the Executive has signed a general release (in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A) within forty five (45) days of date of termination, which has (and not until it has) become irrevocable, satisfactory to the Company in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, releasing the Company, its affiliates, and their directors, officers and employees, from any and all claims or potential claims arising from or related to the Executive’s employment or termination of employment. The Severance Payments shall commence on the Company’s first regular payroll date occurring on or after the sixtieth (60th) date following the date of termination (the “First Payroll Date”), with amounts otherwise payable under the Company’s normal payroll procedures prior to the First Payroll Date to be paid in lump sum on the First Payroll Date without interest thereon.
For purposes of Section 6(c)(ii), the “Tax Indemnity Payment” shall equal the aggregate amount of additional payments necessary to deliver to the Executive the Monthly Premium amount in full on a net after-tax basis with the amount of each such Tax Indemnity Payment to be based upon the Tax Rate in effect when the corresponding Monthly Premium amount is paid. For the purposes of the foregoing, “Tax Rate” means the Executive’s current tax rate based upon the combined federal and state and local income, earnings, Medicare and any other tax rates applicable to the Executive, all at the highest marginal rates of taxation in the county and state of the Executive’s residence on the date of determination, net of the reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained by deduction of such state and local taxes.
(d) Termination In the Event of Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event of a termination of employment due to death, Disability or Retirement, the Executive shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the items referenced in Section 6(a), the following:
(i) a pro rata portion of the Annual Bonus for the year of termination, as reasonably determined by the Company based upon the extent to which performance goals for the year of termination are achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive (or Executive’s estate) no later than March 15 of the year following the year in which such termination occurs; and
(ii) immediate vesting as of the last day of employment in any unvested Time-Based Equity Awards (with any Performance-Based Equity Awards being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).
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7. Confidentiality
(a) Definition of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges that Executive may be furnished or may otherwise receive or have access to confidential information which relates to the Company’s past, present or future business activities, strategies, services or products, research and development; financial analysis and data; improvements, inventions, processes, techniques, designs or other technical data; profit margins and other financial information; fee arrangements; compilations for marketing or development; confidential personnel and payroll information; or other information regarding administrative, management, or financial activities of the Company, or of a third party which provided proprietary information to the Company on a confidential basis. All such information, including in any electronic form, and including any materials or documents containing such information, shall be considered by the Company and the Executive as proprietary and confidential (the “Proprietary Information”).
(b) Exclusions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Proprietary Information shall not include information in the public domain not as a result of a breach of any duty by the Executive or any other person.
(c) Obligations. Both during and after the Employment Period, the Executive agrees to preserve and protect the confidentiality of the Proprietary Information and all physical forms thereof, whether disclosed to Executive before this Agreement is signed or afterward. In addition, the Executive shall not (i) disclose or disseminate the Proprietary Information to any third party, including employees of the Company (or its affiliates) without a legitimate business need to know during the Employment Period; (ii) remove the Proprietary Information from the Company’s premises without a valid business purpose; or (iii) use the Proprietary Information for Executive’s own benefit or for the benefit of any third party.
(d) Return of Proprietary Information. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that all the Proprietary Information used or generated during the course of working for the Company is the property of the Company. The Executive agrees to deliver to the Company all documents and other tangibles containing the Proprietary Information at any time upon request by the Company’s Board of Directors during Executive’s employment and immediately upon termination of Executive’s employment.
(e) Whistleblower and Trade Secret Protections. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing in this Agreement is intended to or will be used by the Company in any way to prohibit Executive from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any United States governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation (including the right to receive an award for information provided to any
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such government agencies). Furthermore, in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 1833, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement: (A) Executive shall not be in breach of this Agreement and shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law (x) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a federal, state, or local government official or to an attorney solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law, or (y) for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal; and (B) if Executive files a lawsuit for retaliation by the Company for reporting a suspected violation of law, Executive may disclose the trade secret to Executive’s attorney, and may use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if Executive files any document containing the trade secret under seal, and does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.
8. Noncompetition
(a) Restriction on Competition. For the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for twelve (12) months following the expiration or termination of the Executive’s employment with the Company (the “Restricted Period”), the Executive agrees not to engage, directly or indirectly, as a manager, employee, consultant, partner, principal, agent, representative, or in any other individual or representative capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment, including but not limited to the multifamily finance business, where material is defined as fifteen (15) percent of the gross revenues of the Company based on the most recent quarterly earnings. Executive further agrees that for the period of the Executive’s employment with the Company and for the Restricted Period, the Executive will not engage, directly or indirectly, as an owner, director, trustee, member, stockholder, or in any other corporate capacity in any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive shall not be deemed to have violated this Section 8(a) solely (i) by reason of Executive’s passive ownership of 1% or less of the outstanding stock of any publicly traded corporation or other entity, (ii) by providing legal, accounting or audit services as an employee or partner of a professional services organization or (iii) by providing services to any investment banking or other institution that do not relate to any material business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment.
