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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

x      QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED September 30, 2011

OR

o         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from             to             

Commission File Number 001-33197

GUIDANCE SOFTWARE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share.

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None.

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 x  No o

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 o  No x

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.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o  No x

As of November 1, 2011, there were approximately 25,518,000 shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding.

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GUIDANCE SOFTWARE, INC.

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item  1.                                 Financial Statements

GUIDANCE SOFTWARE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

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GUIDANCE SOFTWARE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

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GUIDANCE SOFTWARE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

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GUIDANCE SOFTWARE, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Note 1. Description of the Business

General

Guidance Software, Inc. was incorporated in the state of California in 1997 and reincorporated in Delaware on December 11, 2006. Guidance and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as “Guidance,” “we” or the “Company.” Headquartered in Pasadena, California, Guidance provides software and hardware solutions used to conduct digital investigations.

Our main products are: EnCase® eDiscovery, which automates the search, collection preservation and processing of electronically stored information for litigation and compliance purposes; EnCase® Enterprise, a comprehensive, network-enabled digital investigative solution that enables corporations and government agencies to search, collect, preserve and analyze data across all of the servers, desktops and laptops that comprise their entire network from a single location; EnCase® Forensic, a desktop-based product primarily used by law enforcement and government agencies for collecting, preserving, analyzing and authenticating electronic computer forensic data for use in criminal and civil court proceedings; and EnCase® Legal Hold, which automates the sending and tracking of litigation hold notices, and provides online interviewing capabilities. In 2009, we launched EnCase® Portable, a data acquisition solution that enables customers to leverage the search and acquisition capabilities of EnCase® software in a wide range of field applications through the use of a portable device and EnCase® Cybersecurity, which provides the ability to identify and analyze undiscovered threats, such as polymorphic or metamorphic malware, and other advanced hacking techniques that evade traditional network or host-based defenses and includes investigative capabilities that target confidential or sensitive data and risk mitigation by wiping sensitive data from unauthorized locations. In May 2010, we added a family of data acquisition forensic hardware products including forensic duplicators, multiple write blockers and other hardware through our acquisition of certain assets of Tableau, LLC (“Tableau”). In addition, we complement our product offerings with a comprehensive array of professional and training services including technical support and maintenance services to help our customers implement our solutions, conduct investigations and train their IT and legal professionals to effectively and efficiently use our products.

Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2011 and the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 are unaudited. These statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes, together with management’s discussion and analysis of financial position and results of operations, contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 2, 2011. The operating results for the three and nine month period ended September 30, 2011 and cash flows for the nine month period ended September 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results that will be achieved for the full fiscal year or for future periods.

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. In the opinion of our management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and include normal and recurring adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of our financial position as of September 30, 2011 and our results of operations three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 and our cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010 has been derived from the December 31, 2010 audited financial statements.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Guidance and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Prior Period Adjustment

As previously disclosed in our Annual Report on form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company recorded out-of-period adjustments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010 which decreased its net loss and its deferred revenue balance by $531,000.  The adjustments relate to deferred revenue of $408,000 and bad debt recoveries of $123,000 that should have been recognized as income in prior periods.  Had the Company recorded these adjustments in the appropriate periods net loss for 2009, 2008 and 2007 would have been reduced by $23,000, $167000, and $145,000, respectively, and the opening accumulated deficit as of January 1, 2007 would have been reduced by $196,000.

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Use of Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate these estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, share-based compensation, bad debts, income taxes, commitments, contingencies, goodwill/intangibles valuation and litigation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We invest excess cash in money market funds and highly liquid debt instruments of the U.S. government and its agencies. Highly liquid investments with stated maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase are classified as cash and cash equivalents.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts of cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the short-term maturities of these instruments. Based on borrowing rates currently available to us for borrowings with similar terms, the carrying values of our capital lease obligations also approximate fair value.

Inventory

Inventory is comprised of hardware components, packaged software components and finished goods and is valued at the lower of cost or market, using the weighted average cost method. We conduct quarterly inventory reviews for obsolescence, and inventory considered unlikely to be sold is written down to net realizable value.

Amortization of Intangible Assets with Finite Lives

Intangible assets with finite lives are carried at the implied fair value of such assets at the time of acquisition.  With the exception of our customer relationships intangible asset, which is amortized on a double-declining basis, the implied fair values of such assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives.

Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangibles

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over fair value of net assets acquired and is assigned to a reporting unit at the date the goodwill is initially recorded. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but evaluated for impairment annually, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the value may not be recoverable. A two-step test is performed at the reporting unit level to assess goodwill for impairment. First, the fair value of the reporting unit is compared to its carrying value. If the fair value exceeds the carrying value, the reporting unit is not impaired and no further testing is performed. The second step is performed if the carrying value exceeds the fair value. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment loss equal to the difference will be recorded. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are assessed for impairment by comparing the carrying value of the assets with their fair values. If the carrying value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment loss equal to the difference will be recorded.

Application of the impairment test requires significant judgment to estimate the fair value. Changes in estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and/or impairment.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. We restrict our investments in cash and cash equivalents to financial institutions, U.S. government or federal agency instruments and obligations of corporations with high credit standing. At September 30, 2011, the majority of our cash balances were held at financial institutions located in California in accounts that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for up to $250,000. Uninsured balances aggregate approximately $25.5 million as of September 30, 2011.  At September 30, 2011, all of our cash equivalents consisted of financial institution and U.S. governmental obligations. We periodically perform credit evaluations of our customers and maintain reserves for potential losses on our accounts receivable. We do not believe we are subject to concentrations of credit risk with respect to such receivables.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Testing Goodwill for Impairment (ASU) 2011-08, gives the option to qualitatively determine whether the two-step goodwill impairment test under FASB Accounting Standards Codification® (ASC) 350-20, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other, can be bypassed.  Under the new guidance, if an entity chooses to perform a qualitative assessment and determines that it is more likely than not (a more than 50 percent likelihood) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, it would then perform Step 1 of the annual goodwill impairment test in ASC 350-20 and, if necessary, proceed to Step 2. Otherwise, no further evaluation would be necessary. The decision to perform a qualitative assessment is made at the reporting unit level, and an entity with multiple reporting units may utilize a mix of qualitative assessments and quantitative tests among its reporting units.  The amended guidance is effective for interim and annual goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.  The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (Topic 820)—Fair Value Measurement (ASU 2011-04).  In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, to provide a consistent definition of fair value and ensure that the fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are similar between U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards.  ASU 2011-04 changes certain fair value measurement principles and enhances the disclosure requirements particularly for Level 3 fair value measurements.  ASU 2011-04 is effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 and should be applied prospectively.  The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350): In December 2010, an update was made to Intangibles — Goodwill and Other - “When to Perform Step 2 of the Goodwill Impairment Test for Reporting Units with Zero or Negative Carrying Amounts.” The update to Intangibles — Goodwill and Other modifies Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity is required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. Effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2010, we have adopted this standard with no material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Business Combinations (ASC 805): In December 2010, an update was made to Business Combinations - “Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations.” The update to Business Combinations clarifies that if a public entity presents comparative financial statements, the entity should disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination(s) that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. Effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2010, we have adopted this standard with no material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Note 3. Business Combination

On May 7, 2010, we acquired certain of the assets of Tableau, a privately-held developer and manufacturer of computer forensic products for approximately $10.7 million in cash (net of cash acquired of $1.6 million). We incurred $0.2 million in acquisition-related costs. We acquired Tableau to extend our existing leadership in computer forensics technology by offering software and hardware to better fulfill the needs of the computer forensic community. This transaction closed on May 7, 2010 and the results of operations of Tableau have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements subsequent to the date of acquisition.

Based upon the estimated fair values as of May 7, 2010, we made an allocation of the purchase price to the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the underlying net tangible and intangible assets has been recorded as goodwill. The factors that contributed to the recognition of goodwill included intangible assets acquired that do not qualify for separate recognition and expected synergies that will increase revenue and profits. Goodwill is assigned to our products reporting segment and we expect the full balance of goodwill to be tax deductible for tax purposes.

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Purchase price allocation is as follows (in thousands):

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The following is the unaudited pro forma condensed consolidated financial statement of the combined entity as though the business combination had been as of the beginning of the comparable annual reporting period for the nine month period ended September 30, 2010 (in thousands, except per share amounts). The nine month period ended September 30, 2011 represents our actual condensed consolidated financial statement and is presented for comparability purposes.

