10-Q

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
ý
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016
OR
¨
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 1-08940
Altria Group, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
 
Virginia
 
13-3260245
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
 
6601 West Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia
 
23230
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (804) 274-2200 
 Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report
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   þ     No   ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files).     Yes   þ    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
 
Large accelerated filer
 
þ
 
Accelerated filer
 
¨
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-accelerated filer
 
¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
  
Smaller reporting company
  
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).     Yes  ¨    No   þ
At April 19, 2016, there were 1,956,424,846 shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.33 1/3 per share.

Table of Contents    



ALTRIA GROUP, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
Page No.
PART I -
  
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
  
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
  
Financial Statements (Unaudited)
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
Item 2.
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
Item 3.
  
  
 
 
 
 
Item 4.
  
  
 
 
 
 
PART II -
  
OTHER INFORMATION
  
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
  
  
 
 
 
 
Item 1A.
  
  
 
 
 
 
Item 2.
  
  
 
 
 
 
Item 6.
  
  
 
 
 
 
Signature
  
  


2
Table of Contents    

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements.
Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in millions of dollars)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
March 31, 2016
 
December 31, 2015
Assets
 
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
 
$
3,815

 
$
2,369

Receivables
 
104

 
124

Inventories:
 

 

Leaf tobacco
 
994

 
957

Other raw materials
 
178

 
181

Work in process
 
436

 
444

Finished product
 
500

 
449

 
 
2,108

 
2,031

Deferred income taxes
 
1,175

 
1,175

Other current assets
 
296

 
387

Total current assets
 
7,498

 
6,086

Property, plant and equipment, at cost
 
4,849

 
4,877

Less accumulated depreciation
 
2,894

 
2,895

 
 
1,955

 
1,982

Goodwill
 
5,285

 
5,285

Other intangible assets, net
 
12,023

 
12,028

Investment in SABMiller
 
5,743

 
5,483

Finance assets, net
 
1,165

 
1,239

Other assets
 
394

 
360

Total Assets
 
$
34,063

 
$
32,463

 
See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.



3
Table of Contents    



Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Continued)
(in millions of dollars, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
March 31, 2016
 
December 31, 2015
Liabilities
 
 
 
 
Current portion of long-term debt
 
$
4

 
$
4

Accounts payable
 
208

 
400

Accrued liabilities:
 

 

Marketing
 
687

 
695

Employment costs
 
137

 
198

Settlement charges
 
4,760

 
3,590

Other
 
1,121

 
1,081

Income taxes
 
590

 
—

Dividends payable
 
1,109

 
1,110

Total current liabilities
 
8,616

 
7,078

Long-term debt
 
12,846

 
12,843

Deferred income taxes
 
5,606

 
5,663

Accrued pension costs
 
1,479

 
1,277

Accrued postretirement health care costs
 
2,314

 
2,245

Other liabilities
 
417

 
447

Total liabilities
 
31,278

 
29,553

Contingencies (Note 10)
 

 

Redeemable noncontrolling interest
 
37

 
37

Stockholders’ Equity
 
 
 
 
Common stock, par value $0.33 1/3 per share
(2,805,961,317 shares issued)
 
935

 
935

Additional paid-in capital
 
5,818

 
5,813

Earnings reinvested in the business
 
27,367

 
27,257

Accumulated other comprehensive losses
 
(3,327
)
 
(3,280
)
Cost of repurchased stock
(849,251,121 shares at March 31, 2016 and
845,901,836 shares at December 31, 2015)
 
(28,048
)
 
(27,845
)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.
 
2,745

 
2,880

Noncontrolling interests
 
3

 
(7
)
Total stockholders’ equity
 
2,748

 
2,873

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
 
$
34,063

 
$
32,463

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.


4
Table of Contents    


Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings
(in millions of dollars, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
Net revenues
 
$
6,066

 
$
5,804

Cost of sales
 
1,874

 
1,797

Excise taxes on products
 
1,536

 
1,532

Gross profit
 
2,656

 
2,475

Marketing, administration and research costs
 
559

 
610

Asset impairment and exit costs
 
120

 
—

Operating income
 
1,977

 
1,865

Interest and other debt expense, net
 
200

 
209

Loss on early extinguishment of debt
 
—

 
228

Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller
 
(66
)
 
(134
)
Gain on derivative financial instrument
 
(40
)
 
—

Earnings before income taxes
 
1,883

 
1,562

Provision for income taxes
 
665

 
544

Net earnings
 
1,218

 
1,018

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests
 
(1
)
 
—

Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.
 
$
1,217

 
$
1,018

Per share data:
 
 
 
 
Basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to Altria Group, Inc.
 
$
0.62

 
$
0.52

Dividends declared
 
$
0.565

 
$
0.52

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.


5
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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings
(in millions of dollars)
(Unaudited)

 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
Net earnings
 
$
1,218

 
$
1,018

Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes:
 
 
 
 
Currency translation adjustments
 
1

 
(1
)
Benefit plans
 
(174
)
 
42

SABMiller
 
126

 
(304
)
Other comprehensive losses, net of deferred income taxes
 
(47
)
 
(263
)
 
 
 
 
 
Comprehensive earnings
 
1,171

 
755

Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests
 
(1
)
 
—

Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.
 
$
1,170

 
$
755


See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.



6
Table of Contents    


Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
for the Year Ended December 31, 2015 and
the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016
(in millions of dollars, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
 
 
Attributable to Altria Group, Inc.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Common
Stock
 
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
 
Earnings
Reinvested
in the
Business
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Losses
 
Cost of
Repurchased
Stock
 
Non-controlling
Interests
 
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Balances, December 31, 2014
 
$
935

 
$
5,735

 
$
26,277

 
$
(2,682
)
 
$
(27,251
)
 
$
(4
)
 
$
3,010

Net earnings (losses) (1)
 
—

 
—

 
5,241

 
—

 
—

 
(3
)
 
5,238

Other comprehensive losses, net of deferred income taxes
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(598
)
 
—

 
—

 
(598
)
Stock award activity
 
—

 
78

 
—

 
—

 
(40
)
 
—

 
38

Cash dividends declared ($2.17 per share)
 
—

 
—

 
(4,261
)
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(4,261
)
Repurchases of common stock
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(554
)
 
—

 
(554
)
Balances, December 31, 2015
 
935

 
5,813

 
27,257

 
(3,280
)
 
(27,845
)
 
(7
)
 
2,873

Net earnings (1)
 
—

 
—

 
1,217

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
1,217

Other comprehensive losses, net of deferred income taxes
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(47
)
 
—

 
—

 
(47
)
Stock award activity
 
—

 
15

 
—

 
—

 
(35
)
 
—

 
(20
)
Cash dividends declared ($0.565 per share)
 
—

 
—

 
(1,107
)
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(1,107
)
Repurchases of common stock
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
(168
)
 
—

 
(168
)
Other
 
—

 
(10
)
 
—

 
—

 
—

 
10

 
—

Balances, March 31, 2016
 
$
935

 
$
5,818

 
$
27,367

 
$
(3,327
)
 
$
(28,048
)
 
$
3

 
$
2,748


(1) 
Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and for the year ended December 31, 2015 exclude net earnings of $1 million and $5 million, respectively, due to the redeemable noncontrolling interest related to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, which is reported in the mezzanine equity section in the condensed consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015.

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.




7
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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in millions of dollars)
(Unaudited)
                                            
 
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities
 
 
 
 
Net earnings
 
$
1,218

 
$
1,018

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to operating cash flows:
 
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization
 
49

 
49

Deferred income tax benefit
 
(32
)
 
(40
)
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller
 
(66
)
 
(134
)
Asset impairment and exit costs, net of cash paid
 
118

 
(1
)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt
 
—

 
228

Cash effects of changes:
 
 
 
 
Receivables
 
20

 
25

Inventories
 
(79
)
 
(62
)
Accounts payable
 
(217
)
 
(166
)
Income taxes
 
645

 
541

Accrued liabilities and other current assets
 
(115
)
 
(117
)
Accrued settlement charges
 
1,170

 
1,051

Pension plan contributions
 
(3
)
 
(4
)
Pension provisions and postretirement, net
 
(18
)
 
25

Other
 
(1
)
 
85

Net cash provided by operating activities
 
2,689

 
2,498

Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
 
 
 
 
Capital expenditures
 
$
(26
)
 
$
(48
)
Proceeds from finance assets
 
56

 
147

Other
 
4

 
—

Net cash provided by investing activities
 
34

 
99

Cash Used in Financing Activities
 
 
 
 
Long-term debt repaid
 
—

 
(793
)
Repurchases of common stock
 
(168
)
 
(192
)
Dividends paid on common stock
 
(1,108
)
 
(1,026
)
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt
 
—

 
(226
)
Other
 
(1
)
 
(7
)
Cash used in financing activities
 
(1,277
)
 
(2,244
)
Cash and cash equivalents:
 
 
 
 
Increase
 
1,446

 
353

Balance at beginning of period
 
2,369

 
3,321

Balance at end of period
 
$
3,815

 
$
3,674

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.



8
Table of Contents
Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

Note 1. Background and Basis of Presentation:

Background

At March 31, 2016, Altria Group, Inc.’s wholly-owned subsidiaries included Philip Morris USA Inc. (“PM USA”), which is engaged predominantly in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States; John Middleton Co. (“Middleton”), which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PM USA; and UST LLC (“UST”), which through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (“USSTC”) and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd. (“Ste. Michelle”), is engaged in the manufacture and sale of smokeless tobacco products and wine. Altria Group, Inc.’s other operating companies included Nu Mark LLC (“Nu Mark”), a wholly-owned subsidiary that is engaged in the manufacture and sale of innovative tobacco products, and Philip Morris Capital Corporation (“PMCC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary that maintains a portfolio of finance assets, substantially all of which are leveraged leases. Other Altria Group, Inc. wholly-owned subsidiaries included Altria Group Distribution Company, which provides sales, distribution and consumer engagement services to certain Altria Group, Inc. operating subsidiaries, and Altria Client Services LLC, which provides various support services in areas, such as legal, regulatory, finance, human resources and external affairs, to Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Altria Group, Inc.’s access to the operating cash flows of its wholly-owned subsidiaries consists of cash received from the payment of dividends and distributions, and the payment of interest on intercompany loans by its subsidiaries. At March 31, 2016, Altria Group, Inc.’s principal wholly-owned subsidiaries were not limited by long-term debt or other agreements in their ability to pay cash dividends or make other distributions with respect to their equity interests.
        
At March 31, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. also held approximately 27% of the economic and voting interest of SABMiller plc (“SABMiller”), which Altria Group, Inc. accounts for under the equity method of accounting. Altria Group, Inc. receives cash dividends on its interest in SABMiller if and when SABMiller pays such dividends. In November 2015, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (“AB InBev”) announced its firm offer to effect a business combination with SABMiller in a cash and stock transaction. For further discussion, see Note 4. Investment in SABMiller.

Share Repurchases

In July 2014, Altria Group, Inc.’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program (the “July 2014 share repurchase program”). During the third quarter of 2015, Altria Group, Inc. completed the July 2014 share repurchase program, under which Altria Group, Inc. repurchased a total of 20.4 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $48.90 per share.

In July 2015, the Board of Directors authorized a $1.0 billion share repurchase program (the “July 2015 share repurchase program”). At March 31, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. had approximately $797 million remaining in the July 2015 share repurchase program. The timing of share repurchases under this program depends upon marketplace conditions and other factors, and the program remains subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Altria Group, Inc.’s share repurchase activity was as follows:
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
(in millions, except per share data)
Total number of shares repurchased
 
2.8

 
3.6

Aggregate cost of shares repurchased
 
$
168

 
$
192

Average price per share of shares repurchased
 
$
59.81

 
$
53.03


Basis of Presentation

The interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Altria Group, Inc. are unaudited. It is the opinion of Altria Group, Inc.’s management that all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the interim results presented have been reflected in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements. All such adjustments were of a normal recurring

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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

nature. Net revenues and net earnings for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes, which appear in Altria Group, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 (the “2015 Form 10-K”).

On January 1, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU No. 2015-03”), which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts, rather than as a deferred charge (an asset). As a result of the adoption, $70 million of debt issuance costs have been presented on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2016 as a deduction from the carrying amount of long-term debt. In addition, $72 million of debt issuance costs were reclassified from other assets to long-term debt on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015.

For a description of recently issued accounting guidance that Altria Group, Inc. has not yet adopted, see Note 12. Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted.
Note 2. Asset Impairment, Exit and Implementation Costs:

In January 2016, Altria Group, Inc. announced a productivity initiative designed to maintain its operating companies’ leadership and cost competitiveness. The initiative reduces spending on certain selling, general and administrative infrastructure and implements a leaner organizational structure. As a result of this initiative, Altria Group, Inc. expects to incur total pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $140 million, or $0.05 per share, substantially all of which are expected to be recorded in 2016 and result in cash expenditures. The charges consist of employee separation costs of approximately $120 million and other associated costs of approximately $20 million.

Pre-tax restructuring charges of $122 million, or $0.04 per share, recorded in connection with the productivity initiative consisted of the following:
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016
 
Asset Impairment and Exit Costs (1)
 
Implementation Costs
 
Total
 
(in millions)
Smokeable products
$
97

 
$
2

 
$
99

Smokeless products
13

 
—

 
13

All other
5

 
—

 
5

General corporate
5

 
—

 
5

Total
$
120

 
$
2

 
$
122


(1) Includes termination and curtailment costs of $20 million. See Note 3. Benefit Plans.

The movement in the restructuring liabilities (excluding termination and curtailment costs), substantially all of which are severance liabilities, was as follows:
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016
 
(in millions)
Charges
$
100

Cash spent
(2
)
Balances at March 31, 2016
$
98


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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

Note 3. Benefit Plans:

Subsidiaries of Altria Group, Inc. sponsor noncontributory defined benefit pension plans covering the majority of all employees of Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. However, employees hired on or after a date specific to their employee group are not eligible to participate in these noncontributory defined benefit pension plans but are instead eligible to participate in a defined contribution plan with enhanced benefits. This transition for new hires occurred from October 1, 2006 to January 1, 2008. In addition, effective January 1, 2010, certain employees of UST’s subsidiaries and Middleton who were participants in noncontributory defined benefit pension plans ceased to earn additional benefit service under those plans and became eligible to participate in a defined contribution plan with enhanced benefits. Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries also provide postretirement health care and other benefits to the majority of retired employees.

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost

Net periodic benefit cost consisted of the following: 
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
Pension
 
Postretirement
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
2016
 
2015
 
(in millions)
Service cost
 
$
18

 
$
21

 
$
4

 
$
4

Interest cost
 
71

 
84

 
21

 
26

Expected return on plan assets
 
(138
)
 
(135
)
 
—

 
—

Amortization:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net loss
 
44

 
59

 
7

 
12

Prior service cost (credit)
 
1

 
2

 
(10
)
 
(10
)
Termination and curtailment
 
20

 
—

 
—

 
—

Net periodic benefit cost
 
$
16

 
$
31

 
$
22

 
$
32


Termination and curtailment costs shown in the table above were related to the productivity initiative discussed in Note 2. Asset Impairment, Exit and Implementation Costs. In conjunction with the curtailment, in the first quarter of 2016 Altria Group, Inc. remeasured the pension benefit obligations, pension plan assets and postretirement benefit obligations of its impacted benefit plans. This remeasurement resulted in an increase to the liabilities for accrued pension costs and accrued postretirement health care costs of approximately $250 million and $70 million, respectively, and a corresponding increase to accumulated other comprehensive losses.
Employer Contributions

Altria Group, Inc. makes contributions to the pension plans to the extent that the contributions are tax deductible and pays benefits that relate to plans for salaried employees that cannot be funded under Internal Revenue Service regulations. Employer contributions of $3 million were made to Altria Group, Inc.’s pension plans during the three months ended March 31, 2016. Currently, Altria Group, Inc. anticipates making additional employer contributions to its pension plans during the remainder of 2016 of approximately $30 million to $75 million, based on current tax law. However, this estimate is subject to change as a result of changes in tax and other benefit laws, as well as asset performance significantly above or below the assumed long-term rate of return on pension assets, or changes in interest rates.
Note 4. Investment in SABMiller:

At March 31, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. held approximately 27% of the economic and voting interest of SABMiller. Altria Group, Inc. accounts for its investment in SABMiller under the equity method of accounting.


