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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 29, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Litigation
On February 17, 2023, the Company received a grand jury subpoena requesting certain documents related to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) into the Company’s conduct regarding several shipments of non-human primates from Cambodia. That investigation remains ongoing and the Company is continuing to cooperate with the investigation. As also previously disclosed, a parallel civil investigation is being undertaken by the DOJ and USFWS. The Company is also cooperating with that investigation, and although the Company continues to dispute the merits of certain positions taken by the DOJ and USFWS in the civil investigation, the Company has discussed a potential resolution of that matter with the DOJ and USFWS. Those discussions are ongoing. Although the Company maintains a global supplier onboarding and oversight program incorporating risk-based due diligence, auditing, and monitoring practices to help ensure the quality of our supplier relationships and compliance with applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in connection with the civil investigation, the Company has voluntarily suspended future shipments of non-human primates from Cambodia to the United States until such time that the Company and USFWS can agree upon and implement additional procedures to reasonably ensure that non-human primates imported from Cambodia are purpose-bred. The Company continues to care for the Cambodia-sourced non-human primates from certain shipments in the United States. Due to a number of factors, including the age of these NHP’s during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, the Company recorded a charge of $27 million to costs of products sold to reflect the reduction in carrying value of this inventory to zero. On May 16, 2023, the Company received an inquiry from the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting it to voluntarily provide information, subsequently augmented with a document subpoena and additional inquiries, primarily related to the sourcing of non-human primates and related disclosures, and the Company is cooperating with the requests. The Company’s Audit Committee has retained counsel to conduct an independent investigation into certain issues raised in the investigations, and that work is ongoing. The Company is not able to predict what action, if any, might be taken in the future by the DOJ, USFWS, SEC or other governmental authorities. None of the DOJ, USFWS or SEC has provided the Company with any specific timeline or indication as to when these investigations or, specific to the DOJ and USFWS, discussions regarding resolution and future processes and procedures, will be concluded or resolved. The Company cannot predict the timing, outcome or possible impact of the investigations, including without limitation any potential fines, penalties or liabilities.
A putative securities class action (Securities Class Action) was filed on May 19, 2023 against the Company and a number of its current/former officers in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. On August 31, 2023, the court appointed the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio as lead plaintiff. An amended complaint was filed on November 14, 2023 that, among other things, included only James Foster, the Chief Executive Officer and David R. Smith, the former Chief Financial Officer as defendants along with the Company. The amended complaint asserts claims under §§ 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) on behalf of a putative class of purchasers of Company securities from May 5, 2020 through February 21, 2023, alleging that certain of the Company’s disclosures about its practices with respect to the importation of non-human primates made during the putative class period were materially false or misleading. On July 1, 2024, the court dismissed the complaint, denied the plaintiff’s informal request for leave to amend, and entered judgment for defendants. On July 30, the plaintiff filed a notice of appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Oral arguments took place on May 5, 2025. While the Company cannot predict the final outcome of this matter, it believes the class action to be without merit and plans to vigorously defend against it. The Company cannot reasonably estimate the maximum potential exposure or the range of possible loss in association with this matter.
On November 8, 2023, a stockholder filed a derivative lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of the District of Delaware asserting claims on the Company’s behalf against the members of the Company’s Board of Directors and certain of the Company’s current/former officers (James Foster, the Chief Executive Officer; David R. Smith, the former Chief Financial Officer; and Flavia Pease, the current Chief Financial Officer). The complaint alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company and its stockholders because certain of the Company’s disclosures about its practices with respect to the importation of non-human primates were materially false or misleading. The complaint also alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by causing the Company to fail to maintain adequate internal controls over securities disclosure and compliance with applicable law and by failing to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. On August 2, 2024, a different stockholder filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Delaware asserting similar derivative claims on the Company’s behalf against members of the Company’s current and former Board of Directors and the same current/former officers based on similar allegations of purportedly misleading disclosures and non-compliance with legal rules and ethics standards in respect of the importation of non-human primates, as well as insider-trading claims against certain of the defendants. Both of these lawsuits are currently stayed by agreement of the parties pending further developments in the Securities Class Action pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. While the Company cannot predict the outcome of these matters, it believes the derivative lawsuits to be without merit and plans to vigorously defend against them. The Company cannot reasonably estimate the maximum potential exposure or the range of possible loss in association with these matters.
Aside from the matters above, the Company believes there are no other matters pending against the Company that could have a material impact on the Company’s business, financial condition, or results of operations.