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Form 10-Q Quarterly Report  

Overview

The condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited) include the accounts of Reynolds American Inc., referred to as RAI, and its wholly owned operating subsidiaries. RAI’s wholly owned subsidiaries include R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, Inc., referred to as Santa Fe; Lane, Limited, referred to as Lane; Conwood Holdings, Inc.; and Conwood Company, LLC and Rosswil LLC, collectively referred to as the Conwood companies.

RAI was incorporated as a holding company in the state of North Carolina on January 5, 2004, and its common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “RAI.” RAI was created to facilitate the business combination of the U.S. business of Brown & Williamson Holdings, Inc., referred to as B&W, with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company on July 30, 2004.

References to RJR Tobacco prior to July 30, 2004, relate to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, a New Jersey corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Inc., referred to as RJR. References to RJR Tobacco on and subsequent to July 30, 2004, relate to the combined U.S. assets, liabilities and operations of B&W and R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, a North Carolina corporation.

RAI’s reportable operating segments are RJR Tobacco and Conwood. The RJR Tobacco segment consists of the primary operations of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The Conwood segment consists of Conwood Holdings, Inc., the primary operations of the Conwood companies and Lane. RAI’s wholly owned subsidiary, Santa Fe, among others, is included in All Other. The segments were identified based on how RAI’s chief operating decision maker allocates resources and assesses performance. Some of RAI’s wholly owned operating subsidiaries have entered into intercompany agreements for products or services with other RAI operating subsidiaries. As a result, certain activities of an operating subsidiary may be included in a different segment of RAI. . . .

Various legal proceedings or claims, including litigation claiming that cancer and other diseases, as well as addiction, have resulted from the use of, or exposure to, RAI’s operating subsidiaries’ products, are pending or may be instituted against RJR Tobacco, the Conwood companies or their affiliates, including RAI and RJR, or indemnitees, including B&W. These pending legal proceedings include claims relating to cigarette products manufactured by RJR Tobacco or certain of its affiliates and indemnitees, as well as claims relating to smokeless tobacco products manufactured by the Conwood companies. A discussion of the legal proceedings relating to cigarette products is set forth below under the heading “— Litigation Affecting the Cigarette Industry.” All of the references under that heading to tobacco-related litigation, smoking and health litigation and other similar references are references to legal proceedings relating to cigarette products and are not references to legal proceedings involving smokeless tobacco products, and case numbers under that heading include only cases involving cigarette products. The legal proceedings relating to the smokeless tobacco products manufactured by the Conwood companies are discussed separately under the heading “— Smokeless Tobacco Litigation” below.

In connection with the B&W business combination, RJR Tobacco has agreed to indemnify B&W and its affiliates, including its indirect parent, British American Tobacco p.l.c., referred to as BAT, against certain liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by B&W or its affiliates arising out of the U.S. cigarette and tobacco business of B&W. As a result of this indemnity, RJR Tobacco has assumed the defense of pending B&W-specific tobacco-related litigation, has paid the judgments and costs related to certain pre-business combination tobacco-related litigation of B&W, and has posted bonds on behalf of B&W, where necessary, in connection with cases decided since the B&W business combination. In addition, pursuant to this indemnity, RJR Tobacco expensed less than $1 million during each of the first nine months of 2009 and 2008 for funds to be reimbursed to BAT for costs and expenses incurred arising out of certain tobacco-related litigation.

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