Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.3.1.900
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]
Commitments and Contingencies
 
The Company leases facilities, automobiles and certain equipment under agreements classified as operating leases, which expire at various dates through 2017.  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, 2015 and 2014 was approximately $0.8 million and $0.5 million, respectively.

As of December 31, 2015, 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:
 
 
 
Less than
 
1 to 3
 
3 to 5
 
After
 
Total
 
1 Year
 
Years
 
Years
 
 5 Years
Contingent consideration (1)
$
18,549

 
$
659

 
$
7,095

 
$
4,451

 
$
6,344

Contractual obligations (2)
46

 
46

 

 

 

Operating lease obligations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Minimum lease payments
2,388

 
2,103

 
285

 

 

  Less minimum sublease rentals (3)
(753
)
 
(753
)
 

 

 

       Net minimum lease payments
1,635

 
1,350

 
285

 

 

               Total
$
20,230

 
$
2,055

 
$
7,380

 
$
4,451

 
$
6,344



(1) Amounts represent contingent royalty and milestone payments in connection with the Company's 2014 acquisitions based on annual net sales and the launch of the diagnostic tests acquired.

(2) Amounts represent contractual obligations related to software license contracts, office equipment and contracts for software systems.

(3) As of December 31, 2015, the Company has entered into various sublease agreements for all of the office space at the Saddle River, New Jersey facility and the Dresher, Pennsylvania facility. These subleases will provide aggregated lease income of approximately $1.9 million and $1.3 million, respectively, over the lease periods.

Letters of Credit
 
As of December 31, 2015, the Company had $1.1 million in letters of credit outstanding as required by its existing insurance policies and its facility leases. As discussed in Note 7, Investments in Marketable Securities these letters of credit are collateralized by certain investments.
 
Litigation 

Due to the nature of the businesses in which the Company is engaged, such as product detailing and in commercialization of diagnostic tests, 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 operations, 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.

The Company routinely assesses its litigation and threatened litigation as to the probability of ultimately incurring a liability, and records its best estimate of the ultimate loss in situations where the Company assesses the likelihood of loss as probable. The Company accrues for a liability when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of probability and the determination as to whether a loss is reasonably estimable. In addition, in the event the Company determines that a loss is not probable, but is reasonably possible, and it becomes possible to develop what the Company believes to be a reasonable range of possible loss, then the Company will include disclosures related to such matter as appropriate and in compliance with ASC 450. To the extent there is a reasonable possibility that the losses could exceed the amounts already accrued, the Company will, as applicable, adjust the accrual in the period the determination is made, disclose an estimate of the additional loss or range of loss, indicate that the estimate is immaterial with respect to its financial statements as a whole or, if the amount of such adjustment cannot be reasonably estimated, disclose that an estimate cannot be made. As of December 31, 2015, the Company's accrual for litigation and threatened litigation was not material to the consolidated financial statements.

In connection with the October 31, 2014 acquisition of RedPath, the Company assumed a liability for a January 2013 settlement agreement (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 March 31st following the calendar year that the revenue milestones are achieved. The Company has been indemnified by the former owners of RedPath for $2.5 million of the obligation and has recorded an indemnification asset of that amount within other non-current assets. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company paid $0.3 million and has $2.8 million recorded as its best estimate of the amount that remains to be paid under the Settlement Agreement based on its estimate of future revenues, of which $0.3 million is included in other accrued expenses and $2.5 million is included in other long-term liabilities.
 
Severance

In connection with the sale of the sale of the CSO business and the implementation of a broad-based program to maximize efficiencies and cut costs, the Company reduced headcount and incurred severance obligations to terminated employees that currently amount to $3.0 million ($1.9 million of which was recorded in continuing operations) at December 31, 2015, which is expected to be paid in 2016.

Prolias Technologies, Inc. v. PDI, Inc.
 
On April 8, 2015, Prolias Technologies, Inc., or Prolias, filed a complaint (the Complaint) against the Company with the Superior Court of New Jersey (Morris County) in a matter entitled Prolias Technologies, Inc. v. PDI, Inc. (Docket No. MRS-L-899-15), or the Prolias Litigation.  In the Complaint, Prolias alleges 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."  Thymira is a minimally invasive diagnostic test that is being developed to detect thyroid cancer.
 
Prolias alleges in the Complaint that the Company wrongfully terminated the Agreement, breached obligations owed to it under the Agreement and committed torts by (i) failing to effectively and timely validate Thymira, (ii) purchasing a competitor of Prolias and working to commercialize the competitive product at the expense of Thymira, and (iii) interfering with a license agreement that Prolias had with Cornell University related to a license for Thymira. Prolias asserts claims against the Company for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contract and breach of fiduciary duty and seeks to recover unspecified compensatory damages, punitive damages, interest and costs of suit.
 
On June 3, 2015, the Company filed an Answer and Counterclaim in response to the Complaint. In the Answer, the Company denied liability for the claims being asserted in the Complaint. In the Counterclaim, the Company asserted claims against Prolias for breaches of the Agreement and for a declaratory judgment. The Company seeks damages from Prolias in excess of $500,000 plus interest and attorney’s fees and costs, together with a declaration compelling Prolias to execute and deliver to the Company a promissory note in the amount of One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,500,000.00) to evidence Prolias’ obligation to repay the Company for amounts that were advanced.

After the Answer and Counterclaim were filed, the Company and Prolias exchanged paper discovery.  Some time in December, Prolias replaced its counsel with new counsel.  Thereafter, on December 18, 2015, Prolias filed an Order to Show Cause and Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that sought to (a) enjoin the the Company from selling the assets that comprise its CSO business to Publicist Healthcare Communications Group and (b) disqualify the Company's counsel from representing it  in the litigation.  
 
On December 21, 2015, the Court held a hearing on Prolias's application to temporarily enjoin the sale of the CSO business. Following the hearing the Court denied Prolias's application for a TRO and set a hearing date on the motions to disqualify counsel and to obtain an injunction.  
 
On February 4, 2016, the Court heard argument on Prolias's motions to disqualify counsel and to obtain an injunction. Following the hearing, the Court entered orders denying the motion to disqualify and denying the motion for an injunction.  

On February 24, 2016, Prolias filed with the New Jersey Appellate Division, a motion for leave to appeal the order denying the motion to disqualify.  The Company's filed its opposition to the motion on March 7, 2016.  It is not known when the Appellate Division will rule on whether, should Prolias so request, the Chancery Division will otherwise stay progress of the case pending appeal.
 
The Company denies that it is liable to Prolias for any of the claims asserted in the Complaint and it intends to (a) vigorously defend itself against those claims, (b) pursue all claims asserted in the Counterclaim and (c) vigorously oppose the motion for leave to appeal.