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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

AB InBev and SABMiller Business Combination

In November 2015, AB InBev announced its firm offer to effect a business combination with SABMiller in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $107 billion. Under the terms of the transaction, SABMiller shareholders will receive 44 British pounds (“GBP”) in cash for each SABMiller share, with a partial share alternative (“PSA”) available for approximately 41% of the SABMiller shares.

Under the terms of the PSA, SABMiller shareholders may elect to receive for each SABMiller share held (i) 0.483969 restricted shares (the “Restricted Shares”) in a newly formed Belgian company (“NewCo”) that will own the combined SABMiller and AB InBev business plus (ii) 3.7788 GBP in cash.

If the transaction is completed, NewCo will acquire SABMiller and, following the closing of that acquisition, AB InBev will merge into NewCo. Altria Group, Inc. expects to exchange its approximate 27% economic and voting interest in SABMiller for an interest that will be converted into Restricted Shares representing an approximate 10.5% economic and voting interest in NewCo plus approximately $2.5 billion in pre-tax cash (subject to proration as described in the 2015 Form 10-K).

Upon closing of the transaction, Altria Group, Inc. estimates that it will record a one-time pre-tax accounting gain of approximately $12 billion, or $8 billion after-tax. This estimate is based on the AB InBev share price, GBP to United States dollar (“USD”) exchange rate and book value of Altria Group, Inc.’s investment in SABMiller at March 31, 2016. The actual gain recorded at closing may vary significantly from this estimate based on changes to these factors, the impact of dispositions related to the transaction and any proration of Restricted Shares.

The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including shareholder approvals of both SABMiller and AB InBev, and receipt of the required regulatory approvals.

Derivative Financial Instrument

In November 2015, Altria Group, Inc. entered into a derivative financial instrument in the form of a put option (the “option”) to hedge Altria Group, Inc.’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate movements for the GBP, which would impact the USD cash consideration that Altria Group, Inc. expects to receive under the PSA. Altria Group, Inc. has the ability to exercise or terminate the option up to its expiration date of May 11, 2017. The notional amount of the option is $2,467 million (1,625 million GBP). The option does not qualify for hedge accounting; therefore, changes in the fair value of the option will be recorded as a pre-tax gain or loss in Altria Group, Inc.’s consolidated statement of earnings for the periods in which the changes occur. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. recorded a pre-tax gain of $40 million for the change in the fair value of the option, which was included in gain on derivative financial instrument.

The fair value of the option is determined using a binomial option pricing model, which reflects the contractual terms of the option and other observable market-based inputs, and is classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. At March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the fair value of the option of $192 million and $152 million, respectively, was recorded in other current assets in Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Note 5. Earnings Per Share:

Basic and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) were calculated using the following:
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
(in millions)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.
$
1,217

 
$
1,018

Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings attributable to unvested restricted shares and restricted stock units
(2
)
 
(2
)
Earnings for basic and diluted EPS
$
1,215

 
$
1,016

 
 
 
 
Weighted-average shares for basic and diluted EPS
1,956

 
1,966


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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

Note 6. Other Comprehensive Earnings/Losses:

The following tables set forth the changes in each component of accumulated other comprehensive losses, net of deferred income taxes, attributable to Altria Group, Inc.:
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016
 
 
Currency
Translation
Adjustments
 
Benefit Plans
 
SABMiller
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Losses
 
 
(in millions)
Balances, December 31, 2015
 
$
(5
)
 
$
(2,010
)
 
$
(1,265
)
 
$
(3,280
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other comprehensive earnings (losses) before reclassifications
 
1

 
(318
)
 
182

 
(135
)
Deferred income taxes
 
—

 
122

 
(64
)
 
58

Other comprehensive earnings (losses) before reclassifications, net of deferred income taxes
 
1

 
(196
)
 
118

 
(77
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Amounts reclassified to net earnings
 
—

 
36

 
12

 
48

Deferred income taxes
 
—

 
(14
)
 
(4
)
 
(18
)
Amounts reclassified to net earnings, net of deferred income taxes
 
—

 
22

 
8

 
30

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes
 
1

 
(174
)
 
126

(1) 
(47
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balances, March 31, 2016
 
$
(4
)
 
$
(2,184
)
 
$
(1,139
)
 
$
(3,327
)

 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
 
 
Currency
Translation
Adjustments
 
Benefit Plans
 
SABMiller
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Losses
 
 
(in millions)
Balances, December 31, 2014
 
$
(2
)
 
$
(2,040
)
 
$
(640
)
 
$
(2,682
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other comprehensive losses before reclassifications
 
(1
)
 
—

 
(471
)
 
(472
)
Deferred income taxes
 
—

 
—

 
164

 
164

Other comprehensive losses before reclassifications, net of deferred income taxes
 
(1
)
 
—

 
(307
)
 
(308
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Amounts reclassified to net earnings
 
—

 
68

 
4

 
72

Deferred income taxes
 
—

 
(26
)
 
(1
)
 
(27
)
Amounts reclassified to net earnings, net of deferred income taxes
 
—

 
42

 
3

 
45

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes
 
(1
)
 
42

 
(304
)
(1) 
(263
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balances, March 31, 2015
 
$
(3
)
 
$
(1,998
)
 
$
(944
)
 
$
(2,945
)
(1) For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, Altria Group, Inc.’s proportionate share of SABMiller’s other comprehensive earnings/losses consisted primarily of currency translation adjustments.


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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

The following table sets forth pre-tax amounts by component, reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive losses to net earnings:
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
(in millions)
Benefit Plans: (1)
 
 
 
Net loss
$
55

 
$
76

Prior service cost/credit
(19
)
 
(8
)
 
36

 
68

 
 
 
 
SABMiller (2)
12

 
4

 
 
 
 
Pre-tax amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive
losses to net earnings
$
48

 
$
72


(1) Amounts are included in net defined benefit plan costs. For further details, see Note 3. Benefit Plans.

(2) Amounts are included in earnings from equity investment in SABMiller.
Note 7. Segment Reporting:

The products of Altria Group, Inc.’s subsidiaries include smokeable tobacco products, consisting of cigarettes manufactured and sold by PM USA and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by Middleton; smokeless tobacco products, substantially all of which are manufactured and sold by USSTC; and wine produced and/or distributed by Ste. Michelle. The products and services of these subsidiaries constitute Altria Group, Inc.’s reportable segments of smokeable products, smokeless products and wine. The financial services and the innovative tobacco products businesses are included in all other.

Altria Group, Inc.’s chief operating decision maker reviews operating companies income to evaluate the performance of, and allocate resources to, the segments. Operating companies income for the segments is defined as operating income before general corporate expenses and amortization of intangibles. Interest and other debt expense, net, and provision for income taxes are centrally managed at the corporate level and, accordingly, such items are not presented by segment since they are excluded from the measure of segment profitability reviewed by Altria Group, Inc.’s chief operating decision maker.

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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

Segment data were as follows: 
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
(in millions)
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
Smokeable products
 
$
5,422

 
$
5,221

Smokeless products
 
479

 
430

Wine
 
145

 
134

All other
 
20

 
19

Net revenues
 
$
6,066

 
$
5,804

Earnings before income taxes:
 
 
 
 
Operating companies income (loss):
 
 
 
 
Smokeable products
 
$
1,751

 
$
1,686

Smokeless products
 
280

 
251

Wine
 
28

 
27

All other
 
(21
)
 
(41
)
Amortization of intangibles
 
(5
)
 
(5
)
General corporate expenses
 
(51
)
 
(53
)
Corporate asset impairment and exit costs
 
(5
)
 
—

Operating income
 
1,977

 
1,865

Interest and other debt expense, net
 
(200
)
 
(209
)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt
 
—

 
(228
)
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller
 
66

 
134

Gain on derivative financial instrument
 
40

 
—

Earnings before income taxes
 
$
1,883

 
$
1,562


The comparability of operating companies income for the reportable segments was affected by the following:

Non-Participating Manufacturer (“NPM”) Adjustment Items - Pre-tax expense for NPM adjustment items was recorded in Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated statement of earnings as follows:
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016
 
(in millions)
Smokeable products segment
$
12

Interest and other debt expense, net
6

Total
$
18

NPM adjustment items result from the settlement of, and determinations made in connection with, disputes with certain states and territories related to the NPM adjustment provision under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (such settlements and determinations are referred to collectively as “NPM Adjustment Items” and are more fully described in Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation - NPM Adjustment Disputes in Note 10. Contingencies). The amount shown in the table above for the smokeable products segment was recorded by PM USA as an increase to cost of sales, which decreased operating companies income in the smokeable products segment.

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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

Tobacco and Health Litigation Items - Pre-tax charges related to certain tobacco and health litigation items were recorded in Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings as follows:
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
(in millions)
Smokeable products segment
 
$
26

 
$
43

Interest and other debt expense, net
 
12

 
—

Total
 
$
38

 
$
43

During the first quarter of 2016, PM USA recorded pre-tax charges, primarily related to the Aspinall case, of $26 million in marketing, administration and research costs and $12 million in interest costs. During the first quarter of 2015, PM USA and certain other cigarette manufacturers reached an agreement to resolve approximately 415 pending federal Engle progeny cases. As a result of the agreement, during the first quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a pre-tax provision of approximately $43 million in marketing, administration and research costs. For further discussion, see Note 10. Contingencies.
Asset Impairment, Exit and Implementation Costs - See Note 2. Asset Impairment, Exit and Implementation Costs for a breakdown of these costs by segment.
Note 8. Finance Assets, net:

In 2003, PMCC ceased making new investments and began focusing exclusively on managing its portfolio of finance assets in order to maximize its operating results and cash flows from its existing lease portfolio activities and asset sales. Accordingly, PMCC’s operating companies income will fluctuate over time as investments mature or are sold.

At March 31, 2016, finance assets, net, of $1,165 million were comprised of investments in finance leases of $1,205 million, reduced by the allowance for losses of $40 million. At December 31, 2015, finance assets, net, of $1,239 million were comprised of investments in finance leases of $1,281 million, reduced by the allowance for losses of $42 million.

PMCC assesses the adequacy of its allowance for losses relative to the credit risk of its leasing portfolio on an ongoing basis. PMCC believes that, as of March 31, 2016, the allowance for losses of $40 million was adequate. PMCC continues to monitor economic and credit conditions, and the individual situations of its lessees and their respective industries, and may increase or decrease its allowance for losses if such conditions change in the future.
The activity in the allowance for losses on finance assets was as follows:
 
 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
(in millions)
Balance at beginning of the year
 
$
42

 
$
42

Decrease to allowance
 
(2
)
 
—

Balance at March 31
 
$
40

 
$
42


All PMCC lessees were current on their lease payment obligations as of March 31, 2016.

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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

The credit quality of PMCC’s investments in finance leases as assigned by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“Standard & Poor’s”) and Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 was as follows:

 
 
March 31, 2016
 
December 31, 2015
 
 
(in millions)
Credit Rating by Standard & Poor’s/Moody’s:
 
 
 
 
“AAA/Aaa” to “A-/A3”
 
$
213

 
$
212

“BBB+/Baa1” to “BBB-/Baa3”
 
603

 
702

“BB+/Ba1” and Lower
 
389

 
367

Total
 
$
1,205

 
$
1,281

Note 9. Debt:

At March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, Altria Group, Inc. had no short-term borrowings.

Long-term Debt

With respect to $3.4 billion aggregate principal amount of Altria Group, Inc.’s senior unsecured long-term notes issued in 2008 and 2009, the interest rate payable on each series of notes was subject to adjustment from time to time if the rating assigned to the notes of such series by Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s was downgraded (or subsequently upgraded) as and to the extent set forth in the terms of the notes. As a result of credit rating upgrades by both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s in the first quarter of 2016, this provision terminated in accordance with its terms.
On January 1, 2016, Altria Group, Inc. adopted ASU No. 2015-03. For further discussion, see Note 1. Background and Basis of Presentation.

During the first quarter of 2015, Altria Group, Inc. completed a debt tender offer to purchase for cash $793 million aggregate principal amount of its senior unsecured 9.700% notes due 2018. As a result of the debt tender offer, during the first quarter of 2015, Altria Group, Inc. recorded a pre-tax loss on early extinguishment of debt of $228 million, which included premiums and fees of $226 million and the write-off of the related unamortized debt discount and debt issuance costs of $2 million.

Altria Group, Inc.’s estimate of the fair value of its debt is based on observable market information derived from a third-party pricing source and is classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The aggregate fair value of Altria Group, Inc.’s total long-term debt at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, was $15.5 billion and $14.5 billion, respectively, as compared with its carrying value of $12.9 billion and $12.8 billion, respectively.

Note 10. Contingencies:

Legal proceedings covering a wide range of matters are pending or threatened in various United States and foreign jurisdictions against Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including PM USA and UST and its subsidiaries, as well as their respective indemnitees. Various types of claims may be raised in these proceedings, including product liability, consumer protection, antitrust, tax, contraband shipments, patent infringement, employment matters, claims for contribution and claims of competitors or distributors.

Litigation is subject to uncertainty and it is possible that there could be adverse developments in pending or future cases. An unfavorable outcome or settlement of pending tobacco-related or other litigation could encourage the commencement of additional litigation. Damages claimed in some tobacco-related and other litigation are or can be significant and, in certain cases, range in the billions of dollars. The variability in pleadings in multiple jurisdictions, together with the actual experience of management in litigating claims, demonstrate that the monetary relief that may be specified in a lawsuit bears little relevance to the ultimate outcome. In certain cases, plaintiffs claim that defendants’ liability is joint and several. In such cases, Altria Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries may face the risk that one or more co-defendants decline or otherwise fail to participate in the bonding required for an appeal or to pay their proportionate or jury-allocated share of a judgment.  As a result, Altria Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries under certain circumstances may have to pay more than their proportionate share of any bonding- or

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Table of Contents
Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

judgment-related amounts. Furthermore, in those cases where plaintiffs are successful, Altria Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries may also be required to pay interest and attorneys’ fees.

Although PM USA has historically been able to obtain required bonds or relief from bonding requirements in order to prevent plaintiffs from seeking to collect judgments while adverse verdicts have been appealed, there remains a risk that such relief may not be obtainable in all cases. This risk has been substantially reduced given that 47 states and Puerto Rico limit the dollar amount of bonds or require no bond at all. As discussed below, however, tobacco litigation plaintiffs have challenged the constitutionality of Florida’s bond cap statute in several cases and plaintiffs may challenge state bond cap statutes in other jurisdictions as well. Such challenges may include the applicability of state bond caps in federal court. Although Altria Group, Inc. cannot predict the outcome of such challenges, it is possible that the consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position of Altria Group, Inc., or one or more of its subsidiaries, could be materially affected in a particular fiscal quarter or fiscal year by an unfavorable outcome of one or more such challenges.

Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries record provisions in the condensed consolidated financial statements for pending litigation when they determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. At the present time, while it is reasonably possible that an unfavorable outcome in a case may occur, except to the extent discussed elsewhere in this Note 10. Contingencies: (i) management has concluded that it is not probable that a loss has been incurred in any of the pending tobacco-related cases; (ii) management is unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss that could result from an unfavorable outcome in any of the pending tobacco-related cases; and (iii) accordingly, management has not provided any amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements for unfavorable outcomes, if any. Litigation defense costs are expensed as incurred.

Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries have achieved substantial success in managing litigation. Nevertheless, litigation is subject to uncertainty and significant challenges remain. It is possible that the consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position of Altria Group, Inc., or one or more of its subsidiaries, could be materially affected in a particular fiscal quarter or fiscal year by an unfavorable outcome or settlement of certain pending litigation. Altria Group, Inc. and each of its subsidiaries named as a defendant believe, and each has been so advised by counsel handling the respective cases, that it has valid defenses to the litigation pending against it, as well as valid bases for appeal of adverse verdicts. Each of the companies has defended, and will continue to defend, vigorously against litigation challenges. However, Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries may enter into settlement discussions in particular cases if they believe it is in the best interests of Altria Group, Inc. to do so.

Overview of Altria Group, Inc. and/or PM USA Tobacco-Related Litigation

Types and Number of Cases

Claims related to tobacco products generally fall within the following categories: (i) smoking and health cases alleging personal injury brought on behalf of individual plaintiffs; (ii) smoking and health cases primarily alleging personal injury or seeking court-supervised programs for ongoing medical monitoring and purporting to be brought on behalf of a class of individual plaintiffs, including cases in which the aggregated claims of a number of individual plaintiffs are to be tried in a single proceeding; (iii) health care cost recovery cases brought by governmental (both domestic and foreign) plaintiffs seeking reimbursement for health care expenditures allegedly caused by cigarette smoking and/or disgorgement of profits; (iv) class action suits alleging that the uses of the terms “Lights” and “Ultra Lights” constitute deceptive and unfair trade practices, common law or statutory fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of warranty or violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”); and (v) other tobacco-related litigation described below. Plaintiffs’ theories of recovery and the defenses raised in pending smoking and health, health care cost recovery and “Lights/Ultra Lights” cases are discussed below.

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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)


The table below lists the number of certain tobacco-related cases pending in the United States against PM USA and, in some instances, Altria Group, Inc. as of April 25, 2016, April 20, 2015 and April 21, 2014:
 
April 25, 2016
 
April 20, 2015
 
April 21, 2014
Individual Smoking and Health Cases (1)
62
 
64
 
70
Smoking and Health Class Actions and Aggregated Claims Litigation (2)
5
 
5
 
6
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions (3)
1
 
1
 
1
“Lights/Ultra Lights” Class Actions
11
 
12
 
15

(1) Does not include 2,498 cases brought by flight attendants seeking compensatory damages for personal injuries allegedly caused by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (“ETS”). The flight attendants allege that they are members of an ETS smoking and health class action in Florida, which was settled in 1997 (Broin). The terms of the court-approved settlement in that case allowed class members to file individual lawsuits seeking compensatory damages, but prohibited them from seeking punitive damages. Also, does not include individual smoking and health cases brought by or on behalf of plaintiffs in Florida state and federal courts following the decertification of the Engle case (discussed below in Smoking and Health Litigation - Engle Class Action).
(2) Includes as one case the 600 civil actions (of which 344 were actions against PM USA) that were to be tried in a single proceeding in West Virginia (In re: Tobacco Litigation). The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has ruled that the United States Constitution did not preclude a trial in two phases in this case. Issues related to defendants’ conduct and whether punitive damages are permissible were tried in the first phase. Trial in the first phase of this case began in April 2013. In May 2013, the jury returned a verdict in favor of defendants on the claims for design defect, negligence, failure to warn, breach of warranty, and concealment and declined to find that the defendants’ conduct warranted punitive damages. Plaintiffs prevailed on their claim that ventilated filter cigarettes should have included use instructions for the period 1964 - 1969. The second phase will consist of trials to determine liability and compensatory damages. In November 2014, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals affirmed the final judgment. In July 2015, the trial court entered an order that will result in the entry of final judgment in favor of defendants and against all but 30 plaintiffs who potentially have a claim against one or more defendants that may be pursued in a second phase of trial. The court intends to try the claims of these 30 plaintiffs in six consolidated trials, each with a group of five plaintiffs. The first trial is currently scheduled to begin May 1, 2017. Dates for the five remaining consolidated trials have not been scheduled.
(3) See Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation - Federal Government’s Lawsuit below.

International Tobacco-Related Cases

As of April 25, 2016, PM USA is a named defendant in ten health care cost recovery actions in Canada, eight of which also name Altria Group, Inc. as a defendant. PM USA and Altria Group, Inc. are also named defendants in seven smoking and health class actions filed in various Canadian provinces. See Guarantees and Other Similar Matters below for a discussion of the Distribution Agreement between Altria Group, Inc. and Philip Morris International Inc. (“PMI”) that provides for indemnities for certain liabilities concerning tobacco products.

Tobacco-Related Cases Set for Trial

As of April 25, 2016, six Engle progeny cases are set for trial through June 30, 2016. There are no individual smoking and health cases, medical monitoring cases or “Lights/Ultra Lights” class actions against PM USA set for trial during this period. Cases against other companies in the tobacco industry are scheduled for trial during this period. Trial dates are subject to change.

Trial Results

Since January 1999, excluding the Engle progeny cases (separately discussed below), verdicts have been returned in 61 smoking and health, “Lights/Ultra Lights” and health care cost recovery cases in which PM USA was a defendant. Verdicts in favor of PM USA and other defendants were returned in 41 of the 61 cases. These 41 cases were tried in Alaska (1), California (7), Florida (10), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (2), Mississippi (1), Missouri (4), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (1), New York (5), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), Rhode Island (1), Tennessee (2) and West Virginia (2). A motion for a new trial was granted in one of the cases in Florida and in the case in Alaska. In the Alaska case (Hunter), the trial court withdrew its order for a new trial upon PM USA’s motion for reconsideration. In December 2015, the Alaska Supreme Court reversed the trial court decision and remanded the case with directions for the trial court to reassess whether to grant a new trial. In March 2016, the trial court granted a new trial and PM USA filed a petition for review of that order with the Alaska Supreme Court. The retrial currently is scheduled to begin October 17, 2016. See Types and Number of Cases above for a discussion of the trial results in In re: Tobacco Litigation (West Virginia consolidated cases).


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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

Of the 20 non-Engle progeny cases in which verdicts were returned in favor of plaintiffs, 15 have reached final resolution. A verdict against defendants in one health care cost recovery case (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) was reversed and all claims were dismissed with prejudice. In addition, a verdict against defendants in a purported “Lights” class action in Illinois (Price) was reversed and the case was dismissed with prejudice in December 2006, but plaintiffs sought to reinstate the verdict, which an intermediate appellate court ordered in April 2014. In November 2015, the Illinois Supreme Court vacated the Fifth Judicial District’s decision, finding that the plaintiffs filed the wrong motion in the wrong court, and the plaintiffs filed a new motion with the Illinois Supreme Court seeking to recall its original mandate, which the court denied in January 2016. See “Lights/Ultra Lights” Cases - The Price Case below for a discussion of developments in Price.

As of April 25, 2016, 96 state and federal Engle progeny cases involving PM USA have resulted in verdicts since the Florida Supreme Court’s Engle decision as follows: 53 verdicts were returned in favor of plaintiffs; 41 verdicts were returned in favor of PM USA. Two verdicts that were initially returned in favor of plaintiff were reversed on appeal. One was remanded for a new trial; the other is now subject to en banc review in the appellate court. See Smoking and Health Litigation - Engle Progeny Trial Court Results below for a discussion of these verdicts.

Judgments Paid and Provisions for Tobacco and Health Litigation Items (Including Engle Progeny Litigation)

After exhausting all appeals in those cases resulting in adverse verdicts associated with tobacco-related litigation, since October 2004, PM USA has paid in the aggregate judgments (and related costs and fees) totaling approximately $336 million and interest totaling approximately $148 million as of April 25, 2016. These amounts include payments for Engle progeny judgments (and related costs and fees) totaling approximately $35 million, interest totaling approximately $7 million and payment of approximately $43 million in connection with the Federal Engle Agreement, discussed below.

The changes in Altria Group, Inc.’s accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items, including related interest costs, for the periods specified below are as follows:

 
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
(in millions)
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at beginning of period
$
132

 
$
39

Pre-tax charges for:
 
 
 
Tobacco and health judgments
4

 
—

Related interest costs
2

 
—

Agreement to resolve federal Engle progeny cases
—

 
43

Agreement to resolve Aspinall including interest costs
32

 
—

Payments
(17
)
 
(5
)
Accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items at end of period
$
153

 
$
77


The accrued liability for tobacco and health litigation items, including related interest costs, was included in liabilities on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. Pre-tax charges for tobacco and health judgments, the agreement to resolve federal Engle progeny cases and the agreement to resolve the Aspinall case were included in marketing, administration and research costs on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings. Pre-tax charges for related interest costs were included in interest and other debt expense, net on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings.

Security for Judgments

To obtain stays of judgments pending current appeals, as of March 31, 2016, PM USA has posted various forms of security totaling approximately $99 million, the majority of which has been collateralized with cash deposits that are included in other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

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Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

Smoking and Health Litigation

Overview

Plaintiffs’ allegations of liability in smoking and health cases are based on various theories of recovery, including negligence, gross negligence, strict liability, fraud, misrepresentation, design defect, failure to warn, nuisance, breach of express and implied warranties, breach of special duty, conspiracy, concert of action, violations of deceptive trade practice laws and consumer protection statutes, and claims under the federal and state anti-racketeering statutes. Plaintiffs in the smoking and health cases seek various forms of relief, including compensatory and punitive damages, treble/multiple damages and other statutory damages and penalties, creation of medical monitoring and smoking cessation funds, disgorgement of profits, and injunctive and equitable relief. Defenses raised in these cases include lack of proximate cause, assumption of the risk, comparative fault and/or contributory negligence, statutes of limitations and preemption by the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act.

Non-Engle Progeny Litigation

Summarized below are the non-Engle progeny smoking and health cases pending during 2016 in which verdicts were returned in favor of plaintiffs and against PM USA. Charts listing the verdicts for plaintiffs in the Engle progeny cases can be found in Smoking and Health Litigation - Engle Progeny Trial Results below.

Bullock: In December 2015, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff, awarding $900,000 in compensatory damages. In January 2016, the plaintiff moved for a new trial, which the district court denied in February 2016. In March 2016, PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and plaintiff cross-appealed.

Schwarz: In March 2002, an Oregon jury awarded $168,500 in compensatory damages and $150 million in punitive damages against PM USA. In May 2002, the trial court reduced the punitive damages award to $100 million. In May 2006, the Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the compensatory damages verdict, reversed the award of punitive damages and remanded the case to the trial court for a second trial to determine the amount of punitive damages, if any. In June 2010, the Oregon Supreme Court affirmed the court of appeals’ decision and remanded the case to the trial court for a new trial limited to the question of punitive damages. In December 2010, the Oregon Supreme Court reaffirmed its earlier ruling and awarded PM USA approximately $500,000 in costs. Trial on the amount of punitive damages began in January 2012. In February 2012, the jury awarded plaintiff $25 million in punitive damages. In July 2015, the Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment in favor of plaintiff and in September 2015, PM USA filed a petition for review with the Oregon Supreme Court, which the court denied in November 2015. In the fourth quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a provision on its consolidated balance sheet of approximately $34 million for the judgment plus interest and associated costs. In February 2016, PM USA filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court.

Federal Government’s Lawsuit: See Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation - Federal Government’s Lawsuit below for a discussion of the verdict and post-trial developments in the United States of America health care cost recovery case.

Engle Class Action

In July 2000, in the second phase of the Engle smoking and health class action in Florida, a jury returned a verdict assessing punitive damages totaling approximately $145 billion against various defendants, including $74 billion against PM USA. Following entry of judgment, PM USA appealed.

In May 2001, the trial court approved a stipulation providing that execution of the punitive damages component of the Engle judgment will remain stayed against PM USA and the other participating defendants through the completion of all judicial review. As a result of the stipulation, PM USA placed $500 million into an interest-bearing escrow account that, regardless of the outcome of the judicial review, was to be paid to the court and the court was to determine how to allocate or distribute it consistent with Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. In May 2003, the Florida Third District Court of Appeal reversed the judgment entered by the trial court and instructed the trial court to order the decertification of the class. Plaintiffs petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for further review.


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Altria Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)

In July 2006, the Florida Supreme Court ordered that the punitive damages award be vacated, that the class approved by the trial court be decertified and that members of the decertified class could file individual actions against defendants within one year of issuance of the mandate. The court further declared the following Phase I findings are entitled to res judicata effect in such individual actions brought within one year of the issuance of the mandate: (i) that smoking causes various diseases; (ii) that nicotine in cigarettes is addictive; (iii) that defendants’ cigarettes were defective and unreasonably dangerous; (iv) that defendants concealed or omitted material information not otherwise known or available knowing that the material was false or misleading or failed to disclose a material fact concerning the health effects or addictive nature of smoking; (v) that defendants agreed to misrepresent information regarding the health effects or addictive nature of cigarettes with the intention of causing the public to rely on this information to their detriment; (vi) that defendants agreed to conceal or omit information regarding the health effects of cigarettes or their addictive nature with the intention that smokers would rely on the information to their detriment; (vii) that all defendants sold or supplied cigarettes that were defective; and (viii) that defendants were negligent. The court also reinstated compensatory damages awards totaling approximately $6.9 million to two individual plaintiffs and found that a third plaintiff’s claim was barred by the statute of limitations. In February 2008, PM USA paid approximately $3 million, representing its share of compensatory damages and interest, to the two individual plaintiffs identified in the Florida Supreme Court’s order.

In August 2006, PM USA sought rehearing from the Florida Supreme Court on parts of its July 2006 opinion, including the ruling (described above) that certain jury findings have res judicata effect in subsequent individual trials timely brought by Engle class members. The rehearing motion also asked, among other things, that legal errors that were raised but not expressly ruled upon in the Florida Third District Court of Appeal or in the Florida Supreme Court now be addressed. Plaintiffs also filed a motion for rehearing in August 2006 seeking clarification of the applicability of the statute of limitations to non-members of the decertified class. In December 2006, the Florida Supreme Court refused to revise its July 2006 ruling, except that it revised the set of Phase I findings entitled to res judicata effect by excluding finding (v) listed above (relating to agreement to misrepresent information), and added the finding that defendants sold or supplied cigarettes that, at the time of sale or supply, did not conform to the representations of fact made by defendants. In January 2007, the Florida Supreme Court issued the mandate from its revised opinion. Defendants then filed a motion with the Florida Third District Court of Appeal requesting that the court address legal errors that were previously raised by defendants but have not yet been addressed either by the Florida Third District Court of Appeal or by the Florida Supreme Court. In February 2007, the Florida Third District Court of Appeal denied defendants’ motion. In May 2007, defendants’ motion for a partial stay of the mandate pending the completion of appellate review was denied by the Florida Third District Court of Appeal. In May 2007, defendants filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court, which the United States Supreme Court denied later in 2007.