(b) Non-Solicitation of Clients. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees not to solicit, directly or indirectly, on Executive’s own behalf or on behalf of any other person(s), any client of the Company to whom the Company had provided services at any time during the Executive’s employment with the Company in any line of business that the Company conducts as of the date of the Executive’s termination of employment or that the Company is actively soliciting, for the purpose of
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marketing or providing any service competitive with any service then offered by the Company.
(c) Non-Solicitation of Employees. During the Restricted Period, the Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, hire or attempt to hire or cause any business, other than an affiliate of the Company, to hire any person who is then or was at any time during the preceding six (6) months an employee of the Company and who is at the time of such hire or attempted hire, or was at the date of such employee’s separation from the Company a vice president, senior vice president or executive vice president or other senior executive employee of the Company.
(d) Acknowledgement. The Executive acknowledges that Executive will acquire much Proprietary Information concerning the past, present and future business of the Company as the result of Executive’s employment, as well as access to the relationships between the Company and its clients and employees. The Executive further acknowledges that the business of the Company is very competitive and that competition by Executive in that business during Executive’s employment, or after Executive’s employment terminates, would severely injure the Company. The Executive understands and agrees that the restrictions contained in this Section 8 are reasonable and are required for the Company’s legitimate protection, and do not unduly limit Executive’s ability to earn a livelihood.
(e) Rights and Remedies upon Breach. The Executive acknowledges and agrees that any breach by Executive of any of the provisions of Sections 7 and 8 (the “Restrictive Covenants”) would result in irreparable injury and damage for which money damages would not provide an adequate remedy. Therefore, if the Executive breaches, or threatens to commit a breach of, any of the provisions of the Restrictive Covenants, the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, shall have the following rights and remedies, each of which rights and remedies shall be independent of the other and severally enforceable, and all of which rights and remedies shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available to the Company and its affiliates, including the Company, under law or in equity (including, without limitation, the recovery of damages):
(i) The right and remedy to have the Restrictive Covenants specifically enforced (without posting bond and without the need to prove damages) by any court of competent jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the right to an entry against the Executive of restraining orders and injunctions (preliminary, mandatory, temporary and permanent) against violations, threatened or actual, and whether or not then continuing, of such covenants; and
(ii) The right and remedy to require the Executive to account for and pay over to the Company and its affiliates all compensation, profits, monies, accruals, increments or other benefits (collectively, “Benefits”) derived or received by Executive as the result of any transactions constituting a breach of the
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Restrictive Covenants, and the Executive shall account for and pay over such Benefits to the Company and, if applicable, its affected affiliates.
(f) Without limiting Section 13(j), if any court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction determines that any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is unenforceable because of the duration or geographical scope of such provision, then, after such determination has become final and unappealable, the duration or scope of such provision, as the case may be, shall be reduced so that such provision becomes enforceable and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then be enforceable and shall be enforced.
9. Executive Representation
The Executive represents and warrants to the Company that Executive is not now under any obligation of a contractual or other nature to any person, business or other entity which is inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or which would prevent Executive from performing Executive’s obligations under this Agreement.
10. Mediation and Arbitration
(a) Except as provided in Section 10(b), any disputes between the Company and the Executive in any way concerning the Executive’s employment, the termination of Executive’s employment, this Agreement or its enforcement shall be subject to mediation. If the Company and the Executive cannot agree upon a mediator, each shall select one name from a list of mediators maintained by any bona fide dispute resolution provider or other private mediator; the two selected shall then choose a third person who will serve as the sole mediator. The first mediation session shall occur within forty five (45) calendar days following the notice of a dispute. If within sixty (60) days of the first mediation session the claim is not resolved, either party may request that the dispute be settled exclusively by arbitration in the state of Maryland by a single arbitrator, selected in the same manner as the mediator, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association in effect at the time of submission to arbitration. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrators’ award in any court having jurisdiction. For purposes of entering any judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators, any or all of the following courts have jurisdiction: (i) the United States District Court for the Fourth Circuit, (ii) any of the courts of the State of Maryland, or (iii) any other court having jurisdiction. Any service of process or notice requirements in any such proceeding shall be satisfied if the rules of such court relating thereto have been substantially satisfied. The Company and the Executive waive to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to such jurisdiction and any defense of inconvenient forum. A judgment upon an award rendered by the arbitrators may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Each party shall bear its costs and expenses arising in connection with any arbitration proceeding.
