DFS Annual Report

We may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve from the Separation. We believe that the Separation from RRD has allowed, and will continue to allow, among other benefits, us to focus on our distinct strategic priorities; afford us direct access to the capital markets and facilitate our ability to capitalize on growth opportunities and effect future acquisitions utilizing our common stock; facilitate incentive compensation arrangements for our employees more directly tied to the performance of our business; and enable us to concentrate our financial resources solely on our own operations. However, we may be unable to achieve some or all of these benefits. For example, in order to prepare ourselves for the Separation, we undertook a series of strategic, structural and process realignment and restructuring actions within our operations. These actions may not provide the benefits we currently expect, and could lead to disruption of our operations, loss of, or inability to recruit, key personnel needed to operate and grow our businesses after the Separation, weakening of our internal standards, controls or procedures and impairment of key client relationships. If we fail to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve as an independent company, or do not achieve them in the time we expect, our business and consolidated and combined statements of income, balance sheets and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. RRD or LSC may not satisfy their respective obligations under the Transition Services Agreements and Commercial Agreements that were entered into as part of the Separation, or we may not have necessary systems and services in place when the transition services terms expire. In connection with the separation, we entered into Transition Services Agreements and Commercial Agreements with both RRD and LSC. Refer to Exhibits 2.2 and 2.3, both titled Transition Services Agreement, filed as Exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, related to the agreements with RRD and LSC, respectively. These Transition Services Agreements will provide for the performance of services by each company for the benefit of the other for a period of time after the separation. We will rely on RRD and LSC to satisfy their respective performance and payment obligations under these Transition Services Agreements. If RRD or LSC is unable to satisfy its respective obligations under these Transition Services Agreements, we could incur operational difficulties. The agreements relating to the separation provide for indemnification in certain circumstances and the commercial agreements establish ongoing commercial arrangements. There can be no guarantee that RRD or LSC, as the case may be, will satisfy any obligations owed to us under such agreements, including any indemnification obligations. Further, if we do not have our own systems and services in place, or if we do not have agreements in place with other providers of these services when the term of a particular transition service terminates, we may not be able to operate our business effectively, which could negatively impact our consolidated and combined statements of income, balance sheets and cash flows. We are in the process of creating our own, or engage third parties to provide, systems and services to replace many of the systems and services RRD and LSC will initially provide. We may not be successful in effectively or efficiently implementing these systems and services or in transitioning data from RRD’s or LSC’s systems to our systems, as the case may be, which could disrupt our business and have a negative impact on our consolidated and combined statements of income, balance sheets and cash flows. These systems and services may also be more expensive or less efficient than the systems and services RRD and LSC are expected to provide during the transition period. We have incurred substantial indebtedness in connection with the Separation and the degree to which we are currently leveraged may materially and adversely affect our business and consolidated and combined statements of income, balance sheets and cash flows. We incurred approximately $650 million of debt in connection with the Separation. Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness, including the debt incurred in connection with the Separation, as well as any future debt that we may incur, will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future from operations, financings or asset sales. Our ability to generate cash is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We may not generate sufficient funds to service our debt and meet our business needs, such as funding working capital or the expansion of our operations. If we are not able to repay or refinance our debt as it becomes due, we may be forced to take disadvantageous actions, including facility closure, staff reductions, reducing financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes, selling assets or dedicating an unsustainable level of our cash flow from operations to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, and restricting future capital return to stockholders. In addition, our ability to withstand competitive pressures and to react to changes in the print and related services industry could be impaired. The lenders who hold our debt could also accelerate amounts due in the event that we default, which could potentially trigger a default or acceleration of the maturity of our other debt. In addition, our leverage could put us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who may be less leveraged. These competitors could have greater financial flexibility to pursue strategic acquisitions and secure additional financing for their operations. Our leverage could also impede our ability to withstand downturns in our industry or the economy in general. 14