In February 2008, the trial court decertified the class, except for purposes of the May 2001 bond stipulation, and formally vacated the punitive damages award pursuant to the Florida Supreme Court’s mandate. In April 2008, the trial court ruled that certain defendants, including PM USA, lacked standing with respect to allocation of the funds escrowed under the May 2001 bond stipulation and would receive no credit at that time from the $500 million paid by PM USA against any future punitive damages awards in cases brought by former Engle class members.

In May 2008, the trial court, among other things, decertified the limited class maintained for purposes of the May 2001 bond stipulation and, in July 2008, severed the remaining plaintiffs’ claims except for those of Howard Engle. The only remaining plaintiff in the Engle case, Howard Engle, voluntarily dismissed his claims with prejudice.

Engle Progeny Cases

The deadline for filing Engle progeny cases, as required by the Florida Supreme Court’s Engle decision, expired in January 2008. As of April 25, 2016, approximately 2,860 state court cases were pending against PM USA or Altria Group, Inc. asserting individual claims by or on behalf of approximately 3,700 state court plaintiffs.  Because of a number of factors, including, but not limited to, docketing delays, duplicated filings and overlapping dismissal orders, these numbers are estimates. While the Federal Engle Agreement (discussed below) resolved nearly all Engle progeny cases pending in federal court, as of April 25, 2016, 21 cases were pending against PM USA in federal court representing the cases excluded from that agreement.

Agreement to Resolve Federal Engle Progeny Cases

In February 2015, PM USA, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (“R.J. Reynolds”) and Lorillard Tobacco Company (“Lorillard”) reached a tentative agreement to resolve approximately 415 pending federal Engle progeny cases (the “Federal Engle Agreement”). Under the terms of the Federal Engle Agreement, PM USA paid into escrow approximately $43 million in March

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2015. PM USA recorded a pre-tax provision of approximately $43 million in the first quarter of 2015. Federal cases that were in trial as of February 25, 2015 and those that previously reached final verdict were not included in the Federal Engle Agreement. The Federal Engle Agreement was conditioned on approval by all federal court plaintiffs in the cases resolved by the Federal Engle Agreement or as the parties otherwise agree. The parties satisfied all conditions and, in December 2015, the cases subject to the Federal Engle Agreement were dismissed, and the escrow funds were moved to the plaintiffs’ settlement fund.

Engle Progeny Trial Results

As of April 25, 2016, 96 federal and state Engle progeny cases involving PM USA have resulted in verdicts since the Florida Supreme Court Engle decision. Fifty-three verdicts were returned in favor of plaintiffs and two verdicts (Graham and Skolnick) that were initially returned in favor of plaintiffs were reversed on appeal and remain pending. Graham is now subject to en banc review in the appellate court; Skolnick was remanded for a new trial.

Forty-one verdicts were returned in favor of PM USA, of which 32 were state cases (Gelep, Kalyvas, Gil de Rubio, Warrick, Willis, Russo (formerly Frazier), C. Campbell, Rohr, Espinosa, Oliva, Weingart, Junious, Szymanski, Hancock, D. Cohen, LaMotte, J. Campbell, Dombey, Haldeman, Blasco, Gonzalez, Banks, Surico, Baum, Bishop, Vila, McMannis, Collar, Suarez, Shulman, Ewing and E. Smith) and 9 were federal cases (Gollihue, McCray, Denton, Wilder, Jacobson, Reider, Davis, Starbuck and Sowers). In addition, there have been a number of mistrials, only some of which have resulted in new trials as of April 25, 2016. The juries in the Reider and Banks cases returned zero damages verdicts in favor of PM USA. The juries in the Weingart and Hancock cases returned verdicts against PM USA awarding no damages, but the trial court in each case granted an additur.

The charts below list the verdicts and post-trial developments in certain Engle progeny cases in which verdicts were returned in favor of plaintiffs (including Hancock, where the verdict originally was returned in favor of PM USA). The first chart lists such cases that are pending as of April 25, 2016; the second chart lists such cases that were pending within the previous 12 months, but that are now concluded.

Currently-Pending Cases
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Purdo
Date:     April 2016

Verdict:
A Palm Beach County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding compensatory damages of $21 million and allocating 12% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $2.52 million). The jury also awarded $6.25 million in punitive damages against each defendant.
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Plaintiff: McCall
Date:     March 2016

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA awarding compensatory damages of $350,000 and allocating 25% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $87,500).

Post-Trial Developments:
In March 2016, PM USA filed a motion to set aside the verdict and to enter judgment in its favor.
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Plaintiff: Ahrens
Date:     February 2016

Verdict:
A Pinellas County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $9 million in compensatory damages and allocating 24% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In February 2016, the trial court entered final judgment against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds without any deduction for

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plaintiff’s comparative fault and defendants filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial. In March 2016, the trial court denied defendants’ post-trial motions. In April 2016, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and posted a bond in the amount of $2.5 million.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Ledoux
Date:     December 2015

Verdict:
A Miami-Dade County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $10 million in compensatory damages and allocating 47% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff $12.5 million in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In January 2016, PM USA and R.J. Reynolds filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, and the trial court entered final judgment against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In February 2016, the trial court denied defendants’ post-trial motions. In March 2016, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Third District Court of Appeal and posted a bond in the amount of $2.5 million.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Barbose
Date:     November 2015

Verdict:
A Pasco County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $10 million in compensatory damages and allocating 42.5% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff $500,000 in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In November 2015, the court entered final judgment in favor of plaintiff without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault and in December 2015, PM USA and R.J. Reynolds filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, which the court denied in January 2016. In February 2016, PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $2.5 million and filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal.
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Plaintiff: Tognoli
Date:     November 2015

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA awarding $1.05 million in compensatory damages and allocating 15% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $157,500).

Post-Trial Developments:
In December 2015, PM USA filed a motion to set aside the verdict and for judgment in accordance with its motion for directed verdict. In January 2016, the trial court entered final judgment against PM USA with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault and plaintiff filed an appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal. Additionally, the trial court denied PM USA’s post-trial motions and PM USA cross-appealed.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Danielson
Date:     November 2015

Verdict:
An Escambia County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA awarding $325,000 in compensatory damages and allocating 49% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff $325,000 in punitive damages.


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Post-Trial Developments:
In November 2015, plaintiff filed a motion to enforce the parties’ pretrial stipulation of $2.3 million in economic damages. The plaintiff also filed a motion for an additur or, in the alternative, for a new trial and PM USA filed post-trial motions, including a motion concerning the proper form of judgment and for a new trial. In December 2015, the trial court granted plaintiff’s motion for a new trial on damages and denied PM USA’s post-trial motions. In January 2016, PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the Florida First District Court of Appeal.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Marchese
Date:     October 2015

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $1 million in compensatory damages and allocating 22.5% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $225,000). The jury also awarded plaintiff $250,000 in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In October 2015, defendants filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial. In November 2015, the court entered final judgment in favor of plaintiff. In April 2016, the court denied defendants’ post-trial motions and amended the final judgment to apply the comparative fault deduction.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Duignan
Date:     September 2015

Verdict:
A Pinellas County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $6 million in compensatory damages and allocating 37% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff $3.5 million in punitive damages against PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
In September 2015, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault, and PM USA filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, which the court denied in October 2015. In November 2015, PM USA and R.J. Reynolds filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of approximately $2.7 million.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Cooper
Date:     September 2015

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $4.5 million in compensatory damages and allocating 10% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $450,000).

Post-Trial Developments:
In September 2015, defendants filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a directed verdict. In January 2016, the trial court denied PM USA’s post-trial motions. In February 2016, the trial court entered final judgment in favor of plaintiff, reducing the compensatory damages award against PM USA to approximately $300,000. In March 2016, PM USA and R.J. Reynolds filed a notice of appeal in the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of approximately $300,000.
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Plaintiff: Jordan
Date:     August 2015

Verdict:
A Duval County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA awarding approximately $7.8 million in compensatory damages and allocating 60% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded approximately $3.2 million in punitive damages.


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Post-Trial Developments:
In August 2015, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault, but reduced the compensatory damages to approximately $6.4 million. PM USA filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, which the court denied in December 2015. PM USA subsequently filed a notice of appeal to the Florida First District Court of Appeal and plaintiff cross-appealed.
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Plaintiff: Merino
Date:     July 2015

Verdict:
A Miami-Dade County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA awarding $8 million in compensatory damages and allocating 70% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded $6.5 million in punitive damages.

Post-Trial Developments:
In August 2015, the trial court denied all post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, and entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In September 2015, PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Third District Court of Appeal and posted a bond in the amount of $5 million.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: McCoy
Date:     July 2015

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard awarding $1.5 million in compensatory damages and allocating 20% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $300,000). The jury also awarded $3 million in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In July 2015, defendants filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial. In August 2015, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In January 2016, the trial court denied defendants’ post-trial motions and amended the final judgment to apply the comparative fault deduction. Subsequently, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal, PM USA posted a bond in the amount of approximately $1.65 million and plaintiff filed a notice of cross-appeal.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: M. Brown
Date:     May 2015

Verdict:
In May 2015, a Duval County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA in a partial retrial. In 2013, a jury returned a partial verdict against PM USA, but was deadlocked as to (i) the amount of compensatory damages, (ii) whether punitive damages should be awarded and, if so, (iii) the amount of punitive damages. In the partial retrial, the jury was asked to address these issues. In May 2015, the jury awarded $6.375 million in compensatory damages, but did not award any punitive damages.

Post-Trial Developments:
In May 2015, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $5 million. Additionally, PM USA filed post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, as well as filed a notice of appeal to the Florida First District Court of Appeal. In August 2015, the trial court denied the last of PM USA’s post-trial motions and plaintiff cross-appealed.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Gore
Date:     March 2015

Verdict:
An Indian River County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $2 million in compensatory damages and allocating 23% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $460,000).


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Post-Trial Developments:
In April 2015, defendants filed post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial. In September 2015, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In October 2015, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal and PM USA subsequently posted a bond in the amount of $460,000.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Pollari
Date:     March 2015

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $10 million in compensatory damages and allocating 42.5% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $4.25 million). The jury also awarded $1.5 million in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In April 2015, defendants filed post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial, and the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In January 2016, the trial court denied defendants’ post-trial motions and amended the final judgment to apply the comparative fault deduction. Also in January 2016, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $2.5 million. In February 2016, plaintiff cross-appealed.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Zamboni
Date:     February 2015

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding $340,000 in compensatory damages and allocating 10% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $34,000).

Post-Trial Developments:
In April 2015, PM USA and R.J. Reynolds filed a motion for judgment in defendants’ favor in accordance with the Eleventh Circuit’s decision in Graham. In June 2015, the trial court stayed the case pending the Eleventh Circuit’s final disposition in the Graham case, discussed below.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Caprio
Date:     February 2015

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a partial verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and Liggett Group LLC (“Liggett Group”). The jury found against defendants on class membership, allocating 25% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also found $559,172 in economic damages. The jury deadlocked with respect to the intentional torts, certain elements of compensatory damages and punitive damages.

Post-Trial Developments:
In March 2015, PM USA filed post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the partial verdict and for a new trial. In May 2015, the court denied all of PM USA’s post-trial motions and defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: McKeever
Date:     February 2015

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA awarding approximately $5.8 million in compensatory damages and allocating 60% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff approximately $11.63 million in punitive damages. However, the jury found in favor of PM USA on the statute of repose defense to plaintiff’s intentional tort and punitive damages claims.
 

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Post-Trial Developments:
In March 2015, PM USA filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and motions for a new trial. In April 2015, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In June 2015, the trial court denied PM USA’s post-trial motions, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $5 million. PM USA also filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal in June 2015.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: D. Brown
Date:     January 2015

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict against PM USA awarding plaintiff approximately $8.3 million in compensatory damages and allocating 55% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff $9 million in punitive damages.

Post-Trial Developments:
In February 2015, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In March 2015, PM USA filed various post-trial motions, including motions to alter or amend the judgment and for a new trial or, in the alternative, remittitur of the damages awards, all of which the court denied. In July 2015, PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In August 2015, the Court of Appeals granted PM USA’s motion to stay the appeal pending final disposition in the Graham case, discussed below.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Allen
Date:     November 2014

Verdict:
A Duval County jury returned a verdict against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding plaintiff approximately $3.1 million in compensatory damages and allocating 6% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded approximately $7.76 million in punitive damages against each defendant. This was a retrial of a 2011 trial that awarded plaintiff $6 million in compensatory damages and $17 million in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In December 2014, defendants filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and motions for a new trial, which the court denied in July 2015. In August 2015, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. Defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida First District Court of Appeal in September 2015 and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of approximately $2.5 million.
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Plaintiff: Perrotto
Date:     November 2014

Verdict:
A Palm Beach County jury returned a verdict against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and Liggett Group awarding plaintiff approximately $4.1 million in compensatory damages and allocating 25% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $1.02 million).

Post-Trial Developments:
In December 2014, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault, and plaintiff filed a motion for a new trial. In addition, in December 2014, defendants filed various post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and motions for a new trial.
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Plaintiff: Boatright
Date:     November 2014

Verdict:
A Polk County jury returned a verdict against PM USA and Liggett Group awarding plaintiff $15 million in compensatory damages and allocating 85% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $12.75 million). In addition, in November 2014, the jury awarded plaintiff approximately $19.7 million in punitive damages against PM USA and $300,000 in punitive damages against Liggett Group.

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Post-Trial Developments:
In November 2014, PM USA filed various post-trial motions and, in January 2015, the trial court denied PM USA’s motions for a new trial and for remittitur, but entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In February 2015, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $3.98 million.
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Plaintiff: Kerrivan
Date:     October 2014

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds awarding plaintiff $15.8 million in compensatory damages and allocating 50% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff $25.3 million in punitive damages and allocated $15.7 million to PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
The trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In December 2014, defendants filed various post-trial motions, including a renewed motion for judgment or for a new trial. Plaintiff agreed to waive the bond for the appeal. In May 2015, the trial court deferred further briefing on the post-trial motions pending the Eleventh Circuit’s final disposition in the Graham and Searcy cases, discussed below.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Lourie
Date:     October 2014

Verdict:
A Hillsborough County jury returned a verdict against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard awarding plaintiff approximately $1.37 million in compensatory damages and allocating 27% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $370,000).

Post-Trial Developments:
In October 2014, defendants filed a motion for judgment and a motion for a new trial. In November 2014, the trial court denied defendants’ post-trial motions and entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. Later in November 2014, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $370,318.
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Plaintiff: Berger
Date:     September 2014

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict against PM USA awarding plaintiff $6.25 million in compensatory damages and allocating 60% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded $20.76 million in punitive damages.

Post-Trial Developments:
The trial court entered final judgment in September 2014 without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In October 2014, plaintiff agreed to waive the bond for the appeal. Also in October 2014, PM USA filed a motion for a new trial or, in the alternative, remittitur of the jury’s damages awards. In April 2015, the trial court granted PM USA’s post-verdict motion in part and vacated the punitive damages award. In November 2015, the court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In December 2015, PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In April 2016, plaintiff filed a motion to reinstate the jury’s punitive damages award or, alternatively, for a new trial on punitive damages, citing the Soffer decision (allowing Engle progeny plaintiffs to seek punitive damages on their negligence and strict liability claims) discussed below under Engle Progeny Appellate Issues. Also in April 2016, PM USA filed a motion to stay post-trial proceedings pending the Eleventh Circuit’s final disposition in the Graham case, discussed below.
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Plaintiff: Harris
Date:    July 2014

Verdict:
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard awarding approximately $1.73 million in compensatory damages and allocating 15% of the fault to PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
Defendants filed motions for a defense verdict because the jury’s findings indicated that plaintiff was not a member of the Engle class. In December 2014, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault and, in January 2015, defendants filed a renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law or, in the alternative, a motion for a new trial. Defendants also filed a motion to alter or amend the final judgment. In April 2015, the trial court stayed the post-trial proceedings pending the Eleventh Circuit’s final disposition in the Graham case, discussed below.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Griffin
Date:    June 2014

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA awarding approximately $1.27 million in compensatory damages and allocating 50% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $630,000).