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(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company, in its sole discretion, may bring an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to seek injunctive relief and such other relief as the Company shall elect to enforce the Restrictive Covenants. If the courts of any one or more of such jurisdictions hold the Restrictive Covenants wholly unenforceable by reason of breadth of scope or otherwise it is the intention of the Company and the Executive that such determination not bar or in any way affect the Company’s right, or the right of any of its affiliates, to the relief provided in Section 8(e) above in the courts of any other jurisdiction within the geographical scope of such Restrictive Covenants, as to breaches of such Restrictive Covenants in such other respective jurisdictions, such Restrictive Covenants as they relate to each jurisdiction being, for this purpose, severable, diverse and independent covenants, subject, where appropriate, to the doctrine of res judicata. The parties hereby agree to waive any right to a trial by jury for any and all disputes hereunder (whether or not relating to the Restrictive Covenants).
11. Section 409A.
To the extent the Executive would be subject to the additional twenty (20) percent tax imposed on certain deferred compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”), as a result of any provision of this Agreement, such provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to avoid application of such tax and preserve to the maximum extent possible the original intent and economic benefit to the Executive and the Company, and the parties shall promptly execute any amendment reasonably necessary to implement this Section 11.
(a) For purposes of Section 409A, the Executive’s right to receive installment payments pursuant to this Agreement including, without limitation, each severance payment and health insurance payment shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.
(b) The Executive will be deemed to have a date of termination for purposes of determining the timing of any payments or benefits hereunder that are classified as deferred compensation only upon a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service, (i) the Executive is a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A and using the identification methodology selected by the Company from time to time), and (ii) the Company makes a good faith determination that an amount payable on account of such separation from service to the Executive constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six (6) month delay rule set forth in Section 409A in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A (the “Delay Period”), then the Company will not pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but will instead pay it in a lump sum on the first business day after such six (6) month period (or upon
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the Executive’s death, if earlier), together with interest for the period of delay, compounded annually, equal to the prime rate (as published in the Wall Street Journal) in effect as of the dates the payments should otherwise have been provided. To the extent that any benefits to be provided during the Delay Period are considered deferred compensation under Section 409A provided on account of a “separation from service,” and such benefits are not otherwise exempt from Section 409A, the Executive shall pay the cost of such benefit during the Delay Period, and the Company shall reimburse the Executive, to the extent that such costs would otherwise have been paid by the Company or to the extent that such benefits would otherwise have been provided by the Company at no cost to the Executive, the Company’s share of the cost of such benefits upon expiration of the Delay Period, and any remaining benefits shall be reimbursed or provided by the Company in accordance with the procedures specified herein.
(d) (A) Any amount that the Executive is entitled to be reimbursed under this Agreement will be reimbursed to the Executive as promptly as practical and in any event not later than the last day of the calendar year after the calendar year in which the expenses are incurred, (B) any right to reimbursement or in kind benefits will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, and (C) the amount of the expenses eligible for reimbursement during any taxable year will not affect the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year.
(e) Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days (e.g., “payment shall be made within thirty (30) days following the date of termination”), the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.
12. Clawback Policies
The Executive is subject to any recoupment or clawback policies that the Company may implement or maintain at any time regarding incentive-based compensation, which is granted or awarded to Executive on or after the date of this Agreement. Such policies may include the right to recover incentive-based compensation (including equity or equity-based awards granted as compensation) awarded or received during the three-year period preceding the date on which the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under federal securities laws. The Executive agrees to amend any awards and agreements entered into on or after the date of this Agreement as the Company may request to reasonably implement its policies.
13. Miscellaneous
(a) Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective (i) upon personal delivery, (ii) upon deposit with the United States Postal Service, by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or (iii) in the case of facsimile transmission or delivery by nationally recognized overnight delivery service, when received, addressed as follows:
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(b) If to the Company, to:
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 1200E
Bethesda, MD 20814
Attention: General Counsel
(i) If to the Executive, to:
Paula A. Pryor
Address on file with the Company
or to such other address or addresses as either party shall designate to the other in writing from time to time by like notice.
(c) Pronouns. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa.
(d) Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.
(e) Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company and the Executive, which amendment or modification is consented to by the Company.
(f) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflicts of laws principles.
(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any entity with which or into which the Company may be merged or which may succeed to its assets or business or any entity to which the Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, that the obligations of the Executive are personal and shall not be assigned or delegated by the Executive.
(h) Waiver. No delays or omission by the Company or the Executive in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent by the Company shall not be effective unless consented to by the Company. A waiver or consent given by the Company or the Executive on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
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(i) Captions. The captions appearing in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and in no way define, limit or affect the scope or substance of any section of this Agreement.
(j) Severability. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be held by a court or arbitrator with jurisdiction over the parties to this Agreement to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable, such provision shall be restated to reflect as nearly as possible the original intentions of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall in no way be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
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WALKER & DUNLOP, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ William M. Walker |
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Name: |
William M. Walker |
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Title: |
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
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PAULA A. PRYOR |
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/s/ Paula A. Pryor |
Exhibit A
WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT
THIS WAIVER AND RELEASE AGREEMENT (this “Release”) is entered into as of [________] (the “Effective Date”), by Paula A. Pryor (“Executive”) in consideration of severance pay (the “Severance Payment”) provided to Executive by Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”).