Note 4. Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per common share is calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted net income (loss) per share is calculated based on the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive potential common shares consist of the shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and upon the vesting of restricted stock awards under the treasury stock method. In net loss periods, basic net loss per share and diluted net loss per share are identical since the effect of potential common shares is anti-dilutive and therefore excluded.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share (in thousands, except per share amounts):

Antidilutive securities, which consist of stock options and restricted stock awards that are not included in the diluted net income (loss) per share calculation, consisted of an aggregate of approximately 1,822,000 and 5,469,000 shares for the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively and 4,310,000 and 5,357,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

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Note 5. Inventory

Inventory is comprised of hardware components, packaged software components and finished goods and is valued at the lower of cost or market, using the weighted average cost method. The following table sets forth, by major classes, inventory as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 (in thousands):

Note 6. Goodwill and Other Intangibles

We assess goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually as of April 30, or more frequently if circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. There were no impairment charges related to goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets as of September 30, 2011.  We performed our annual impairment test as of April 30, 2011.  Goodwill was assessed at the reporting unit level for hardware products which is one level below our reportable segment level.  We determined the fair value of the reporting unit based on a discounted cash flow model and a guideline transaction model.  Under both models the estimated fair value of the reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by a substantial margin.  Goodwill is assigned to our products reporting segment and we expect the full balance of goodwill to be tax deductible for tax purposes. In-process research and development intangible assets acquired are considered to be indefinite-lived until completion or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. The Company will determine the estimated useful lives and amortization method of the asset upon completion of the research and development efforts. During the period the assets are considered infinite-lived, impairment will be assessed annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable.

The following table summarizes goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of September 30, 2011 (in thousands):

During the second quarter of 2010, the Company acquired certain of the assets of Tableau resulting in acquired intangible assets. With the exception of customer relationships, which are amortized on a double-declining basis, the acquired intangible assets are being amortized over their estimated useful life as noted in Note 3 above.

Amortization expense for intangible assets with finite lives was $0.3 million for both the three months ended September 2011 and 2010, and $0.8 million and $0.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.  The following table summarizes cumulative amortization expense related to intangible assets subject to amortization as of September 30, 2011 (in thousands):

The following table summarizes the estimated remaining amortization expense through the year 2015 and thereafter (in thousands):

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Note 7. Share Repurchase Program

In August 2008, our Board of Directors authorized a program to repurchase shares of our common stock having an aggregate value of up to $8.0 million. As of September 30, 2011, we had approximately $4.6 million remaining under this authorization. The authorization allows us to repurchase our common stock from time to time through open market purchases and negotiated transactions, or otherwise. The timing, nature and amount of such transactions will depend on a variety of factors, including market conditions, and the program may be suspended, discontinued or accelerated at any time. The sources of funds for the purchases under the remaining authorization are our existing cash on hand and cash from operations. Purchases are made in the open market, through block trades and other negotiated transactions. Repurchased shares are held in Treasury Stock and have not been retired.

In addition to the repurchased shares, the Company withheld approximately 32,000 and 137,000 common shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 from employees to satisfy their personal income tax withholding requirements upon the vesting of restricted stock awards issued under our equity compensation plans. The Company may engage in similar transactions from time to time related to future vesting of employee restricted stock awards. See Part II. Item 2 of this Quarterly Report for further information regarding the share repurchase program.

Note 8. Debt Obligations

We maintain a $3.0 million revolving line of credit with a bank. Borrowings under this line of credit would be collateralized by substantially all our assets. The line of credit requires that we remain in compliance with certain financial covenants and in March 2010, an amendment to the credit agreement was entered into to extend the expiration date to May 31, 2012 and increase the maximum cumulative net loss permitted under the credit facility to $5.0 million (excluding non-cash share-based compensation) during any one fiscal year. Borrowings under the amended credit agreement bear interest at one of the following rates (as selected by us): a rate equal to the bank’s alternate base rate plus 2% or the bank’s LIBOR plus 3%.  As of and during the quarterly period ending September 30, 2011 we were in compliance with the covenants associated with the revolving line of credit.

As of September 30, 2011, we had an outstanding stand-by letter of credit in the amount of $112,500 related to one of our facility leases, secured by the revolving line of credit.

Note 9. Equity Incentive Plan

In 2004, our Board of Directors and stockholders approved the 2004 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). A total of 2,062,000 shares of common stock was initially authorized and reserved for issuance under the Plan in the form of incentive and non-qualified stock options and stock purchase rights for restricted stock. The Plan was amended in 2005 to increase the number of shares available for issuance to 3,977,000. In May 2006, the Board of Directors and stockholders approved the First Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Incentive Plan (the “First Amended and Restated Plan”), which amended and restated the Plan in its entirety, and provided for increases in the number of shares available for issuance by an additional 1,126,994 shares on May 3, 2006, an additional 828,073 shares on January 1, 2007, and an additional 828,123 shares on each of January 1, 2008 and 2009. At our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our stockholders approved an amendment to the First Amended and Restated Plan that accelerated to July 1, 2008 the automatic increase in the number of shares available under the plan that was scheduled to occur on January 1, 2009.

