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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies In the ordinary course of business, the Company is involved in various pending or threatened legal actions, arbitration proceedings, claims, subpoenas, and matters relating to compliance with laws and regulations (collectively, "legal proceedings"). Based on our current knowledge, management presently does not believe that the liabilities arising from these legal proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, it is possible that the ultimate resolution of these legal proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition for any particular period. Derivative Lawsuits On July 10, 2017, a shareholder derivative complaint was filed against the Company and certain of the Company’s directors and officers in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ("Federal Derivative Action") seeking recovery from the Company. The District Court dismissed the Federal Derivative Action on October 21, 2020, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal on July 27, 2022, ending the lawsuit. A similar derivative lawsuit that had been filed on January 9, 2019 in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia (“State Derivative Action”) was likewise dismissed on October 31, 2022. On January 20, 2023, the previous State Derivative Action plaintiffs filed a new derivative lawsuit in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia. The new lawsuit, City of Aventura Police Officers’ Retirement Fund, derivatively on behalf of FleetCor Technologies, Inc. v. Ronald F. Clarke and Eric R. Dey, alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by causing or permitting the Company to engage in unfair or deceptive marketing and billing practices, making false and misleading public statements concerning the Company’s fee charges and financial and business prospects, and making improper sales of stock. The complaint seeks approximately $118 million in monetary damages on behalf of the Company, including contribution by defendants as joint tortfeasors with the Company in unfair and deceptive practices, and disgorgement of incentive pay and stock compensation. On January 24, 2023, the previous Federal Derivative Action plaintiffs filed a similar new derivative lawsuit, Jerrell Whitten, derivatively on behalf of FleetCor Technologies, Inc. v. Ronald F. Clarke and Eric R. Dey, against Mr. Clarke and Mr. Dey in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The defendants dispute the allegations in the derivative complaints and intend to vigorously defend against the claims. FTC Investigation In October 2017, the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") issued a Notice of Civil Investigative Demand to the Company for the production of documentation and a request for responses to written interrogatories. After discussions with the Company, the FTC proposed in October 2019 to resolve potential claims relating to the Company’s advertising and marketing practices, principally in its U.S. direct fuel card business within its North American Fuel Card business. The parties reached impasse primarily related to what the Company believes are unreasonable demands for redress made by the FTC. On December 20, 2019, the FTC filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of Georgia against the Company and Ron Clarke. See FTC v. FLEETCOR and Ronald F. Clarke, No. 19-cv-05727 (N.D. Ga.). The complaint alleges the Company and Clarke violated the FTC Act’s prohibitions on unfair and deceptive acts and practices. The complaint seeks among other things injunctive relief, consumer redress, and costs of suit. The Company continues to believe that the FTC’s claims are without merit. On April 17, 2021, the FTC filed a motion for summary judgment. On April 22, 2021, the United States Supreme Court held unanimously in AMG Capital Management v. FTC that the FTC does not have authority under current law to seek monetary redress by means of Section 13(b) of the FTC Act, which is the means by which the FTC has sought such redress in this case. FLEETCOR cross-moved for summary judgment regarding the FTC’s ability to seek monetary or injunctive relief on May 17, 2021. On August 13, 2021, the FTC filed a motion to stay or to voluntarily dismiss without prejudice the case pending in the Northern District of Georgia in favor of a parallel administrative action under Section 5 of the FTC Act that it filed on August 11, 2021 in the FTC’s administrative process. Apart from the jurisdiction and statutory change, the FTC’s administrative complaint makes the same factual allegations as the FTC’s original complaint filed in December 2019. The Company opposed the FTC’s motion for a stay or to voluntarily dismiss, and the court denied the FTC’s motion on February 7, 2022. In the meantime, the FTC’s administrative action is stayed. On August 9, 2022, the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granted the FTC's motion for summary judgment as to liability for the Company and Ron Clarke, but granted the Company's motion for summary judgment as to the FTC's claim for monetary relief as to both the Company and Ron Clarke. The Company intends to appeal this decision after final judgment is issued. On October 20-21, 2022, the court held a hearing on the scope of injunctive relief. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Court did not enter either the FTC’s proposed order or the Company’s proposed order, and instead suggested that the parties enter mediation. Following mediation, both parties have filed proposed orders with the Court. The Company has incurred and continues to incur legal and other fees related to this complaint. Any settlement of this matter, or defense against the lawsuit, could involve costs to the Company, including legal fees, redress, penalties, and remediation expenses. Estimating an amount or range of possible losses resulting from litigation proceedings is inherently difficult and requires an extensive degree of judgment, particularly where, as here, the matters involve indeterminate claims for monetary damages and are in the stages of the proceedings where key factual and legal issues have not been resolved. For these reasons, the Company is currently unable to predict the ultimate timing or outcome of, or reasonably estimate the possible losses or a range of possible losses resulting from, the matters described above.

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