1. Waiver and Release. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of Executive’s heirs, executors, administrators, attorneys and assigns, hereby unconditionally and irrevocably releases, waives and forever discharges the Company and each of its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and the subsidiaries, directors, owners, members, shareholders, officers, agents, and employees of the Company and its affiliates, parents, successors, predecessors, and subsidiaries (collectively, all of the foregoing are referred to as the “Employer”), from any and all causes of action, claims and damages, including attorneys’ fees, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of Executive’s signing of this Release, concerning Executive’s employment or separation from employment. Subject to the last sentence of the first paragraph of this Section 1, this Release includes, but is not limited to, any payments, benefits or damages arising under any federal law (including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Executive Order 11246, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, each as amended, and all other employment discrimination laws whatsoever as may be created or amended from time to time); any claim arising under any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations (including, but not limited to, any state or local laws, ordinances or regulations requiring that advance notice be given of certain workforce reductions); and any claim arising under any common law principle or public policy, including, but not limited to, all suits in tort or contract, such as wrongful termination, defamation, emotional distress, invasion of privacy or loss of consortium. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Release to the contrary, this Release does not encompass, and Executive does not release, waive or discharge, the obligations of the Company (a) to make the payments and provide the other benefits contemplated by Section 6(a) and Section 6(c) of the Employment Agreement, or (b) with respect to Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company, or (c) under any indemnification or similar agreement with Executive or indemnification under the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other governing instruments of the Company.
Executive understands that by signing this Release, Executive is not waiving any claims or administrative charges which cannot be waived by law. Executive is waiving, however, any right to monetary recovery or individual relief should any federal, state or local agency (including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) pursue any claim on
Executive’s behalf arising out of or related to Executive’s employment with and/or separation from employment with the Company.
Executive further agrees without any reservation whatsoever, never to sue the Employer or become a party to a lawsuit on the basis of any and all claims of any type lawfully and validly released in this Release.
2. Acknowledgments. Executive is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily. Executive acknowledges that:
(a) Executive is hereby advised in writing to consult an attorney before signing this Release;
(b) Executive has relied solely on Executive’s own judgment and/or that of Executive’s attorney regarding the consideration for and the terms of this Release and is signing this Release knowingly and voluntarily of Executive’s own free will;
(c) Executive is not entitled to the Severance Payment unless Executive agrees to and honors the terms of this Release;
(d) Executive has been given at least twenty-one (21) calendar days to consider this Release, or Executive expressly waives the right to have at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this Release;
(e) Executive may revoke this Release within seven (7) calendar days after signing it by submitting a written notice of revocation to the Employer. Executive further understands that this Release is not effective or enforceable until after the seven (7) day period of revocation has expired without revocation, and that if Executive revokes this Release within the seven (7) day revocation period, Executive will not receive the Severance Payment;
(f) Executive has read and understands the Release and further understands that, subject to the limitations contained herein, it includes a general release of any and all known and unknown, foreseen or unforeseen claims presently asserted or otherwise arising through the date of signing of this Release that Executive may have against the Employer; and
(g) No statements made or conduct by the Employer has in any way coerced or unduly influenced Executive to execute this Release.
3. No Admission of Liability. This Release does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the Employer, the Employer does not admit there has been
any wrongdoing whatsoever against the Executive, and the Employer expressly denies that any wrongdoing has occurred.
4. Entire Agreement. There are no other agreements of any nature between the Employer and Executive with respect to the matters discussed in this Release, except as expressly stated herein, and in signing this Release, Executive is not relying on any agreements or representations, except those expressly contained in this Release.
5. Execution. It is not necessary that the Employer sign this Release following Executive’s full and complete execution of it for it to become fully effective and enforceable.
6. Severability. If any provision of this Release is found, held or deemed by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void, unlawful or unenforceable under any applicable statute or controlling law, the remainder of this Release shall continue in full force and effect.
7. Governing Law. This Release shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding the choice of law rules thereof.
8. Headings. Section and subsection headings contained in this Release are inserted for the convenience of reference only. Section and subsection headings shall not be deemed to be a part of this Release for any purpose, and they shall not in any way define or affect the meaning, construction or scope of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this Agreement as of the day and year first herein above written.
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EXECUTIVE: |
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Paula A. Pryor |
Exhibit 10.6
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of May 14, 2020, by and among Walker & Dunlop, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company” or the “Indemnitor”) and Paula A. Pryor (the “Indemnitee”).