Post-Trial Developments:
The trial court entered final judgment against PM USA in July 2014 with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In August 2014, PM USA filed a motion to amend the judgment to reduce plaintiff’s damages by the amount paid by collateral sources, which the court denied in September 2014. In October 2014, PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $640,543 and filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In May 2015, the Eleventh Circuit stayed the appeal pending final disposition in the Graham case, discussed below.
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Plaintiff: Burkhart
Date:    May 2014

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard awarding $5 million in compensatory damages and allocating 15% of the fault to PM USA. The jury also awarded plaintiff $2.5 million in punitive damages, allocating $750,000 to PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
In July 2014, defendants filed post-trial motions, including a renewed motion for judgment or, alternatively, for a new trial or remittitur of the damages awards, which the court denied in September 2014. The trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In October 2014, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Plaintiff: Bowden
Date:    March 2014

Verdict:
A Duval County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded plaintiff $5 million in compensatory damages and allocated 30% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $1.5 million).

Post-Trial Developments:
The trial court entered final judgment in March 2014 with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In April 2014, defendants filed post-trial motions, including motions for a new trial and to set aside the verdict. In May 2014, the court denied defendants’ post-trial motions. In June 2014, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida First District Court of Appeal, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $1.5 million. In February 2016, the Florida First District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s decision in favor of plaintiff. In the first quarter of 2016, PM USA recorded a provision on its

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condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $1.6 million for the judgment plus interest.
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Plaintiff: Skolnick
Date:    June 2013

Verdict:
A Palm Beach County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded plaintiff $2.555 million in compensatory damages and allocated 30% of the fault to each defendant (an amount of $766,500).

Post-Trial Developments:
In June 2013, defendants and plaintiff filed post-trial motions. The trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In November 2013, the trial court denied plaintiff’s post-trial motion and, in December 2013, denied defendants’ post-trial motions. Defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal, and plaintiff cross-appealed in December 2013. Also in December 2013, PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $766,500. In July 2015, the District Court of Appeal reversed the compensatory damages award and ordered judgment in favor of defendants on the strict liability and negligence claims, but remanded plaintiff’s conspiracy and concealment claims for a new trial. In August 2015, defendants filed a motion for rehearing, and plaintiff filed a motion for clarification, which the District Court of Appeal denied in September 2015.
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Plaintiff: Starr-Blundell
Date:    June 2013

Verdict:
A Duval County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded plaintiff $500,000 in compensatory damages and allocated 10% of the fault to each defendant (an amount of $50,000).

Post-Trial Developments:
In June 2013, the defendants filed a motion to set aside the verdict and to enter judgment in accordance with their motion for directed verdict or, in the alternative, for a new trial, which was denied in October 2013. In November 2013, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In December 2013, plaintiff filed a notice of appeal to the Florida First District Court of Appeal. Plaintiff agreed to waive the bond for the appeal. In May 2015, the Florida First District Court of Appeal affirmed the final judgment. In June 2015, plaintiff filed a notice to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In July 2015, the Florida Supreme Court stayed the case pending the outcome of Soffer, discussed below under Engle Progeny Appellate Issues. In April 2016, the Florida Supreme Court ordered defendants to show cause as to why the case should not be remanded in light of the Soffer decision. In the first quarter of 2016, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $55,000 for the judgment plus interest and associated costs.
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Plaintiff: Graham
Date:    May 2013

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded $2.75 million in compensatory damages and allocated 10% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $275,000).

Post-Trial Developments:
In June 2013, defendants filed several post-trial motions, including motions for judgment as a matter of law and for a new trial, which the trial court denied in September 2013. The trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In October 2013, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit arguing that Engle progeny plaintiffs’ product liability claims are impliedly preempted by federal law, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $277,750. In April 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit found in favor of defendants on the basis of federal preemption, reversed the trial court’s denial of judgment as a matter of law, and plaintiff filed a petition for rehearing en banc or panel rehearing. In January 2016, the Eleventh Circuit granted a rehearing en banc on both the preemption and due process issues.
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Plaintiff: Searcy
Date:    April 2013

Verdict:
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded $6 million in compensatory damages (allocating 30% of the fault to each defendant) and $10 million in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In June 2013, the trial court entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In July 2013, defendants filed various post-trial motions, including motions requesting reductions in damages. In September 2013, the district court reduced the compensatory damages award to $1 million and the punitive damages award to $1.67 million against each defendant. The district court denied all other post-trial motions. Plaintiff filed a motion to reconsider the district court’s remittitur and, in the alternative, to certify the issue to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, both of which the court denied in October 2013. In November 2013, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In December 2013, defendants filed an amended notice of appeal after the district court corrected a clerical error in the final judgment, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of approximately $2.2 million.
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Plaintiff: Buchanan
Date:     December 2012

Verdict:
A Leon County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and Liggett Group. The jury awarded $5.5 million in compensatory damages and allocated 37% of the fault to each of the defendants.

Post-Trial Developments:
In December 2012, defendants filed several post-trial motions, including motions for a new trial and to set aside the verdict. In March 2013, the trial court denied all motions and entered final judgment against PM USA and Liggett Group without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In April 2013, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida First District Court of Appeal, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $2.5 million. In July 2014, the Florida First District Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment, but certified to the Florida Supreme Court the issue of the statute of repose, which was before the court in Hess. In August 2014, defendants filed a notice to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In September 2014, the Florida Supreme Court stayed the case pending the outcome of Hess. In April 2015, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the statute of repose defense in Hess, and PM USA moved for a rehearing. In September 2015, the Florida Supreme Court denied PM USA’s rehearing petition in Hess. In the third quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $4.1 million for the judgment plus interest and associated costs. In February 2016, the Florida Supreme Court declined to accept jurisdiction of PM USA’s petition for review and PM USA posted a rider increasing the amount of its bond to $5.5 million.
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Plaintiff: Hancock
Date:     August 2012        

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in the amount of zero damages and allocated 5% of the fault to each of the defendants (PM USA and R.J. Reynolds). The trial court granted an additur of approximately $110,000, which is subject to the jury’s comparative fault finding.

Post-Trial Developments:
In August 2012, defendants moved to set aside the verdict and to enter judgment in accordance with their motion for directed verdict. Defendants also moved to reduce damages, which motion the court granted. The trial court granted defendants’ motion to set off the damages award by the amount of economic damages paid by third parties, which will reduce further any final award. In October 2012, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault (PM USA’s portion of the damages was approximately $700) and PM USA filed a motion to amend the judgment to award PM USA attorneys’ fees of approximately $20,000. In November 2012, both sides filed notices of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal. Plaintiff agreed to waive the bond for the appeal. In April 2015, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s verdict. In May 2015, plaintiff filed a motion for rehearing and for a written opinion and rehearing en

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banc, which the Court of Appeal denied in June 2015. PM USA’s motion for a fee award remains pending.
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Plaintiff: Calloway
Date:     May 2012

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard and Liggett Group. The jury awarded approximately $21 million in compensatory damages and allocated 25% of the fault against PM USA. The jury also awarded approximately $17 million in punitive damages against PM USA, approximately $17 million in punitive damages against R.J. Reynolds, approximately $13 million in punitive damages against Lorillard and approximately $8 million in punitive damages against Liggett Group.

Post-Trial Developments:
In May and June 2012, defendants filed motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial. In August 2012, the trial court denied the remaining post-trial motions, reduced the compensatory damages to $16.1 million and entered final judgment without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In September 2012, PM USA posted a bond in an amount of $1.5 million and defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal. In August 2013, plaintiff filed a motion to determine the sufficiency of the bond in the trial court on the ground that the bond cap statute is unconstitutional, which the court denied. In January 2016, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal vacated the punitive damages award and remanded the case for retrial on plaintiff’s claims of concealment and conspiracy, and punitive damages. The court also found that the trial court should have applied the comparative fault deduction, reducing the compensatory damages against PM USA to $4.025 million. In February 2016, defendants and plaintiff filed respective rehearing motions. In March 2016, plaintiff filed a notice of supplemental authority citing the Soffer decision, discussed below under Engle Progeny Appellate Issues.
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Plaintiff: Hallgren
Date:     January 2012

Verdict:
A Highland County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded approximately $2 million in compensatory damages and allocated 25% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $500,000). The jury also awarded $750,000 in punitive damages against each of the defendants.

Post-Trial Developments:
The trial court entered final judgment in March 2012 with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In April 2012, PM USA posted a bond in an amount of approximately $1.25 million. In May 2012, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal. In October 2013, the Second District Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment. In November 2013, defendants filed a notice to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In June 2014, the Florida Supreme Court stayed the case pending the outcome of Russo (presenting the same statute of repose issue as Hess). In April 2015, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the statute of repose defense in the Hess and Russo cases, and defendants moved for a rehearing. Additionally, in April 2015, the Florida Supreme Court stayed the case pending the outcome of Soffer, discussed below under Engle Progeny Appellate Issues. In September 2015, the Florida Supreme Court denied PM USA’s rehearing petition in Hess and Russo. In October 2015, the Florida Supreme Court lifted its stay of the case and ordered defendants to show cause why the court should not decline to exercise jurisdiction, to which defendants responded. In January 2016, the Florida Supreme Court denied defendants’ petition for discretionary review, and PM USA amended its bond to post an additional amount of approximately $500,000. In the first quarter of 2016, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $2.2 million for the judgment plus interest, fees and associated costs.
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Plaintiff: Kayton (formerly Tate)
Date:     July 2010

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA. The jury awarded $8 million in compensatory damages and allocated 64% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $5.1 million). The jury also awarded approximately $16.2 million in punitive damages against PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
In August 2010, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault, and PM USA filed its

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notice of appeal and posted a $5 million bond. In November 2012, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed the punitive damages award and remanded the case for a new trial on plaintiff’s conspiracy claim. PM USA filed a motion for rehearing, which was denied in January 2013. In January 2013, plaintiff and defendant each filed a notice to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In June 2013, the Florida Supreme Court stayed the appeal pending the outcome of Hess. In April 2015, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the statute of repose defense in Hess, and PM USA moved for a rehearing. In September 2015, the Florida Supreme Court denied PM USA’s rehearing petition in Hess. In the third quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $28.2 million for the judgment plus interest and associated costs. In February 2016, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the trial court’s decision in favor of plaintiff, and PM USA posted a rider increasing the amount of its bond to $15 million. In April 2016, PM USA filed a motion in the trial court with regard to Florida’s bond cap statute, seeking to confirm that the stay on executing the judgment remains in effect through the completion of United States Supreme Court writ of certiorari review or until the time for moving for such review has expired, which the court granted. See additional discussion below under Florida Bond Statute.
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Plaintiff: Putney
Date:     April 2010

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA, R.J. Reynolds and Liggett Group. The jury awarded approximately $15.1 million in compensatory damages and allocated 15% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $2.3 million). The jury also awarded $2.5 million in punitive damages against PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
In August 2010, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. PM USA filed its notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal and, in November 2010, posted a $1.6 million bond. In June 2013, the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed and remanded the case for further proceedings, holding that the trial court erred in (1) not reducing the compensatory damages award as excessive and (2) not instructing the jury on the statute of repose in connection with plaintiff’s conspiracy claim that resulted in the $2.5 million punitive damages award. In July 2013, plaintiff filed a motion for rehearing, which the Fourth District Court of Appeal denied in August 2013. In September 2013, both parties filed notices to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In December 2013, the Florida Supreme Court stayed the appeal pending the outcome of the Hess case. In April 2015, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the statute of repose defense in Hess, and PM USA moved for a rehearing. In September 2015, the Florida Supreme Court denied PM USA’s rehearing petition in Hess. The case remains subject to further proceedings on compensatory damages in the trial court. In February 2016, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the trial court’s decision in favor of plaintiff and, in March 2016, clarified that its February 2016 order reinstated the trial court’s decision on the statute of repose only.
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Plaintiff: R. Cohen
Date:     March 2010

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and allocated 33 1/3% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $3.3 million). The jury also awarded a total of $20 million in punitive damages, assessing separate $10 million awards against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In July 2010, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In August 2010, PM USA filed its notice of appeal. In October 2010, PM USA posted a $2.5 million bond. In September 2012, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the compensatory damages award but reversed and remanded the punitive damages verdict. The Fourth District returned the case to the trial court for a new jury trial on plaintiff’s fraudulent concealment claim. In January 2013, plaintiff and defendants each filed a notice to invoke the discretionary jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court. In February 2013, the Fourth District granted defendants’ motion to stay the mandate. In March 2013, plaintiff filed a motion for review of the stay order with the Florida Supreme Court, which was denied in April 2013. In June 2013, plaintiff moved to consolidate with Hess and Kayton, which defendants did not oppose, but in October 2013, plaintiff withdrew the motion for consolidation. In February 2014, the Florida Supreme Court stayed the appeal pending the outcome of the Hess case. In April 2015, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the statute of repose defense in Hess, and PM USA moved for a rehearing. In September 2015, the Florida Supreme Court denied PM USA’s rehearing petition in Hess. In the third quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $17.9 million for the judgment plus

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interest and associated costs. In January 2016, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the trial court’s decision in favor of plaintiff. In February 2016, PM USA posted a rider increasing the amount of its bond to $7.5 million. In April 2016, PM USA filed a motion in the trial court with regard to Florida’s bond cap statute, seeking to confirm that the stay on executing the judgment remains in effect through the completion of United States Supreme Court writ of certiorari review or until the time for moving for such review has expired, which the court granted. See additional discussion below under Florida Bond Statute.
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Plaintiff: Naugle
Date:     November 2009

Verdict:
A Broward County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA. The jury awarded approximately $56.6 million in compensatory damages and $244 million in punitive damages. The jury allocated 90% of the fault to PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
In March 2010, the trial court entered final judgment reflecting a reduced award of approximately $13 million in compensatory damages and $26 million in punitive damages, but without any deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In April 2010, PM USA filed its notice of appeal and posted a $5 million bond. In August 2010, upon the motion of PM USA, the trial court entered an amended final judgment of approximately $12.3 million in compensatory damages and approximately $24.5 million in punitive damages to correct a clerical error. In June 2012, the Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed the amended final judgment. In July 2012, PM USA filed a motion for rehearing. In December 2012, the Fourth District withdrew its prior decision, reversed the verdict as to compensatory and punitive damages and returned the case to the trial court for a new trial on the question of damages. Upon retrial on the question of damages, in October 2013, the new jury awarded approximately $3.7 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages. In October 2013, PM USA filed post-trial motions, which the trial court denied in April 2014. In May 2014, PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal and plaintiff cross-appealed. Also in May 2014, PM USA filed a rider with the Florida Supreme Court to make the previously-posted Naugle bond applicable to the retrial judgment. In January 2016, the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s decision and remanded the case to the trial court to conduct a juror interview. In April 2016, PM USA moved for a new trial following the juror interview.
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Concluded Cases
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Plaintiff: Hess
Date:     February 2009

Verdict:
A Broward County jury found in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA. The jury awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and allocated 42% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of approximately $1.2 million). The jury also awarded $5 million in punitive damages.

