Artisan Partners (APAM) Risk Analysis

AI is used within our business and we plan to further incorporate it where opportunity exists. The use of AI offers efficiencies, but also introduces significant challenges related to data security, privacy, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, accuracy and bias concerns, and reputational harm, among others. For example, AI technologies, including generative AI, may create content that appears correct but is factually inaccurate or flawed. AI technologies evolve at a rapid pace and their usage requires integration with other technology applications, data platforms and business processes. Globally, courts and regulatory agencies are developing approaches to dealing with AI-related issues, which creates uncertainty around the use of the technology. Use of AI technologies requires ongoing operational controls and procedures, and the development and implementation of appropriate protections and safeguards. Failure to successfully integrate AI technologies, respond to client or market demands, identify or address applicable legal or regulatory issues or effectively manage related risks could result in legal and regulatory liabilities and harm our reputation and growth.

We are subject to income taxes, as well as non-income based taxes, in both the U.S. and certain foreign jurisdictions at various levels of government. We cannot predict future changes in the tax laws, regulations, administrative guidance or judicial decisions to which we are subject or that could apply to our business. Any such changes could have a material impact on our tax liability, materially impact our effective tax rate, result in additional tax reporting obligations or result in increased costs associated with our tax compliance efforts. From time to time, we are subject to income and non-income based tax audits in the jurisdictions in which we operate. The calculation of our tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax rules and regulations in a number of jurisdictions. From time to time, tax authorities have disagreed with certain positions we have taken which has resulted in additional taxes and, in certain cases interest payments. In the future, such instances may result in additional taxes, interest, fines and penalties becoming due. We evaluate whether to record tax liabilities for possible tax audit issues based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional income taxes will be due. We adjust these liabilities in light of changing facts and circumstances and consultations with our outside tax advisors. However, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from our estimates.

As a holding company, our assets principally consist of our ownership of partnership units of Holdings, deferred tax assets and cash and we have no independent means of generating revenue. Holdings is a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, is not subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, Holdings' taxable income is allocated to holders of its partnership units, including us. Accordingly, we incur income taxes on our proportionate share of Holdings' taxable income and also incur expenses related to our operations. Under the terms of its amended and restated limited partnership agreement, Holdings is obligated to make tax distributions to holders of its partnership units, including us. In addition to tax expenses, we are also required to make payments under the TRAs, which will be significant, and we incur other expenses related to the TRAs and our operations. We intend to fund the payment of amounts due under the TRAs out of the reduced tax payments that APAM realizes in respect of the tax attributes to which the TRAs relate. We also intend to cause Holdings to make distributions in an amount sufficient to allow us to pay our taxes and additional operating expenses. However, its ability to make such distributions will be subject to various limitations and restrictions as set forth in the preceding risk factor. If, as a consequence of these various limitations and restrictions, we do not have sufficient funds to pay tax or other liabilities or to fund our operations, we may have to borrow funds and thus our liquidity and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. To the extent that we are unable to make payments when due under the TRAs, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest from the due date (without extension) until such payments are made.