WHEREAS, the Indemnitee is an officer of the Company and in such capacity is performing a valuable service for the Company;
WHEREAS, Maryland law permits the Company to enter into contracts with its officers or members of its Board of Directors with respect to indemnification of, and advancement of expenses to, such persons;
WHEREAS, the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company (the “Charter”) provide that the Company shall indemnify and advance expenses to its directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time;
WHEREAS, the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) provide that each director and officer of the Company shall be indemnified by the Company to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time and shall be entitled to advancement of expenses consistent with Maryland law; and
WHEREAS, to induce the Indemnitee to provide services to the Company as an officer of the Company, and to provide the Indemnitee with specific contractual assurance that indemnification will be available to the Indemnitee regardless of, among other things, any amendment to or revocation of the Charter or the Bylaws, or any acquisition transaction relating to the Company, the Indemnitor desires to provide the Indemnitee with protection against personal liability as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Indemnitor and the Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement:
(A) “Change in Control” shall have the definition set forth in the Walker & Dunlop, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.
(B) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director or officer of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, partner (limited or general), member, director, employee or agent of any other foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, other enterprise (whether conducted for profit or not for profit) or employee benefit plan. The Company shall be deemed to have requested the Indemnitee to serve an employee benefit plan where the performance of the
Indemnitee’s duties to the Company also imposes or imposed duties on, or otherwise involves or involved services by, the Indemnitee to the plan or participants or beneficiaries of the plan.
(C) “Expenses” shall include all attorneys’ and paralegals’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, or being or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding.
(D) “Proceeding” includes any action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation (including any formal or informal internal investigation to which the Indemnitee is made a party by reason of the Corporate Status of the Indemnitee), administrative hearing, or any other proceeding, including appeals therefrom, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, except one initiated by the Indemnitee pursuant to paragraph 8 of this Agreement to enforce such Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.
(E) “Special Legal Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporate law and neither presently is, or in the past two years has been, retained to represent (i) the Indemnitor or the Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party, or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder.
2. INDEMNIFICATION
The Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this paragraph 2 and under applicable law, the Charter, the Bylaws, any other agreement, a vote of stockholders or resolution of the Board of Directors or otherwise if, by reason of such Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, such Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending, or completed Proceeding, including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company. Unless prohibited by paragraph 13 hereof and subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified hereunder, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, against judgments, penalties, fines and settlements and reasonable Expenses actually incurred by or on behalf of such Indemnitee in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein; provided, however, that if such Proceeding was initiated by or in the right of the Company, indemnification may not be made in respect of such Proceeding if the Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged to be liable to the Company. For purposes of this paragraph 2, excise taxes assessed on the Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to applicable law shall be deemed fines.
3. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
(A) To the extent that the Indemnitee is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding to which the Indemnitee could have been entitled to indemnification
pursuant to paragraph 2, such Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all reasonable Expenses actually incurred by or on behalf of such Indemnitee in connection with the Proceeding.
(B) If the Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues, or matters in such Proceeding, the Indemnitor shall indemnify the Indemnitee against all reasonable Expenses actually incurred by or on behalf of such Indemnitee in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter.
(C) For purposes of this paragraph (3) and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.
4. ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, but subject to paragraph 13 hereof, if the Indemnitee is or was or becomes a party to or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding (including as a witness), or is or was threatened to be made a party to or a participant (including as a witness) in any such Proceeding, by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, or by reason of (or arising in part out of) any actual or alleged event or occurrence related to the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, or by reason of any actual or alleged act or omission on the part of the Indemnitee taken or omitted in or relating to the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, then the Indemnitor shall advance all reasonable Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any such Proceeding within twenty (20) days after the receipt by the Indemnitor of a statement from the Indemnitee requesting such advance from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding; provided that, such statement shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred or to be incurred by the Indemnitee and shall include or be preceded or accompanied by (i) a written affirmation by the Indemnitee of the Indemnitee’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Indemnitor as authorized by this Agreement has been met and (ii) a written undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay the amounts advanced if it should ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met. The undertaking required by clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be an unlimited general obligation of the Indemnitee but need not be secured and may be accepted without reference to financial ability to make the repayment.
5. WITNESS EXPENSES
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that the Indemnitee is, by reason of such Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a witness for any reason in any Proceeding to which such Indemnitee is not a named defendant or respondent, such Indemnitee shall be indemnified by the Indemnitor against all reasonable Expenses actually incurred by or on behalf of such Indemnitee in connection therewith.
6. DETERMINATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO AND AUTHORIZATION OF INDEMNIFICATION
(A) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall submit to the Indemnitor a written request, including therewith such documentation and information reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification.
