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Commitments and Contingencies, and Other Matters
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies, and Other Matters
13. Commitments, Contingencies, and Other Matters

Minimum Purchase Commitments

We have a non-cancellable cloud hosting arrangement with Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) that contains provisions for minimum purchase commitments. Specifically, purchase commitments under the agreement total $220.0 million over five years. The agreement, which was originated in July 2021 and amended in October 2024, currently contains minimum annual spending requirements of $44.0 million from November 2024 to October 2029. Spending under this agreement for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 totaled $41.2 million, $36.6 million, and $33.1 million, respectively. The timing of payments under the agreement may vary. We expect to meet our minimum annual spending requirement during the term of the arrangement.
Exclusive of the AWS contract, we have other non-cancellable agreements for subscription software products that contain provisions stipulating minimum purchase commitments. However, the annual purchase commitments under these contracts are, individually and in the aggregate, immaterial to our consolidated financial statements.

Pegasystems Litigation

On May 29, 2020, we filed a civil complaint against Pegasystems, Inc. (“Pegasystems”) and Youyong Zou, a Virginia resident, in the Circuit Court for Fairfax County, Virginia. Appian Corp v. Pegasystems Inc. & Youyong Zou, No. 2020-07216 (Fairfax Cty. Ct.). On May 10, 2022, we announced the jury awarded us $2.036 billion in damages for misappropriation of our trade secrets and $1 in damages for violating the Virginia Computer Crimes Act. Pegasystems filed several post-trial motions seeking relief in the form of reducing the damages award or setting aside the jury’s verdict and either granting a new trial or entering judgment in Pegasystems’ favor. All of these motions were denied, and final judgment was entered by the Court on September 15, 2022. The final judgment reaffirmed the $2.036 billion in damages and also ordered Pegasystems to pay Appian $23.6 million in attorney's fees associated with the case as well as statutory post-judgment interest on the judgment at an annual rate of 6%, or approximately $122.0 million per year.

Defendant Youyong Zou has satisfied the judgment of $5,000 (plus interest) against him in lieu of appealing that judgment. On September 15, 2022, Pegasystems filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals of Virginia. On July 30, 2024, the Court of Appeals of Virginia issued a decision reversing the judgment against Pegasystems and remanding for a new trial. The decision rejected Pegasystems’ argument that Appian had not presented evidence that trade secrets were misappropriated but reversed the judgment on the basis of evidentiary and damages rulings made by the trial court. On August 29, 2024, Appian submitted a petition to the Supreme Court of Virginia seeking to reverse the Court of Appeals decision and reinstate the full judgment against Pegasystems. Pegasystems filed an opposition to the petition and cross-issues for appeal on October 21, 2024. Appian's petition was heard on February 11, 2025. The timeline for rendering a decision is solely in the control of the Supreme Court.

We cannot predict the outcome of any appeals or the exact time it will take to resolve them.

Judgment Preservation Insurance

On September 1, 2023, we entered into a Judgment Preservation Insurance (“JPI”) policy in connection with our $2.036 billion judgment against Pegasystems. The total cost of the policy was $57.3 million and is comprised of the premium, a one-time broker fee, and Virginia lines tax. The policy provides up to $500.0 million of coverage.

The total cost of the policy was capitalized and is being amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated length of the appeals process. We currently estimate the total length of the appeals process (solely for amortization purposes) to be approximately four years. This estimate is reviewed each reporting period. Amortization expense associated with the JPI premium is recorded to general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. JPI amortization expense was $15.8 million and $6.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, $12.5 million of the unamortized balance is classified as ‘Prepaid expenses and other current assets’ while the remaining $22.9 million is classified as ‘Other assets’ on our consolidated balance sheets.

Other Legal Matters

From time to time, we are subject to legal, regulatory, and other proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this Annual Report, we are not presently a party to any legal proceedings that, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition, or cash flows. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, and other factors.
Share Repurchase Program

In February 2024, our Board of Directors authorized a program to repurchase up to $50.0 million of our common stock from March 2024 to February 2026. In March 2024, we repurchased 1.3 million shares under this program at an average share price of $37.86, totaling an aggregate cost of $50.0 million. As of December 31, 2024, shareholders’ equity included 74.0 million shares outstanding, and all treasury shares were reissued.