At our 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our stockholders approved the Second Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Second Amended and Restated Plan”), which amended and restated the First Amended and Restated Plan in its entirety, and provided for an increase in the number of shares available for issuance by an additional 1,500,000 shares to a total of 9,088,313 shares. On April 22, 2010, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Plan that accelerated the vesting of new grants of annual restricted stock awards granted to independent directors to occur on the earlier of the Company’s next annual meeting of stockholders following the grant date or the first anniversary of the grant date, subject to the independent director’s continued status as a service provider through such date. Employees, officers and directors are eligible to receive awards under the Second Amended and Restated Plan, which is generally administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, who determines the terms and conditions of each grant.

At September 30, 2011, approximately 1,260,000 shares remain available for grant as options or nonvested share awards under the Second Amended and Restated Plan.

Stock Options

The terms of the options granted under the Plan are determined at the time of grant, and generally vest 25% annually over a four-year service period and typically must be exercised within 10 years from the date of grant.

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A summary of stock option activity follows:

We define in-the-money options at September 30, 2011 as options that had exercise prices that were lower than the $6.49 fair market value of our common stock at that date. The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding at September 30, 2011 is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying options and the fair market value of our common stock for the 1,716,000 shares that were in-the-money at that date, of which 1,353,000 were exercisable.

Restricted Stock Awards

During 2007, we began issuing restricted stock awards to certain directors, officers and employees under the Plan. Compensation expense for such awards, based on the fair market value of the awards on the grant date, is recorded during the vesting period. Restricted stock awards generally vest 25% annually over a four-year service period.

A summary of restricted stock awards activity follows:

The total grant date fair value of shares vested under such grants during the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was $3,091,000.

Note 10. Share-Based Compensation

We account for share-based compensation in accordance with Compensation-Stock Compensation (ASC 718). Share-based compensation expense for all share-based awards is recognized using the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the grant date fair value of share-based payments. We recognize the cost, net of an estimated forfeiture rate, as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.

The fair values of awards granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2011 (no grants have been issued since January 2011) under the Second Amended and Restated Plan were estimated at the date of grant and the following weighted average assumptions:

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The volatility of our common stock is estimated at the date of grant based on a weighted-average of the implied volatility of publicly traded 30-day to 270-day options on the common stock of a select peer group of similar companies (“Similar Companies”), the historical volatility of the common stock of Similar Companies and the historical volatility of our common stock. The risk-free interest rate is based on the implied yield in effect at the time of each option grant, based on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with equivalent remaining terms. We use an expected dividend yield of zero as we have no intention of paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Compensation-Stock Compensation (ASC 718) requires us to estimate forfeitures at the time of grant and revise those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. We use historical data to estimate pre-vesting option forfeitures and record share-based compensation expense only for those awards that are expected to vest. We amortize share-based compensation on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the vesting period. The expected term (life) of all stock option awards has been calculated using the “simplified method” because, due to the limited time our common stock has been publicly traded, we lack sufficient historical data to provide a reasonable basis to estimate the expected term of these options.

The following table summarizes the share-based compensation expense we recorded (in thousands):

As of September 30, 2011, there was approximately $1.0 million of total unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to stock options that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.0 years and approximately $10.6 million of total unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to restricted stock awards that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.9 years. We expect to record approximately $1.2 million in share-based compensation for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 related to stock options and restricted stock awards outstanding at September 30, 2011.

Note 11. Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with Income Taxes (ASC 740). Deferred income taxes are recorded for the expected tax consequences of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and amounts recognized for income tax purposes. We record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount of future tax benefit that is more likely than not to be realized. As of September 30, 2011, we have recorded a valuation allowance against our net deferred tax assets resulting in a carrying value of zero.

Management’s judgment is required in assessing the realizability of future deferred tax assets. We consider all available evidence, both positive and negative, including historical levels of income, expectations and risks associated with estimates of future taxable income and ongoing prudent and feasible tax planning strategies in assessing the need for a valuation allowance. If we later determine that it is more likely than not that the net deferred tax assets would be realized, we would reverse the applicable portion of the previously provided valuation allowance. Likewise, in the event we were to determine that we would not be able to realize all or part of our net deferred tax assets in the future, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would be charged to earnings in the period in which we make such a determination.

We file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and the taxing authorities of various state and foreign jurisdictions. We periodically perform a review of our uncertain tax positions. An uncertain tax position represents our expected treatment of a tax position taken in a filed tax return, or planned to be taken in a future tax return, that has not been reflected in measuring income tax expense for financial reporting purposes. During the year ended December 31, 2010, our liability for uncertain tax positions was $0.3 million and we do not expect there to be any material changes to the estimated amount of liability associated with our uncertain tax positions over the remainder of the year. The tax years 2008 through 2010 remain subject to review by the taxing authorities in several jurisdictions. Most foreign jurisdictions have statute of limitations that range from three to six years.