Post-Trial Developments:
In June 2009, the trial court entered final judgment with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal and posted a $7 million bond in July 2009. In May 2012, the Fourth District reversed and vacated the punitive damages award on the basis that it was barred by the statute of repose and affirmed the judgment in all other respects, upholding the compensatory damages award of $1.26 million. In June 2012, both parties filed rehearing motions with the Fourth District, which were denied in September 2012. In October 2012, PM USA and plaintiff filed notices to invoke the Florida Supreme Court’s discretionary jurisdiction. In the first quarter of 2013, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $3.2 million for the compensatory damages component of the judgment plus interest and associated costs. In June 2013, the Florida Supreme Court accepted jurisdiction of plaintiff’s petition for review, but declined to accept jurisdiction of PM USA’s petition. In April 2015, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the statute of repose defense and reinstated the punitive damages award against PM USA, and PM USA moved for a rehearing. In September 2015, the Florida Supreme Court denied PM USA’s rehearing petition. In the third quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded an additional provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $6.6 million for the punitive damages component of the judgment plus interest and associated costs. In February 2016, PM USA paid the judgment plus interest and associated costs in the amount of approximately $10.6 million.
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Plaintiff: Greene (formerly Rizzuto)
Date:    August 2013

Verdict:
A Hernando County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and Liggett Group. The jury awarded plaintiff $12.55 million in compensatory damages and allocated 55% of the fault to PM USA.

Post-Trial Developments:
In September 2013, defendants filed post-trial motions, including a motion to reduce damages. In September 2013, the trial court granted a remittitur in part on economic damages, which the court reduced from $2.55 million to $1.1 million for a total award of $11.1 million in compensatory damages. The trial court entered final judgment without a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In July 2015, the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal found that the trial court should have applied the comparative fault deduction to the compensatory damages award. As a result, the judgment against PM USA was reduced to approximately $6.1 million. In September 2015, the Fifth District Court of Appeal denied PM USA’s motion for rehearing. In October 2015, PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $6.1 million. In the third quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $6.7 million for the judgment plus interest and associated costs. In February 2016, PM USA paid the judgment plus interest in the amount of approximately $6.8 million.
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Plaintiff: Goveia
Date:    February 2014

Verdict:
An Orange County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds. The jury awarded $850,000 in compensatory damages and allocated 35% of the fault against each defendant. The jury also awarded $2.25 million in punitive damages against each defendant.

Post-Trial Developments:
In February 2014, defendants filed post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial. In April 2014, the court denied defendants’ motions without a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In April 2014, defendants filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal. In May 2014, PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $2.5 million. In June 2015, the Fifth District Court of Appeal affirmed without opinion the trial court’s judgment in favor of plaintiff. On August 3, 2015, the Fifth District Court of Appeal denied PM USA’s motion to issue a written opinion. In the third quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $3.2 million for the judgment plus interest and associated costs, and paid this amount in August 2015.
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Plaintiff: Ruffo
Date:    May 2013

Verdict:
A Miami-Dade County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA and Lorillard. The jury awarded plaintiff $1.5 million in compensatory damages and allocated 12% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $180,000).

Post-Trial Developments:
In May 2013, defendants filed several post-trial motions, including motions for a new trial and to set aside the verdict, which the trial court denied in October 2013 and entered final judgment in favor of plaintiff with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault. In October 2013, PM USA and Lorillard appealed to the Florida Third District Court of Appeal, and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $180,000. In November 2014, the Florida Third District Court of Appeal affirmed the final judgment and, in the fourth quarter of 2014, PM USA recorded a provision on its consolidated balance sheet of approximately $193,000 for the judgment plus interest. In June 2015, PM USA paid the judgment plus interest and associated costs in the amount of $200,212.
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Plaintiff: Cuculino
Date:    January 2014

Verdict:
A Miami-Dade County jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiff and against PM USA. The jury awarded plaintiff $12.5 million in compensatory damages and allocated 40% of the fault to PM USA (an amount of $5 million).

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Post-Trial Developments:
In January 2014, the court entered final judgment against PM USA with a deduction for plaintiff’s comparative fault, and PM USA filed post-trial motions, including motions to set aside the verdict and for a new trial. In March 2014 and April 2014, the court denied PM USA’s post-trial motions. Also in April 2014, PM USA filed a notice of appeal to the Florida Third District Court of Appeal, plaintiff cross-appealed and PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $5 million. In May 2015, the Florida Third District Court of Appeal affirmed the final judgment. In the second quarter of 2015, PM USA recorded a provision on its condensed consolidated balance sheet of approximately $5.3 million for the judgment plus interest and associated costs and paid this amount in June 2015.
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Engle Progeny Appellate Issues

Three Florida federal district courts (in the Merlob, B. Brown and Burr cases) ruled in 2008 that the findings in the first phase of the Engle proceedings cannot be used to satisfy elements of plaintiffs’ claims, and two of those rulings (B. Brown and Burr) were certified by the trial court for interlocutory review. The certification in both cases was granted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the appeals were consolidated. The appeal in Burr was dismissed for lack of prosecution, and the case was ultimately dismissed on statute of limitations grounds.

In July 2010, the Eleventh Circuit ruled in B. Brown that, as a matter of Florida law, plaintiffs do not have an unlimited right to use the findings from the original Engle trial to meet their burden of establishing the elements of their claims at trial. The Eleventh Circuit did not reach the issue of whether the use of the Engle findings violates defendants’ due process rights. Rather, the court held that plaintiffs may only use the findings to establish those specific facts, if any, that they demonstrate with a reasonable degree of certainty were actually decided by the original Engle jury. The Eleventh Circuit remanded the case to the district court to determine what specific factual findings the Engle jury actually made.

After the remand of B. Brown, several state appellate rulings superseded the Eleventh Circuit’s ruling on Florida state law. These cases include Martin, a case against R.J. Reynolds in Escambia County, and J. Brown, a case against R.J. Reynolds in Broward County. In December 2011, petitions for writ of certiorari were filed with the United States Supreme Court by R.J. Reynolds in Campbell, Martin, Gray and Hall and by PM USA and Liggett Group in Campbell. The United States Supreme Court denied defendants’ certiorari petitions in March 2012.

In Douglas, in March 2012, the Florida Second District Court of Appeal issued a decision affirming the judgment of the trial court in favor of the plaintiff and upholding the use of the Engle jury findings with respect to strict liability claims but certified to the Florida Supreme Court the question of whether granting res judicata effect to the Engle jury findings violates defendants’ federal due process rights. In March 2013, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the final judgment entered in favor of plaintiff upholding the use of the Engle jury findings with respect to strict liability and negligence claims. PM USA filed its petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court in August 2013, which the court denied in October 2013.

Meanwhile, in the Waggoner case, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida ruled in December 2011 that application of the Engle findings to establish the wrongful conduct elements of plaintiffs’ claims consistent with Martin or J. Brown did not violate defendants’ due process rights.  PM USA and the other defendants sought appellate review of the due process ruling. In February 2012, the district court denied the motion for interlocutory appeal, but did apply the ruling to all active pending federal Engle progeny cases. As a result, R.J. Reynolds appealed the rulings in the Walker and Duke cases to the Eleventh Circuit, which ultimately rejected the due process defense. In March 2014, R.J. Reynolds filed petitions for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court in the Walker and Duke cases, as well as in J. Brown. Defendants filed petitions for writ of certiorari in eight other Engle progeny cases that were tried in Florida state courts, including one case, Barbanell, in which PM USA was the defendant. In these eight petitions, defendants asserted questions similar to those in Walker, Duke and J. Brown. In June 2014, the United States Supreme Court denied defendants’ petitions for writ of certiorari in all 11 cases.

In Graham, an Engle progeny case against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, in April 2015 the court, found in favor of defendants on the basis of federal preemption, reversing the trial court’s denial of judgment as a matter of law. Thereafter, plaintiff filed a petition for rehearing en banc, which the Eleventh Circuit granted in January 2016. The Eleventh Circuit directed the parties to file briefs and argue both the federal preemption and due process issues. Also in January 2016, in Marotta, a case against R.J. Reynolds on appeal to the Florida Fourth District Court of

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Appeal, the court rejected R.J. Reynolds’s federal preemption defense, but noted the conflict with Graham and certified the preemption question to the Florida Supreme Court. In March 2016, the Florida Supreme Court accepted review of Marotta.

In Searcy, an Engle progeny case against PM USA and R.J. Reynolds on appeal to the Eleventh Circuit, defendants argued that application of the Engle findings to the Engle progeny plaintiffs’ concealment and conspiracy claims violated defendants’ due process rights. The appeal is pending.

In Soffer, an Engle progeny case against R.J. Reynolds, the Florida First District Court of Appeal held that Engle progeny plaintiffs can recover punitive damages only on their intentional tort claims. In February 2014, the Florida Supreme Court accepted jurisdiction over plaintiff’s appeal from the Florida First District Court of Appeal’s decision. In March 2016, the Florida Supreme Court held that Engle progeny plaintiffs can recover punitive damages in connection with all of their claims. Plaintiffs have increasingly relied on this Florida Supreme Court decision at the trial and appellate court levels in seeking punitive damages in connection with all of their claims.

In Ciccone, an Engle progeny case against R.J. Reynolds, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal held that Engle progeny plaintiffs could establish class membership by showing that they developed symptoms during the Engle class period that could, in hindsight, be attributed to their smoking-related disease. The court certified a conflict with Castleman, a Florida First District Court of Appeal decision, which held that manifestation requires Engle progeny plaintiffs to have been aware during the class period that they had a disease caused by smoking in order to establish class membership. The Florida Supreme Court accepted jurisdiction in the Ciccone case in June 2014 and, in March 2016, ruled in favor of plaintiff, approving the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s definition.

Florida Bond Statute

In June 2009, Florida amended its existing bond cap statute by adding a $200 million bond cap that applies to all state Engle progeny lawsuits in the aggregate and establishes individual bond caps for individual Engle progeny cases in amounts that vary depending on the number of judgments in effect at a given time. Plaintiffs in three state Engle progeny cases against R.J. Reynolds in Alachua County, Florida (Alexander, Townsend and Hall) and one case in Escambia County (Clay) challenged the constitutionality of the bond cap statute. The Florida Attorney General intervened in these cases in defense of the constitutionality of the statute.

Trial court rulings were rendered in Clay, Alexander, Townsend and Hall rejecting the plaintiffs’ bond cap statute challenges in those cases. The plaintiffs unsuccessfully appealed these rulings. In Alexander, Clay and Hall, the District Court of Appeal for the First District of Florida affirmed the trial court decisions and certified the decision in Hall for appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, but declined to certify the question of the constitutionality of the bond cap statute in Clay and Alexander. The Florida Supreme Court granted review of the Hall decision, but, in September 2012, the court dismissed the appeal as moot. In October 2012, the Florida Supreme Court denied the plaintiffs’ rehearing petition. In August 2013, in Calloway, discussed further above, plaintiff filed a motion in the trial court to determine the sufficiency of the bond posted by defendants on the ground that the bond cap statute is unconstitutional, which was denied.

In February 2016, in the Sikes case against R.J. Reynolds, the trial court held that Florida’s bond cap statute does not stay the execution of judgment after a case is final in the Florida judicial system and before the defendant files a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. The District Court of Appeal for the First District of Florida issued an order staying execution of the judgment and requesting that plaintiff show cause why the stay should not remain in effect through the completion of United States Supreme Court writ of certiorari review or until the time for moving for such review has expired. In April 2016, the District Court of Appeal held that the bond cap applies to the period between a Florida Supreme Court ruling and completion of United States Supreme Court writ of certiorari review. In April 2016, PM USA filed motions in the trial court in the R. Cohen and Kayton cases seeking confirmation that the stay on executing the judgment remains in effect through the completion of United States Supreme Court writ of certiorari review or until the time for moving for such review has expired, which the court granted.

No federal court has yet addressed the constitutionality of the bond cap statute or the applicability of the bond cap to Engle progeny cases tried in federal court.

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Other Smoking and Health Class Actions

Since the dismissal in May 1996 of a purported nationwide class action brought on behalf of allegedly addicted smokers, plaintiffs have filed numerous putative smoking and health class action suits in various state and federal courts. In general, these cases purport to be brought on behalf of residents of a particular state or states (although a few cases purport to be nationwide in scope) and raise addiction claims and, in many cases, claims of physical injury as well.

Class certification has been denied or reversed by courts in 60 smoking and health class actions involving PM USA in Arkansas (1), California (1), the District of Columbia (2), Florida (2), Illinois (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), Nevada (29), New Jersey (6), New York (2), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (1), Puerto Rico (1), South Carolina (1), Texas (1) and Wisconsin (1).

As of April 25, 2016, PM USA and Altria Group, Inc. are named as defendants, along with other cigarette manufacturers, in seven class actions filed in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario. In Saskatchewan, British Columbia (two separate cases) and Ontario, plaintiffs seek class certification on behalf of individuals who suffer or have suffered from various diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, heart disease or cancer, after smoking defendants’ cigarettes. In the actions filed in Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia, plaintiffs seek certification of classes of all individuals who smoked defendants’ cigarettes. See Guarantees and Other Similar Matters below for a discussion of the Distribution Agreement between Altria Group, Inc. and PMI that provides for indemnities for certain liabilities concerning tobacco products.

Medical Monitoring Class Actions

In medical monitoring actions, plaintiffs seek to recover the cost for, or otherwise the implementation of, court-supervised programs for ongoing medical monitoring purportedly on behalf of a class of individual plaintiffs. Plaintiffs in these cases seek to impose liability under various product-based causes of action and the creation of a court-supervised program providing members of the purported class Low Dose CT (“LDCT”) scanning in order to identify and diagnose lung cancer. Plaintiffs in these cases do not seek punitive damages, although plaintiffs in Donovan sought permission from the court to seek to treble any damages awarded, which the court denied. The future defense of these cases may be negatively impacted by evolving medical standards and practice.

One medical monitoring class action is currently pending against PM USA. In Donovan, filed in December 2006 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, plaintiffs purportedly brought the action on behalf of the state’s residents who are: age 50 or older; have smoked the Marlboro brand for 20 pack-years or more; and have neither been diagnosed with lung cancer nor are under investigation by a physician for suspected lung cancer. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, in answering questions certified to it by the district court, held in October 2009 that under certain circumstances state law recognizes a claim by individual smokers for medical monitoring despite the absence of an actual injury. The court also ruled that whether or not the case is barred by the applicable statute of limitations is a factual issue to be determined at trial. The case was remanded to federal court for further proceedings. In June 2010, the district court granted in part the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification, certifying the class as to plaintiffs’ claims for breach of implied warranty and violation of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, but denying certification as to plaintiffs’ negligence claim. In July 2010, PM USA petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for appellate review of the class certification decision. The petition was denied in September 2010. As a remedy, plaintiffs have proposed a 28-year medical monitoring program with a cost in excess of $190 million. In October 2011, PM USA filed a motion for class decertification, which motion was denied in March 2012. In February 2013, the district court amended the class definition to extend to individuals who satisfy the class membership criteria through February 26, 2013, and to exclude any individual who was not a Massachusetts resident as of February 26, 2013.

