Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.8.0.1
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

10. Commitments and Contingencies

 

The Company leases facilities and certain equipment under agreements classified as operating leases, which expire at various dates through September 2022. Substantially all of the property leases provide for increases based upon use of utilities and landlord’s operating expenses as well as pre-defined rent escalations. Total expense from continuing operations under these agreements for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was approximately $0.7 million and $0.9 million, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2017, contractual obligations with terms exceeding one year and estimated minimum future rental payments required by non-cancelable operating leases with initial or remaining lease terms exceeding one year are as follows:

 

   

 

Total

   

Less than

1 Year

   

1 to 3

Years

    3 to 5
Years
   

After

5 Years

 
Operating lease obligations   $ 774     $ 160     $ 316     $ 298     $ -  
Contractual obligation     -       -       -       -       -  
Total   $ 774     $ 160     $ 316     $ 298     $ -  

 

Litigation

 

Due to the nature of the businesses in which the Company is engaged it is subject to certain risks. Such risks include, among others, risk of liability for personal injury or death to persons using products the Company promotes or commercializes. There can be no assurance that substantial claims or liabilities will not arise in the future due to the nature of the Company’s business activities and recent increases in litigation related to healthcare products.

 

As part of the closeout of its CSO business, the Company seeks to reduce its potential liability under its service agreements through measures such as contractual indemnification provisions with customers (the scope of which may vary from customer to customer, and the performance of which is not secured) and insurance. The Company could, however, also be held liable for errors and omissions of its employees in connection with the services it performs that are outside the scope of any indemnity or insurance policy. The Company could be materially adversely affected if it were required to pay damages or incur defense costs in connection with a claim that is outside the scope of an indemnification agreement; if the indemnity, although applicable, is not performed in accordance with its terms; or if the Company’s liability exceeds the amount of applicable insurance or indemnity.

 

As of December 31, 2017, the Company’s accrual for litigation and threatened litigation was not material to the consolidated financial statements.

 

RedPath – DOJ Settlement

 

In connection with the October 31, 2014 acquisition of RedPath, the Company assumed a liability for the Settlement Agreement entered into by the former owners of RedPath with the DOJ. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the Company is obligated to make payments to the DOJ for the calendar years ended December 31, 2014 through 2017, up to a maximum of $3.0 million. Payments are due on March 31st following the calendar year in which the revenue milestones are achieved. The Company made payments totaling $0.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2017 related to fiscal 2016 and has accrued $0.5 million for its estimate of the potential liability for the final year of the Settlement Agreement, 2017.

 

Prolias Technologies, Inc. v. PDI, Inc.

 

On April 8, 2015, Prolias Technologies, Inc. (“Prolias”) filed a complaint (the “Complaint”) against the Company with the Superior Court of New Jersey (Morris County) (the “Court”) in a matter entitled Prolias Technologies, Inc. v. PDI, Inc. (Docket No. MRS-L-899-15). In the Complaint, Prolias alleged that it and the Company entered into an August 19, 2013 Collaboration Agreement and a First Amendment thereto (collectively, the “Agreement”) whereby Prolias and the Company agreed to work in good faith to commercialize a diagnostic test known as “Thymira.” On March 9, 2017, the Court entered a final judgment in the Company’s favor against Prolias for the sum of $636,053 plus ten percent interest continuing to accrue on the principal balance of $500,000 (per diem $136.99) unless and until paid. Final judgment was also entered in the Company’s favor, and against Prolias, declaring Prolias is deemed to have executed and delivered to the Company a promissory note in the amount of $1,000,000 and Prolias is obligated to repay the Company the principal amount and all interest in accordance with the terms of the promissory note and Article 10.2(a) of the Collaboration Agreement by and between Prolias and the Company. On April 3, 2017, the final judgment against Prolias was recorded as a statewide lien. No assurance, however, can be given that the Company will ever be able to recover on the judgment against Prolias.

 

Severance

 

During the first quarter ended March 31, 2016 the Company recorded severance obligations as it continued to right-size the organization and wind down its CSO business amounting to $1.1 million, $0.5 million of which was recorded in continuing operations.

 

The severance liability as of December 31, 2016 was approximately $3.1 million, of which $2.2 million was classified in continuing operations and $0.9 million was in discontinued operations. In January 2017, five former executives agreed to a settlement of their severance obligations agreeing to 35% of the total amount due them. These remaining obligations were paid out in February 2017 in payments totaling approximately $1.0 million. As a result of the settlement, the Company recorded a reversal of expense of approximately $2.0 million in the first quarter of 2017. Within continuing operations, $1.5 million of expense was reversed and was recorded in general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and $0.5 million was recorded in discontinued operations. The Company has no severance obligations as of December 31, 2017.