(B) Indemnification under this Agreement may not be made unless authorized for a specific Proceeding after a determination has been made in accordance with this paragraph 6(B) that indemnification of the Indemnitee is permissible in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the following standard of conduct: the Indemnitor shall indemnify the Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 hereof, unless it is established that: (a) the act or omission of the Indemnitee was material to the matter giving rise to the Proceeding and (x) was committed in bad faith or (y) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; (b) the Indemnitee actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. Upon receipt by the Indemnitor of the Indemnitee’s written request for indemnification pursuant to subparagraph 6(A), a determination as to whether the applicable standard of conduct has been met shall be made within the period specified in paragraph 6(E) by: (i) if a Change in Control shall have occurred, Special Legal Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee, with Special Legal Counsel selected by the Indemnitee (the Indemnitee shall give prompt written notice to the Indemnitor advising the Indemnitor of the identity of the Special Legal Counsel so selected); or (ii) if a Change in Control shall not have occurred, (A) the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors not, at the time, parties to the Proceeding, or, if such quorum cannot be obtained, then by a majority vote of a committee of the Board of Directors consisting solely of two or more directors not, at the time, parties to such Proceeding and who were duly designated to act in the matter by a majority vote of the full Board of Directors in which the designated directors who are parties may participate, (B) if the requisite quorum of the full Board of Directors cannot be obtained therefor and the committee cannot be established (or, even if such quorum is obtainable or such committee can be established, if such quorum or committee so directs), Special Legal Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee, with Special Legal Counsel selected by the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors by vote as set forth in clause (ii)(A) of this paragraph 6(B) (or, if the requisite quorum of the full Board of Directors cannot be obtained therefor and the committee cannot be established, by a majority of the full Board of Directors in which directors who are parties to the Proceeding may participate) (if the Indemnitor selects Special Legal Counsel to make the determination under this clause (ii), the Indemnitor shall give prompt written notice to the Indemnitee advising him or her of the identity of the Special Legal Counsel so selected) or (C) if so directed by a majority of the
members of the Board of Directors, the stockholders of the Company. If it is so determined that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to the Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Authorization of indemnification and determination as to reasonableness of Expenses shall be made in the same manner as the determination that indemnification is permissible. However, if the determination that indemnification is permissible is made by Special Legal Counsel under clause (ii)(B) above, authorization of indemnification and determination as to reasonableness of Expenses shall be made in the manner specified under clause (ii)(B) above for the selection of such Special Legal Counsel.
(C) The Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person or entity making such determination with respect to the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to the Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any reasonable costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by the Indemnitee in so cooperating shall be borne by the Indemnitor (irrespective of the determination as to the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Indemnitor hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold the Indemnitee harmless therefrom.
(D) In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Special Legal Counsel pursuant to paragraph 6(B) hereof, the Indemnitee, or the Indemnitor, as the case may be, may, within seven days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Indemnitor or to the Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection. Such objection may be asserted only on the grounds that the Special Legal Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Special Legal Counsel” as defined in paragraph 1 of this Agreement. If such written objection is made, the Special Legal Counsel so selected may not serve as Special Legal Counsel until a court has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by the Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to paragraph 6(A) hereof, no Special Legal Counsel shall have been selected or, if selected, shall have been objected to, either the Indemnitor or the Indemnitee may petition a court for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Indemnitor or the Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Special Legal Counsel and/or for the appointment as Special Legal Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom an objection is so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Special Legal Counsel under paragraph 6(B) hereof. The Indemnitor shall pay all reasonable fees and expenses of Special Legal Counsel incurred in connection with acting pursuant to paragraph 6(B) hereof, and all reasonable fees and expenses incident to the selection of such Special Legal Counsel pursuant to this paragraph 6(D). In the event that a determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Special Legal Counsel and such determination shall not have been made and
delivered in a written opinion within ninety (90) days after the receipt by the Indemnitor of the Indemnitee’s request in accordance with paragraph 6(A), upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding in accordance with paragraph 8(A) of this Agreement, Special Legal Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity.
(E) The person or entity making the determination whether the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification will make the determination of Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification within forty-five (45) days after the later of the receipt by the Indemnitor of the request therefor or the final resolution of the Proceeding. Such 45-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) days, if the person or entity making said determination in good faith requires additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto. The foregoing provisions of this paragraph 6(E) shall not apply: (i) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the stockholders and if within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Indemnitor of the request for such determination the Board of Directors resolves to submit such determination to the stockholders for consideration at an annual or special meeting thereof to be held within seventy-five (75) days after such receipt and such determination is made at such meeting, or (ii) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Special Legal Counsel pursuant to paragraph 6(B) of this Agreement.
7. PRESUMPTIONS
(A) In making a determination with respect to entitlement or authorization of indemnification hereunder, the person or entity making such determination shall presume that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement and the Indemnitor shall have the burden of proof to overcome such presumption.
(B) The termination of any Proceeding by conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, or an entry of an order of probation prior to judgment, creates a rebuttable presumption that the Indemnitee did not meet the requisite standard of conduct described herein for indemnification.