In July 2015, both parties filed various motions, including motions for partial summary judgment and to exclude certain evidence. In October 2015, the district court granted PM USA’s motion for partial summary judgment holding that e-vapor products may not be deemed an alternative design for ordinary cigarettes. In February 2016, the trial court jury returned a verdict in favor of PM USA on the warranty claim. In March 2016, PM USA filed a motion for judgment on plaintiffs’ Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act claim based on the jury’s verdict, which the court denied in April 2016.


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Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation

Overview

In the health care cost recovery litigation, governmental entities seek reimbursement of health care cost expenditures allegedly caused by tobacco products and, in some cases, of future expenditures and damages. Relief sought by some but not all plaintiffs includes punitive damages, multiple damages and other statutory damages and penalties, injunctions prohibiting alleged marketing and sales to minors, disclosure of research, disgorgement of profits, funding of anti-smoking programs, additional disclosure of nicotine yields, and payment of attorney and expert witness fees.

The claims asserted include the claim that cigarette manufacturers were “unjustly enriched” by plaintiffs’ payment of health care costs allegedly attributable to smoking, as well as claims of indemnity, negligence, strict liability, breach of express and implied warranty, violation of a voluntary undertaking or special duty, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, conspiracy, public nuisance, claims under federal and state statutes governing consumer fraud, antitrust, deceptive trade practices and false advertising, and claims under federal and state anti-racketeering statutes.

Defenses raised include lack of proximate cause, remoteness of injury, failure to state a valid claim, lack of benefit, adequate remedy at law, “unclean hands” (namely, that plaintiffs cannot obtain equitable relief because they participated in, and benefited from, the sale of cigarettes), lack of antitrust standing and injury, federal preemption, lack of statutory authority to bring suit and statutes of limitations. In addition, defendants argue that they should be entitled to “set off” any alleged damages to the extent the plaintiffs benefit economically from the sale of cigarettes through the receipt of excise taxes or otherwise. Defendants also argue that these cases are improper because plaintiffs must proceed under principles of subrogation and assignment. Under traditional theories of recovery, a payor of medical costs (such as an insurer) can seek recovery of health care costs from a third party solely by “standing in the shoes” of the injured party. Defendants argue that plaintiffs should be required to bring any actions as subrogees of individual health care recipients and should be subject to all defenses available against the injured party.

Although there have been some decisions to the contrary, most judicial decisions in the United States have dismissed all or most health care cost recovery claims against cigarette manufacturers. Nine federal circuit courts of appeals and eight state appellate courts, relying primarily on grounds that plaintiffs’ claims were too remote, have ordered or affirmed dismissals of health care cost recovery actions. The United States Supreme Court has refused to consider plaintiffs’ appeals from the cases decided by five circuit courts of appeals.

Individuals and associations have also sued in purported class actions or as private attorneys general under the Medicare as Secondary Payer (“MSP”) provisions of the Social Security Act to recover from defendants Medicare expenditures allegedly incurred for the treatment of smoking-related diseases. Cases were brought in New York (2), Florida (2) and Massachusetts (1). All were dismissed by federal courts.

In addition to the cases brought in the United States, health care cost recovery actions have also been brought against tobacco industry participants, including PM USA and Altria Group, Inc., in Israel (dismissed), the Marshall Islands (dismissed) and Canada (10), and other entities have stated that they are considering filing such actions.

In September 2005, in the first of several health care cost recovery cases filed in Canada, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that legislation passed in British Columbia permitting the lawsuit is constitutional, and, as a result, the case, which had previously been dismissed by the trial court, was permitted to proceed. PM USA’s and other defendants’ challenge to the British Columbia court’s exercise of jurisdiction was rejected by the Court of Appeals of British Columbia and, in April 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada denied review of that decision.

Since the beginning of 2008, the Canadian Provinces of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia have brought health care reimbursement claims against cigarette manufacturers. PM USA is named as a defendant in the British Columbia and Quebec cases, while both Altria Group, Inc. and PM USA are named as defendants in the New Brunswick, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia cases. The Nunavut Territory and Northwest Territory have passed similar legislation. See Guarantees and Other Similar Matters below for a discussion of the Distribution Agreement between Altria Group, Inc. and PMI that provides for indemnities for certain liabilities concerning tobacco products.

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Settlements of Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation

In November 1998, PM USA and certain other United States tobacco product manufacturers entered into the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (the “MSA”) with 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas to settle asserted and unasserted health care cost recovery and other claims. PM USA and certain other United States tobacco product manufacturers had previously entered into agreements to settle similar claims brought by Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Minnesota (together with the MSA, the “State Settlement Agreements”). The State Settlement Agreements require that the original participating manufacturers or “OPMs” (now PM USA and R.J. Reynolds and, with respect to the brands it acquired from R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard, Imperial Tobacco Group) make annual payments of approximately $9.4 billion, subject to adjustments for several factors, including inflation, market share and industry volume. In addition, the OPMs are required to pay settling plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees, subject to an annual cap of $500 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, the aggregate amount recorded in cost of sales with respect to the State Settlement Agreements was approximately $1.2 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively. The 2016 amount included an increase to cost of sales of approximately $12 million related to NPM Adjustment Items discussed below.

The State Settlement Agreements also include provisions relating to advertising and marketing restrictions, public disclosure of certain industry documents, limitations on challenges to certain tobacco control and underage use laws, restrictions on lobbying activities and other provisions.

NPM Adjustment Disputes

PM USA is participating in proceedings regarding potential downward adjustments (the “NPM Adjustment”) to MSA payments made by manufacturers that are signatories to the MSA (the “participating manufacturers” or “PMs”) for 2003-2015. The NPM Adjustment is a reduction in MSA payments that applies if the PMs collectively lose at least a specified level of market share to non-participating manufacturers (“NPMs”) between 1997 and the year at issue, subject to certain conditions and defenses. The independent auditor appointed under the MSA calculates the maximum amount, if any, of the NPM Adjustment for any year in respect of which such NPM Adjustment is potentially applicable.

2003-2014 NPM Adjustment Disputes - Settlement with 24 States and Territories and Settlement with New York

PM USA has settled the NPM Adjustment disputes for the years 2003-2012 with 24 of the 52 MSA states and territories (these 24 states and territories are referred to as the “signatory states,” and the remaining MSA states and territories are referred to as the “non-signatory states”). Pursuant to the settlement with these 24 signatory states, PM USA has received a total of $599 million for 2003-2012 in the form of reductions to its MSA payments in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

In addition, the settlement provides that the NPM Adjustment provision will be revised and streamlined as to the signatory states for the years after 2012. Under the revised provision, the 2013 and 2014 NPM Adjustments were “transition years,” for which the PMs received specified payments in settlement of the NPM Adjustments for those years. PM USA received $38 million for the 2013 transition year and $41 million for the 2014 transition year pursuant to this revised provision in the form of reductions to its MSA payments in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The revised NPM Adjustment provision in the settlement provides that, for 2015 and subsequent years, there is a potential downward adjustment to the PMs’ MSA payment relating to NPM sales on which state excise tax (“SET”) is paid.  Pursuant to such adjustment, each signatory state will pay an amount to the OPMs tied to the number of NPM cigarettes sold during the year at issue on which that state collected its SET (or, potentially, on which a comparable tax was collected) but on which that state did not collect escrow (“non-compliant NPM sales”). These payments will be made in the form of future reductions to MSA payments by the OPMs. This adjustment for SET-paid NPM sales is subject to certain exceptions and to a “safe harbor” under which a state does not owe any payment if the number or percentage of non-compliant NPM sales is below certain stated benchmarks.  In addition, the settlement further provides that the NPM Adjustment for 2015 and subsequent years will continue to apply to the signatory states, subject to certain defenses, but that those states will receive a partial liability reduction tied to the percentage of NPM sales nationwide during the year at issue on which either an MSA state has collected SET (or potentially a comparable tax is collected) or, potentially, Mississippi, Florida, Texas or Minnesota collected an equity fee (as defined in the settlement) on cigarettes sold by NPMs in those respective states.  The amount (if any) of the potential adjustment relating to SET-paid NPM sales for 2015 and the amount of the partial liability reduction for 2015 have not yet been determined. In addition, proceedings to determine the availability of and defenses to the 2015 NPM Adjustment as to the signatory states will likely not take place for a considerable period of time. The OPMs have agreed that the amounts they receive under the settlement for the 2013-2014 transition years and for subsequent years from the signatory states will be allocated among them pursuant to a formula that modifies the MSA

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allocation formula in a manner favorable to PM USA, although the extent to which it remains favorable to PM USA will depend upon future developments.

Many of the non-signatory states objected to the settlement before the arbitration panel hearing the 2003 NPM Adjustment dispute. In March 2013, the panel issued a stipulated partial settlement and award (the “Stipulated Award”) rejecting the objections and permitting the settlement to proceed. In the Stipulated Award, the arbitration panel also ruled that the total 2003 NPM Adjustment would be reduced pro rata by the aggregate allocable share of the signatory states to determine the maximum amount of the 2003 NPM Adjustment potentially available from the non-signatory states whose diligent enforcement claims the PMs continued to contest (the “pro rata judgment reduction”).

Fourteen of the non-signatory states filed motions in their state courts to vacate and/or modify the Stipulated Award in whole or part. Decisions by the Pennsylvania, Missouri and Maryland courts on such motions, and the subsequent appeals of those rulings, are discussed below.  One state’s motion was denied without an appeal by the state. Another state’s motions remain pending in its state trial court. As for the remaining states, rulings rejecting their motions to vacate the Stipulated Award have been affirmed on appeal, or the motions have been voluntarily dismissed or stayed pending further state action.

In October 2015, PM USA, along with the other PMs, settled the 2004-2014 NPM Adjustment disputes with New York. The New York settlement is separate from the settlement with the 24 signatory states and is different from that settlement in certain respects. Pursuant to the New York settlement, PM USA received approximately $126 million for 2004-2014 in the form of a reduction to its MSA payment in 2016. PM USA previously recorded $126 million as a reduction to cost of sales in the third quarter of 2015 to reflect the New York settlement in its estimate of MSA expenses related to prior years. In addition, the New York settlement provides that the NPM Adjustment provision will be revised as to New York for the years after 2014. The revised provision with respect to NPM cigarettes on which New York SET is paid is largely similar to the revised provision in the settlement with the 24 signatory states with respect to an adjustment relating to SET-paid NPM sales. As to other NPM cigarettes, the New York settlement provides that, in lieu of the NPM Adjustment provision for years after 2014, New York will make annual payments to the PMs tied to the number of NPM cigarettes on which New York did not collect SET that were sold on or through Native American reservations located in New York (or otherwise met the standard in the settlement agreement) during the year at issue to New York consumers. These annual payments will be made in the form of reductions to future MSA payments by the PMs, beginning with the MSA payment in 2017. The OPMs have agreed that the amounts they receive under the New York settlement for the years after 2014 will be allocated among them pursuant to a formula that modifies the MSA allocation formula in a manner favorable to PM USA, although the extent to which it remains favorable to PM USA will depend upon future developments. Under the New York settlement, in return for the payments described above and other consideration described in the New York settlement, the PMs have released New York from the NPM Adjustment provision for all years except as provided in the New York settlement.

2003 and Subsequent NPM Adjustment Disputes - Continuing Disputes with Non-Signatory States other than New York

PM USA has continued to pursue the NPM Adjustments for 2003 and subsequent years with respect to the non-signatory states other than New York. Under the MSA, once all conditions for the NPM Adjustment for a particular year are met (including the condition that the disadvantages of the MSA were a “significant factor” contributing to the PMs’ collective loss of market share), each state may avoid an NPM Adjustment to its share of the PMs’ MSA payments for that year by establishing that it diligently enforced a qualifying escrow statute during the entirety of that year. Such a state’s share of the NPM Adjustment would then be reallocated to any states that are found not to have diligently enforced for that year. For 2003-2014, all conditions for the NPM Adjustment have been met, either by determination or agreement among the parties (although the parties’ agreement provides that the “significant factor” condition for 2014 will become effective in February 2017).

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2003 NPM Adjustment. With one exception (Montana), the courts have ruled that the states’ claims of diligent enforcement are to be submitted to arbitration. PM USA and other PMs entered into an agreement with most of the MSA states and territories concerning the 2003 NPM Adjustment, under which such states and territories would receive a partial liability reduction of 20% for the 2003 NPM Adjustment in the event the arbitration panel determined that they did not diligently enforce during 2003. The Montana state courts ruled that Montana may litigate its diligent enforcement claims in state court, rather than in arbitration. In June 2012, the PMs and Montana entered a consent decree pursuant to which Montana would not be subject to the 2003 NPM Adjustment.

In September 2013, the arbitration panel issued rulings regarding the 15 states and territories whose diligent enforcement the PMs contested that had not as of that time joined the settlement, ruling that six of them (Indiana,

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Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico and Pennsylvania) did not diligently enforce during 2003 and that nine of them did. Based on this ruling, the PMs were entitled to receive from the six non-diligent states the entire 2003 NPM Adjustment remaining after the pro rata judgment reduction. PM USA believed it was entitled to receive an NPM Adjustment for 2003 based on this ruling, after reflecting the 20% partial liability reduction noted above, of approximately $145 million. PM USA recorded this $145 million as a reduction to cost of sales, which increased its reported pre-tax earnings in the third quarter of 2013. In addition, PM USA believed it would be entitled to interest on this amount of approximately $89 million. PM USA recorded $64 million of this amount as interest income, which reduced interest and other debt expense, net in the first quarter of 2014, but did not record the remaining $25 million based on its assessment of certain disputes concerning interest discussed below.

After PM USA recorded these amounts, two of the six non-diligent states (Indiana and Kentucky) joined the settlement and became signatory states.  Those two states account for (i) $37 million of the $145 million NPM Adjustment for 2003 that PM USA recorded and (ii) $17 million of the interest that PM USA recorded.  PM USA has retained those amounts from the two states, and has received additional amounts as part of the settlement recoveries for the 2003-2012 NPM Adjustment disputes described above. The remaining four states account for approximately (i) $108 million of the $145 million 2003 NPM Adjustment that PM USA recorded and (ii) $66 million of the $89 million of interest to which PM USA believed it would be entitled on the $145 million (and $47 million of the $64 million of interest that PM USA recorded). Each of these four states filed a motion in its state court to (i) vacate the panel’s ruling as to its diligence and (ii) modify the pro rata judgment reduction and to substitute a reduction method more favorable to the state. These four states also raised a dispute concerning the independent auditor’s calculation of interest. In addition, another OPM has raised a dispute concerning the allocation of the interest and disputed payments account earnings among the OPMs.

In April 2014, a Pennsylvania state trial court denied Pennsylvania’s motion to vacate the arbitration panel’s ruling that Pennsylvania had not diligently enforced, but granted Pennsylvania’s motion to modify, with respect to Pennsylvania, the pro rata judgment reduction. In April 2015, a Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court affirmed the trial court’s modification, with respect to Pennsylvania, of the pro rata judgment reduction. In December 2015, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania denied PM USA’s petition for further judicial review of the Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court decision. Because the Pennsylvania state trial court ruling preceded PM USA’s 2014 MSA payment date, the total 2014 MSA payment credit PM USA received on account of the 2003 NPM Adjustment from the four states was reduced from $108 million to $79 million, and the interest PM USA received from the four states was $48 million rather than the $66 million in interest to which PM USA believed it would be entitled from those four states. As a result of the denial by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania of PM USA’s petition for review of the intermediate appellate court ruling on the modification of the pro rata judgment reduction method, PM USA reversed $29 million of the reduction to cost of sales and $13 million of the interest income that had been previously recorded in respect of Pennsylvania for the 2003 NPM Adjustment, which reduced its reported pre-tax earnings by approximately $42 million in the fourth quarter of 2015. In April 2016, PM USA filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court.

In July 2014, a Maryland state trial court denied both Maryland’s motion to vacate the arbitration panel’s ruling that Maryland had not diligently enforced and Maryland’s motion to vacate or modify the pro rata judgment reduction. Maryland appealed both decisions. In October 2015, a Maryland intermediate appellate court reversed the Maryland trial court’s ruling on the pro rata judgment reduction method and applied a judgment reduction method that is more favorable to the state. PM USA sought further discretionary review of this decision in the Maryland Court of Appeals but, in February 2016, the Court of Appeals denied PM USA’s petition. As a result, PM USA returned approximately $12 million of the 2003 NPM Adjustment and $7 million of the interest it received (plus interest on those amounts). In addition, PM USA recorded a corresponding reduction to its pre-tax earnings in the first quarter of 2016.

In May 2014, a Missouri state trial court denied Missouri’s motion to vacate the arbitration panel’s ruling that Missouri had not diligently enforced, but granted Missouri’s motion to modify, with respect to Missouri, the pro rata judgment reduction. In September 2015, however, a Missouri intermediate appellate court reversed the Missouri state trial court’s ruling that modified the pro rata judgment reduction, effectively reinstating the application of that reduction method to Missouri. The Supreme Court of Missouri granted Missouri’s request for review of the intermediate appellate court decision. If Missouri is successful on further judicial review of the Missouri intermediate appellate court’s ruling reversing the Missouri trial court ruling, PM USA will be required to return approximately $12 million of the 2003 NPM Adjustment and $7 million of the interest it received (in each case subject to confirmation by the

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independent auditor), plus applicable interest, and would need to make corresponding reversals to amounts previously recorded. In connection with its appeal of the Missouri state trial court’s ruling, PM USA posted a bond in the amount of $22 million, which will remain in place despite the reversal of the Missouri state trial court’s ruling by the intermediate appellate court until all appeals are exhausted. In February 2016, PM USA and other PMs entered into an agreement with the State of Missouri to settle the NPM Adjustment disputes.  The settlement is contingent upon Missouri’s enactment by June 3, 2016 of certain amendments to its existing escrow statute.  Similar to the settlement of these disputes with 24 other signatory states, the settlement with Missouri would resolve the disputes for the years 2003-2012 and treat 2013-2014 as “transition years.”  If the settlement becomes final, PM USA will retain the full $36 million it previously received as a result of an arbitration panel’s ruling that Missouri did not diligently enforce its escrow statue during 2003 and will receive an additional approximately $18 million in the form of a reduction to the next MSA payment following the settlement’s finalization.  In addition, if the settlement becomes final, the NPM Adjustment provision will be revised and streamlined as to Missouri for the years after 2014 in the same way as for the signatory states. The OPMs have agreed that the amounts they receive from Missouri under the settlement for the years after 2014 will be allocated among them pursuant to a formula that modifies the MSA allocation formula in a manner favorable to PM USA, although the extent to which it remains favorable to PM USA will depend upon future developments.

The motions filed by the fourth state, New Mexico, remain pending in its state trial court. This and the other litigation and disputes discussed above could further reduce PM USA’s recovery on the 2003 NPM Adjustment or recovery of interest and potentially require PM USA to return amounts previously received and/or reverse amounts previously recorded. No assurance can be given that the litigation and disputes discussed above will be resolved in a manner favorable to PM USA. In addition, PM USA cannot predict whether Missouri will enact the necessary amendments to its escrow statute and whether the settlement with Missouri will become final.

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2004 and Subsequent NPM Adjustments. PM USA believes that the MSA requires the states’ diligent enforcement claims for 2004 and thereafter to be determined in multi-state arbitrations, although a number of non-signatory states filed motions in their state courts contending that the claims are to be determined in separate arbitrations for individual states or that there is no arbitrable dispute for 2004. In September 2015, a Missouri intermediate appellate court ruled that Missouri was entitled to a single-state arbitration to determine whether Missouri diligently enforced for 2004. PM USA appealed this ruling, and the Supreme Court of Missouri granted review. No assurance can be given that the outcome of such appeal will be favorable to PM USA. As discussed above, PM USA has reached a contingent settlement of the NPM Adjustment disputes with Missouri, but no assurance can be given that the settlement will become final. In December 2015, a Wisconsin trial court ruled that Wisconsin must arbitrate its claim of diligent enforcement for 2004, and Wisconsin has since agreed to join the 2004 diligent enforcement arbitration.

In June 2015, PM USA entered into an agreement with 17 of the non-signatory states to form an arbitration panel to conduct an arbitration regarding the 2004 NPM Adjustment. Pursuant to that agreement, in July 2015 PM USA and the 17 states each appointed its respective side’s arbitrator for that arbitration panel. In December 2015, the two appointed arbitrators selected the third arbitrator for a three-arbitrator panel required by the MSA. Other PMs declined to participate in appointing the arbitrators, and instead filed motions in courts in each of the 17 states seeking to compel these states to participate in an arbitration of the 2004 NPM Adjustment dispute between the states and the PMs that would also include disputes solely between the OPMs regarding the allocation of NPM Adjustments as between them (the “inter-company disputes”). Several of the 17 states and PM USA filed cross-motions objecting to the motions filed by the other PMs and seeking to confirm the arbitrators selected by them in July 2015 as properly selected pursuant to the MSA to resolve the 2004 NPM Adjustment dispute between the 17 states and the PMs. PM USA, the 17 states and the other PMs have resolved these disputes and are proceeding to move forward with the 2004 diligent enforcement arbitration, which is expected to commence later this year. The 2004 arbitration will proceed before two separate arbitration panels, with certain states’ claims of diligent enforcement decided by one panel and certain other states’ claims of diligent enforcement decided by the other panel. These two arbitration panels will have two arbitrators in common. In addition, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Maryland have agreed to join in the 2004 diligent enforcement arbitration. As part of the resolution of these disputes, the OPMs have agreed that the inter-company disputes will be heard by a separate arbitration panel.

Proceedings regarding diligent enforcement claims for 2005 and subsequent years have not yet been scheduled. No assurance can be given as to when proceedings for 2005 and subsequent years will be scheduled or the precise form those proceedings will take.

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The independent auditor has calculated that PM USA’s share of the maximum potential NPM Adjustments for 2004-2015 is (exclusive of interest or earnings): $388 million for 2004, $181 million for 2005, $154 million for 2006, $185 million for 2007, $250 million for 2008, $211 million for 2009, $218 million for 2010, $166 million for 2011, $210 million for 2012, $218 million for 2013, $241 million for 2014 and $289 million for 2015. These maximum amounts will be reduced by a judgment reduction to reflect the settlement with the signatory states and the New York settlement. The judgment reduction for the 2004 and subsequent NPM Adjustments has not yet been determined. In addition, these maximum amounts may also be further reduced by other developments, including agreements that may be entered in the future, disputes that may arise or recalculation of the NPM Adjustment amounts by the independent auditor. Further, the maximum amount for 2004 may also be reduced due to a dispute raised by another OPM regarding the allocation of the maximum potential 2004 NPM Adjustment among the OPMs. In addition, as discussed below, PM USA believes that the amount shown above as PM USA’s share of the maximum potential NPM Adjustment for 2015 was incorrectly calculated by the independent auditor, and that PM USA’s correct share is higher. Finally, PM USA’s recovery of these amounts, even as reduced, is dependent upon subsequent determinations of state diligent enforcement claims, and is subject (in the case of signatory states found non-diligent) to the partial liability reduction under the settlement. The availability and amount of any NPM Adjustment for 2004 and subsequent years will not be finally determined in the near term. There is no assurance that PM USA will ultimately receive any adjustment as a result of these proceedings. PM USA’s receipt of amounts on account of the 2003 NPM Adjustment and interest from non-signatory states does not provide any assurance that PM USA will receive any NPM Adjustment amounts (or associated interest or earnings) for 2004 or any subsequent year. PM USA may enter into settlement discussions regarding the NPM Adjustment disputes with any state if PM USA believes it is in its best interests to do so.

Other Disputes Under the State Settlement Agreements

The payment obligations of the tobacco product manufacturers that are parties to the State Settlement Agreements, as well as the allocations of any NPM Adjustments received by them pursuant to the MSA or the settlements of NPM Adjustment disputes with certain states described above, as calculated by the independent auditor, have been and may continue to be affected by R.J. Reynolds’s acquisition of Lorillard and the related divestiture of certain cigarette brands by R.J. Reynolds to Imperial Tobacco Group (the “RJR-Lorillard-ITG transaction”).  In that regard, PM USA disputed several recent calculations made by the independent auditor. In particular, PM USA believes that the independent auditor’s calculations incorrectly increased PM USA’s payment for 2015 due to Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Minnesota under the separate agreements with those states. In addition, PM USA believes that the calculations by the independent auditor would result in an improper decrease of PM USA’s share of the 2015 NPM Adjustments pursuant to the MSA and the settlements of the NPM Adjustment disputes, although the amount of such decrease would depend on a number of factors that cannot be determined at this time. For future years, PM USA cannot predict the amount by which its payment obligations may be increased or its allocation of NPM Adjustments decreased as a result of the RJR-Lorillard-ITG transaction. PM USA cannot provide any assurance that it will be successful in any such dispute that it has raised or may raise.

Other MSA-Related Litigation

Since the MSA’s inception, NPMs and/or their distributors or customers have filed a number of challenges to the MSA and related legislation. They have named as defendants the states and their officials, in an effort to enjoin enforcement of important parts of the MSA and related legislation, and/or participating manufacturers, in an effort to obtain damages. To date, no such challenge has been successful, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits have affirmed judgments in favor of defendants in 16 such cases.  

Federal Government’s Lawsuit

In 1999, the United States government filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against various cigarette manufacturers, including PM USA, and others, including Altria Group, Inc., asserting claims under three federal statutes, namely the Medical Care Recovery Act (“MCRA”), the MSP provisions of the Social Security Act and the civil provisions of RICO. Trial of the case ended in June 2005. The lawsuit sought to recover an unspecified amount of health care costs for tobacco-related illnesses allegedly caused by defendants’ fraudulent and tortious conduct and paid for by the government under various federal health care programs, including Medicare, military and veterans’ health benefits programs, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The complaint alleged that such costs total more than $20 billion annually. It also sought what it alleged to be equitable and declaratory relief, including disgorgement of profits that arose from

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defendants’ allegedly tortious conduct, an injunction prohibiting certain actions by defendants, and a declaration that defendants are liable for the federal government’s future costs of providing health care resulting from defendants’ alleged past tortious and wrongful conduct. The case ultimately proceeded only under the civil provisions of RICO.

The government alleged that disgorgement by defendants of approximately $280 billion is an appropriate remedy and the trial court agreed. In February 2005, however, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that disgorgement is not a remedy available to the government under the civil provisions of RICO. In October 2005, the United States Supreme Court denied the government’s petition for writ of certiorari.

In August 2006, the federal trial court entered judgment in favor of the government. The court held that certain defendants, including Altria Group, Inc. and PM USA, violated RICO and engaged in seven of the eight “sub-schemes” to defraud that the government had alleged. Specifically, the court found that:  

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defendants falsely denied, distorted and minimized the significant adverse health consequences of smoking;
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defendants hid from the public that cigarette smoking and nicotine are addictive;
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defendants falsely denied that they control the level of nicotine delivered to create and sustain addiction;
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defendants falsely marketed and promoted “low tar/light” cigarettes as less harmful than full-flavor cigarettes;
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defendants falsely denied that they intentionally marketed to youth;
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defendants publicly and falsely denied that ETS is hazardous to non-smokers; and
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defendants suppressed scientific research.

The court did not impose monetary penalties on defendants, but ordered the following relief: (i) an injunction against “committing any act of racketeering” relating to the manufacturing, marketing, promotion, health consequences or sale of cigarettes in the United States; (ii) an injunction against participating directly or indirectly in the management or control of the Council for Tobacco Research, the Tobacco Institute, or the Center for Indoor Air Research, or any successor or affiliated entities of each; (iii) an injunction against “making, or causing to be made in any way, any material false, misleading, or deceptive statement or representation or engaging in any public relations or marketing endeavor that is disseminated to the United States public and that misrepresents or suppresses information concerning cigarettes”; (iv) an injunction against conveying any express or implied health message or health descriptors on cigarette packaging or in cigarette advertising or promotional material, including “lights,” “ultra lights” and “low tar,” which the court found could cause consumers to believe one cigarette brand is less hazardous than another brand; (v) the issuance of “corrective statements” in various media regarding the adverse health effects of smoking, the addictiveness of smoking and nicotine, the lack of any significant health benefit from smoking “low tar” or “light” cigarettes, defendants’ manipulation of cigarette design to ensure optimum nicotine delivery and the adverse health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; (vi) the disclosure on defendants’ public document websites and in the Minnesota document repository of all documents produced to the government in the lawsuit or produced in any future court or administrative action concerning smoking and health until 2021, with certain additional requirements as to documents withheld from production under a claim of privilege or confidentiality; (vii) the disclosure of disaggregated marketing data to the government in the same form and on the same schedule as defendants now follow in disclosing such data to the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) for a period of 10 years; (viii) certain restrictions on the sale or transfer by defendants of any cigarette brands, brand names, formulas or cigarette businesses within the United States; and (ix) payment of the government’s costs in bringing the action.

Defendants appealed and, in May 2009, a three judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a per curiam decision largely affirming the trial court’s judgment against defendants and in favor of the government. Although the panel largely affirmed the remedial order that was issued by the trial court, it vacated the following aspects of the order:

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its application to defendants’ subsidiaries;
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the prohibition on the use of express or implied health messages or health descriptors, but only to the extent of extraterritorial application;
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its point-of-sale display provisions; and
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its application to Brown & Williamson Holdings.

The Court of Appeals panel remanded the case for the trial court to reconsider these four aspects of the injunction and to reformulate its remedial order accordingly. Furthermore, the Court of Appeals panel rejected all of the government’s and

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intervenors’ cross-appeal arguments and refused to broaden the remedial order entered by the trial court. The Court of Appeals panel also left undisturbed its prior holding that the government cannot obtain disgorgement as a permissible remedy under RICO.

In July 2009, defendants filed petitions for a rehearing before the panel and for a rehearing by the entire Court of Appeals. Defendants also filed a motion to vacate portions of the trial court’s judgment on the grounds of mootness because of the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (“FSPTCA”), granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) broad authority over the regulation of tobacco products. In September 2009, the Court of Appeals entered three per curiam rulings. Two of them denied defendants’ petitions for panel rehearing or for rehearing en banc. In the third per curiam decision, the Court of Appeals denied defendants’ suggestion of mootness and motion for partial vacatur. In February 2010, PM USA and Altria Group, Inc. filed their certiorari petitions with the United States Supreme Court. In addition, the federal government and the intervenors filed their own certiorari petitions, asking the court to reverse an earlier Court of Appeals decision and hold that civil RICO allows the trial court to order disgorgement as well as other equitable relief, such as smoking cessation remedies, designed to redress continuing consequences of prior RICO violations. In June 2010, the United States Supreme Court denied all of the parties’ petitions. In July 2010, the Court of Appeals issued its mandate lifting the stay of the trial court’s judgment and remanding the case to the trial court. As a result of the mandate, except for those matters remanded to the trial court for further proceedings, defendants are now subject to the injunction discussed above and the other elements of the trial court’s judgment.