We are party to two TRAs. The first TRA generally provides for the payment by APAM to the assignees of the Pre-H&F Corp Merger Shareholder of 85% of the applicable cash savings, if any, of U.S. federal, state and local income taxes that APAM actually realizes (or is deemed to realize in certain circumstances) as a result of (i) the tax attributes of the preferred units APAM acquired in the merger of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pre-H&F Corp Merger Shareholder into APAM in March 2013 and (ii) tax benefits related to imputed interest. The second TRA generally provides for the payment by APAM to current or former limited partners of Holdings or their assignees of 85% of the applicable cash savings, if any, of U.S. federal, state and local income taxes that APAM actually realizes (or is deemed to realize in certain circumstances) as a result of (i) certain tax attributes of their partnership units sold to us or exchanged (for shares of Class A common stock, convertible preferred stock or other consideration) and that are created as a result of such sales or exchanges and payments under the TRAs and (ii) tax benefits related to imputed interest. The payment obligation under the TRAs is an obligation of APAM, not Holdings, and we expect that the payments we will be required to make under the TRAs will be substantial. Assuming no material changes in the relevant tax law and that APAM earns sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits that are subject to the TRAs, we expect that the reduction in tax payments for us associated with (i) the merger described above; (ii) the purchase or exchange of partnership units from March 2013 through December 31, 2025; and (iii) projected future purchases or exchanges of partnership units would aggregate to approximately $445 million over generally a minimum of 15 years, assuming the future purchases or exchanges described in clause (iii) occurred at a price of $40.74 per share of our Class A common stock, the closing price of our Class A common stock on December 31, 2025. Under such scenario we would be required to pay the other parties to the TRAs 85% of such amount, or approximately $420 million, over generally a minimum of 15 years. The actual amounts may materially differ from these hypothetical amounts, as potential future reductions in tax payments for us and TRA payments by us will be calculated using the market value of our Class A common stock at the time of purchase or exchange and the prevailing tax rates applicable to us over the life of the TRAs and will be dependent on us generating sufficient future taxable income to realize the benefit. As of December 31, 2025, we recorded a $303 million liability, representing amounts payable under the TRAs equal to 85% of the tax benefit we expected to realize from the H&F Corp merger described above, our purchase of partnership units from limited partners of Holdings and the exchange of partnership units from March 2013 through December 31, 2025, assuming no material changes in the related tax law and that APAM earns sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits subject to the TRAs. The liability will increase upon future purchases or exchanges of limited partnership units with the increase representing amounts payable under the TRAs equal to 85% of the estimated future tax benefits, if any, resulting from such purchases or exchanges. Payments under the TRAs are not conditioned on the counterparties' continued ownership of us. The actual increase in tax basis, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under these agreements, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of sales or exchanges by the holders of limited partnership units, the price of the Class A common stock at the time of such sales or exchanges, whether such sales or exchanges are taxable, the amount and timing of the taxable income APAM generates in the future and the tax rate then applicable and the portion of APAM's payments under the TRAs constituting imputed interest or depreciable basis or amortizable basis. Payments under the TRAs are expected to give rise to certain additional tax benefits attributable to either further increases in basis or in the form of deductions for imputed interest, depending on the TRA and the circumstances. Any such benefits are covered by the TRAs and will increase the amounts due thereunder. In addition, the TRAs provide for interest to be accrued for the period starting with the due date (without extensions) of the corresponding APAM tax return until the actual date of the TRA payment, as specified in the TRAs. In addition, to the extent that we are unable to make payments when due under the TRAs, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest at a rate specified under the TRAs. Payments under the TRAs will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine. Although we are not aware of any issue that would cause the IRS or other taxing authority to challenge a tax basis increase or other tax attributes subject to the TRAs, we will not be reimbursed for any payments previously made under the TRAs if such basis increases or other benefits are subsequently disallowed (however, any such additional payments may be netted against future payments (if any) that are made under the TRAs). As a result, in certain circumstances, payments could be made under the TRAs in excess of the benefits that we actually realize in respect of the attributes to which the TRAs relate.

We are heavily dependent on the capacity and reliability of the communications and information technology systems supporting our operations, whether developed, owned and operated by us or by third parties. We also rely on manual workflows and a variety of manual user controls. As our clients, physical locations and investment teams and strategies increase in number and grow in complexity, and as our employees become increasingly mobile, developing and maintaining the systems supporting our operations becomes increasingly challenging. Moreover, the introduction of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, presents new challenges and introduces operational and legal risks. Operational issues or errors or interruption or failure of our financial, trading, compliance and other data processing systems, whether caused by human error, power or telecommunications failure, disruptive cyber threats, severe weather events, natural disaster, fire, act of terrorism or war, pandemics or other unpredictable events, could result in a disruption of our business, liability to clients, regulatory intervention or reputational damage, and thus adversely affect our business. In addition, as a global firm with remote work capabilities, we have an increased dependency on remote equipment and connectivity infrastructure to access critical business systems that may be subject to failure, disruption or unavailability that could negatively impact our business operations. The potential for some types of operational risks, including trading errors, may increase in periods of increased volatility, which can magnify the cost of an error. We have back-up systems and a business continuity plan in place, however, these arrangements may not be adequate in the event of a significant interruption or failure of the systems or operations that are critical to our business, however caused. Although we have not suffered material operational errors, including material trading errors, in the past, we may experience such errors in the future, the losses related to which we would absorb. Insurance and other safeguards might not be available or might only partially reimburse us for our losses. We rely on a number of key vendors for trading, middle- and back-office functions, various fund administration, accounting, custody and transfer agent roles and other operational needs. These key vendors may themselves rely on third party service providers to support their own operations. The failure of any key vendor, or of any service provider to a key vendor, to fulfill its obligations could cause operational issues that could lead to legal liability, regulatory issues, reputational harm and financial losses, the likelihood of which increases as we increase reliance on third-party service providers. Some of the key service providers and vendors upon which we rely operate in a remote or hybrid environment, which subjects both us and third-party service providers and key vendors to risk of operational issues and interruptions as well as to a heightened risk of disruptive cyber threats or other privacy or data security incidents. We and our service providers are also subject to the risk that employees or contractors, or other third parties, may deliberately seek to circumvent established controls to commit fraud or act in ways that are inconsistent with our or their controls, policies, and procedures, and which may be harder to monitor in remote working environments. The financial and reputational impact of control failures can be significant. Moreover, as we grow our operations in new geographic regions, the potential for particular types of political, economic or infrastructure instabilities, information, technology or cyber threats or other country- or region-specific business continuity risks increases.