8. REMEDIES
(A) In the event that: (i) a determination is made in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6 that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, or (ii) advancement of reasonable Expenses is not timely made pursuant to this Agreement, or (iii) payment of indemnification due the Indemnitee under this Agreement is not timely made, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication in an appropriate court of competent jurisdiction of such Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification or advancement of Expenses.
(B) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to paragraph 6 of this Agreement that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this paragraph 8 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial on the merits. The fact that a determination had been made earlier pursuant to paragraph 6 of this Agreement that the Indemnitee was not entitled to indemnification shall not be taken into account in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this paragraph 8 and the Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced in any way by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this paragraph 8, the Indemnitor shall have the burden of proving that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be.
(C) If a determination shall have been made or deemed to have been made pursuant to this Agreement that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Indemnitor shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this paragraph 8, absent: (i) a misstatement by the Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make the Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.
(D) The Indemnitor shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this paragraph 8 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court that the Indemnitor is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.
(E) In the event that the Indemnitee, pursuant to this paragraph 8, seeks a judicial adjudication of such Indemnitee’s rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement, if successful on the merits or otherwise as to all or less than all claims, issues or matters in such judicial adjudication, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to recover from the Indemnitor, and shall be indemnified by the Indemnitor against, any and all reasonable Expenses actually incurred by such Indemnitee in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter.
9. NOTIFICATION AND DEFENSE OF CLAIMS
The Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Indemnitor in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information, or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder, but the failure so to notify the Indemnitor will not relieve the Indemnitor from any liability that the Indemnitor may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement unless the Indemnitor is materially prejudiced thereby. With respect to any such Proceeding as to which Indemnitee notifies the Indemnitor of the commencement thereof:
(A) The Indemnitor will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense.
(B) Except as otherwise provided below, the Indemnitor will be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to Indemnitee. After notice from the Indemnitor to Indemnitee of the Indemnitor’s election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnitor will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation or as otherwise provided below. Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s own counsel in such Proceeding, but the fees and disbursements of such counsel incurred after notice from the Indemnitor of the Indemnitor’s assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of Indemnitee unless (a) the employment of counsel by the Indemnitee has been authorized by the Indemnitor, (b) the Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Indemnitor and the Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such action, (c) such Proceeding seeks penalties or other relief against the Indemnitee with respect to which the Indemnitor could not provide monetary indemnification to the Indemnitee (such as injunctive relief or incarceration) or (d) the Indemnitor shall not in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action, in each of which cases the fees and disbursements of counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnitor. The Indemnitor shall not be entitled to assume the defense of any Proceeding brought by or on behalf of the Indemnitor, or as to which the Indemnitee shall have reached the conclusion specified in clause (b) above, or which involves penalties or other relief against the Indemnitee of the type referred to in clause (c) above.
(C) The Indemnitor shall not be liable to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any action or claim effected without the Indemnitor’s written consent. The Indemnitor shall not settle any action or claim in any manner that would impose any penalty or limitation on the Indemnitee without the Indemnitee’s written consent. Neither the Indemnitor nor Indemnitee will unreasonably withhold or delay consent to any proposed settlement.
10. NON-EXCLUSIVITY; SURVIVAL OF RIGHTS; INSURANCE SUBROGATION
(A) The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement of reasonable Expenses as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Charter, the Bylaws, any other agreement, a vote of stockholders, a resolution of the Board of Directors or otherwise, except that any payments otherwise required to be made by the Indemnitor hereunder shall be offset by any and all amounts received by the Indemnitee from any other indemnitor or under one or more liability insurance policies maintained by an indemnitor or otherwise and shall not be duplicative of any other payments received by an Indemnitee from the Indemnitor in respect of the matter giving rise to the indemnity hereunder; provided, however, that if indemnification rights are provided by an Additional Indemnitor as defined in Section 18(B) hereof, such Section shall govern. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or any provision hereof shall be effective as to the
Indemnitee with respect to any action taken or omitted by the Indemnitee prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal.
(B) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors and officers of the Company, the Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available and upon any “Change in Control” the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain or arrange for continuation and/or “tail” coverage for the Indemnitee to the maximum extent obtainable at such time.
(C) Except as otherwise provided in Section 18(B) hereof, in the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Indemnitor shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all actions necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Indemnitor to bring suit to enforce such rights.
(D) Except as otherwise provided in Section 18(B) hereof, the Indemnitor shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder if and to the extent that the Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement, or otherwise.
11. CONTINUATION OF INDEMNITY
(A) All agreements and obligations of the Indemnitor contained herein shall continue during the period the Indemnitee is an officer or a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and shall continue thereafter so long as the Indemnitee shall be subject to any threatened, pending or completed Proceeding by reason of such Indemnitee’s Corporate Status and during the period of statute of limitations for any act or omission occurring during the Indemnitee’s term of Corporate Status. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Indemnitor and its respective successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnitee and such Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators.