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Note 12. Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820) requires disclosure that establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure about fair value measurements. Under this standard, fair value is defined as the price that would be received in exchange for selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures(ASC 820) establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring the use of observable market data when available. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on active market data. Unobservable inputs would be inputs that reflect our assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. The statement requires fair value measurements be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

The following table sets forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, financial assets (we have no financial liabilities) that are accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 (in thousands):

Note 13. Contingencies

Legal Matters

On May 20, 2011, MyKey Technology Inc. (“MyKey”) filed a complaint against us and certain other parties for patent infringement in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.  With respect to the Company, the complaint alleges that certain of our data acquisition forensic hardware products that we acquired as a result of our acquisition of certain assets of Tableau, LLC infringe three of MyKey’s patents relating to write blocking, duplication and data removal technologies, respectively.  The complaint seeks a declaration of infringement, a finding of willful infringement, compensatory damages, treble damages, injunctive relief, interest, expenses, costs and attorneys’ fees.

On July 22, 2011, MyKey also filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (the “ITC”), alleging infringement by the Company and certain other parties of the three patents discussed in the preceding paragraph and requesting that the ITC commence an investigation pursuant to Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930.  The Complaint seeks injunctive relief barring the Company from the importation of products that allegedly infringe the three patents of MyKey.  On August 24, 2011, the ITC commenced the investigation of the Company and certain other parties related to the complaint by MyKey. On August 31, 2011 the proceeding in the District Court was Stayed pending the resolution of the ITC matter.

We intend to defend the MyKey matters vigorously and, at this time, are unable to estimate what, if any, liability we may have in connection with these matters.  We are unable to estimate a range of reasonably possible loss due to various reasons, including, among others, that (1) the proceedings are in early stages, (2) there is uncertainty as to the outcome of pending appeals, motions, or settlements, (3) there are significant factual issues to be resolved,(4) there are unresolved negotiations with certain indemnitors or indemnitees of the Company, related to the actions, or (5) we have meritorious defenses that we intend to assert.

From time to time, we may become involved in various other lawsuits and legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. Litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business. We are not currently aware of any such legal proceedings or claims, and deem it remotely likely, that they will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow.

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Indemnifications

We have agreed to indemnify our directors and executive officers for costs associated with any fees, expenses, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by them in any action or proceeding to which any of them is, or is threatened to be, made a party by reason of his or her services in their role as a director or officer.

We have also agreed to indemnify the pre-initial public offering stockholders for any increases in their tax liabilities for the periods during which we were an S Corporation.

Sales Tax Liabilities

The Company’s sales and use tax filings are subject to customary audits by authorities in the jurisdictions where it conducts business in the United States, which may result in assessments of additional taxes. In March 2011, we determined that additional sales taxes were probable of being assessed by a certain state as a result of the preliminary findings specific to a sales and use tax audit. As a result, we estimated an incremental sales tax liability of approximately $1.3 million, including interest and penalties of approximately $300,000, where applicable. The estimated incremental sales and use tax liability was based on a similar model that was being used by the state conducting the sales and use tax audit. The estimated liability is recorded in general and administrative expenses.

Note 14.    Related Party Transactions

Certain of our stockholders guarantee substantially all of the obligations due under our capital and operating leases as disclosed in Note 10 and Note 11 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Note 15. Segment Information

Our segments are designed to allocate resources internally and provide a framework to determine management responsibility. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which discrete financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Our chief operating decision maker is our Chief Executive Officer. We have four operating segments, as summarized below:

·                  Products segment—Includes EnCase® Enterprise, EnCase® eDiscovery, EnCase® Cybersecurity, EnCase® Forensic, EnCase® Portable, Premium License Support Program and hardware sales.

·                  Professional services segment—Performs consulting services and implementations. Consulting services include conducting investigations using our software products.

·                  Training segment—Provides training classes in which we train our customers to effectively and efficiently use our software products.

·                  Maintenance segment—Includes maintenance related revenue and costs.

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Table of Contents

We refer to the revenue generated by our professional services, training and maintenance segments, collectively, as services revenue. Currently, we do not separately allocate operating expenses to these segments, nor do we allocate specific assets, with the exception of goodwill, to these segments. Therefore, the segment information reported includes only revenues, cost of revenues and gross profit. The following tables present the results of operations for each operating segment (in thousands):