(B) The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.
12. SEVERABILITY
If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, (i) the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provisions held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.
13. EXCEPTIONS TO RIGHT OF INDEMNIFICATION OR ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification or advancement of reasonable Expenses under this Agreement with respect to (i) any Proceeding initiated by such Indemnitee against the Indemnitor other than a proceeding commenced pursuant to paragraph 8 hereof, or (ii) any Proceeding for an accounting of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities of the Company in violation of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or any similar provisions of any federal, state or local statute.
14. NOTICE TO THE COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS
Any indemnification of, or advancement of reasonable Expenses, to an Indemnitee in accordance with this Agreement, if arising out of a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company, shall be reported in writing to the stockholders of the Company with the notice of the next Company stockholders’ meeting or prior to the meeting.
15. HEADINGS
The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.
16. MODIFICATION AND WAIVER
No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by each of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.
17. NOTICES
All notices, requests, demands, and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (i) delivered by hand and received by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (ii) mailed by certified or
registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, if so delivered or mailed, as the case may be, to the following addresses:
If to the Indemnitee, to the address set forth in the records of the Company.
If to the Indemnitor, to:
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.
7501 Wisconsin Avenue
Suite 1200E
Bethesda, MD 20814
Attention: Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
Fax No.: (301) 500-1223
or to such other address as may have been furnished to the Indemnitee by the Indemnitor or to the Indemnitor by the Indemnitee, as the case may be.
18. CONTRIBUTION
(A) To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, penalties, fines and settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by or on behalf of an Indemnitee, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).
(B) The Company acknowledges and agrees that as between the Company and any other entity that has provided indemnification rights in respect of Indemnitee’s service as a director of the Company at the request of such entity (an “Additional Indemnitor”), the Company shall be primarily liable to Indemnitee as set forth in this Agreement for any indemnification claim (including, without limitation, any claim for advancement of Expenses) by Indemnitee in respect of any Proceeding for which Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder. In the event the Additional Indemnitor is liable to any extent to Indemnitee by virtue of indemnification rights provided by the Additional Indemnitor to Indemnitee in respect of Indemnitee’s service on the Board at the request of the Additional Investor and Indemnitee is also entitled to indemnification under this Agreement (including, without limitation, for advancement of Expenses) as a result of any Proceeding, the Company shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount of any indemnification claim (including, without limitation, any claim for advancement of Expenses) brought by the Indemnitee against the Company under this Agreement
(including, without limitation, any claim for advancement of Expenses) without requiring the Additional Indemnitor to contribute to such payment and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution, subrogation or any other right of recovery of any kind it may have against the Additional Indemnitor in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Additional Indemnitor on behalf of Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Additional Indemnitor shall be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Company.
19. GOVERNING LAW
The parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Maryland, without application of the conflict of laws principles thereof.
20. NO ASSIGNMENTS
The Indemnitee may not assign its rights or delegate obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Indemnitor. Any assignment or delegation in violation of this paragraph 20 shall be null and void.
21. NO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS
Except for the rights of an Additional Indemnitor under paragraph 18(B) hereof: (a), nothing expressed or referred to in this Agreement will be construed to give any person other than the parties to this Agreement any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or with respect to this Agreement or any provision of this Agreement; and (b) this Agreement and all of its provisions are for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties to this Agreement and their successors and permitted assigns.
22. COUNTERPARTS
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together constitute an agreement binding on all of the parties hereto.
[Signature page follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
WALKER & DUNLOP, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Richard M. Lucas |
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Name: |
Richard M. Lucas |
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Title: |
EVP, General Counsel & Secretary |
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INDEMNITEE: |
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By: |
/s/ Paula A. Pryor |
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Name: |
Paula A. Pryor |
EXHIBIT 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, William M. Walker, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Walker & Dunlop, Inc.; |
2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
4. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and |
5. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. |
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Date: August 5, 2020 |
By: |
/s/ William M. Walker |
William M. Walker |
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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
EXHIBIT 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Stephen P. Theobald, certify that:
1. | I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Walker & Dunlop, Inc.; |
2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
4. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
b) | Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
c) | Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and |
d) | Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and |
5. | The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
a) | All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and |
b) | Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. |
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Date: August 5, 2020 |
By: |
/s/ Stephen P. Theobald |
Stephen P. Theobald |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
EXHIBIT 32
CERTIFICATION OF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED
PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), each of the undersigned officers of Walker & Dunlop, Inc., hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
1. | The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
2. | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. |
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Date: August 5, 2020 |
By: |
/s/ William M. Walker |
William M. Walker |
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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
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Date: August 5, 2020 |
By: |
/s/ Stephen P. Theobald |
Stephen P. Theobald |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |