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Commitments And Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract] |
Commitments And Contingencies | 12. Commitments and Contingencies Commitments Purchase Commitments The Company periodically enters into non-cancelable purchase contracts in order to ensure the availability of materials to support production of its products. Purchase commitments represent enforceable and legally binding agreements with suppliers to purchase goods or services. The Company periodically assesses the need to provide for impairment on these purchase contracts and record a loss on purchase commitments when required. As of March 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company recorded a liability for adverse purchase commitments of $25.9 million and $38.8 million, respectively. During the year ended March 31, 2012, the Company adjusted its accrual for adverse purchase commitments by $1.3 million due to settlements with vendors. During the fourth quarter of the year ended March 31, 2011, several vendors notified the Company that they had suffered losses as a result of procuring safety stock in anticipation of receiving future purchase orders or contracts from the Company. The Company has accrued outstanding adverse purchase commitments based on legally binding contracts and purchase orders that were placed with its vendors for parts with no future demand. The vendor claims for safety stock were not supported by valid purchase orders or executed contracts and not considered part of the adverse purchase commitment liability. The claims for safety stock have not been accrued as of March 31, 2012. The Company has determined that although it believes that there is no legally enforceable contract for safety stock and will continue to defend its legal position that it does not owe amounts for safety stock, that it is reasonably possible that a case may be made against the Company under certain situations. As the loss is reasonably possible but not probable, the Company has not accounted for the loss. The Company has determined that the range for this potential loss is between $0 and $4 million. Lease Commitments Operating leases include minimum payments under leases for our facilities and certain equipment, see Item 2, "Properties." The Company's primary leased facilities are located in Middleton and New Berlin, Wisconsin; Suzhou and Beijing, China; and Klagenfurt, Austria with a combined total of approximately 299,000 square feet of space. These leases have varying expiration dates between April 2012 and February 2016 which can generally be terminated at our request after a six month advance notice. The Company leases other locations which focus primarily on applications engineering, sales and/or field service and do not have significant leases or physical presence. Minimum future lease commitments at March 31, 2012 were as follows (in thousands):
For the years ended March 31, |  | Total
2013 | $ | 1,201
2014 |  | 881
2015 |  | 708
2016 |  | 694
2017 |  | 270
Thereafter |  | -
Total | $ | 3,754
Rent expense under the operating leases mentioned above was as follows (in thousands):
|  |  |  | For the years ended |  |
|  |  |  | March 31, |  |
|  | 2012 |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Rent expense | $ | 3,336 | $ | 2,947 | $ | 2,153
Contingencies From time to time, the Company is involved in legal and administrative proceedings and claims of various types. The Company records a liability in its consolidated financial statements for these matters when a loss is known or considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. The Company reviews these estimates each accounting period as additional information is known and adjusts the loss provision when appropriate. If a matter is both probable to result in liability and the amounts of loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company estimates and discloses the possible loss or range of loss. If the loss is not probable or cannot be reasonably estimated, a liability is not recorded in its consolidated financial statements. Between April 6, 2011 and May 12, 2011, seven putative securities class action complaints were filed against the Company and two of its officers in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts; one complaint additionally asserted claims against the underwriters who participated in our November 12, 2010 securities offering. On June 7, 2011, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts consolidated these actions under the caption Lenartz v. American Superconductor Corporation, et al., Docket No. 1:11-cv-10582-WGY. On August 31, 2011, Lead Plaintiff, the Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Fund, filed a consolidated amended complaint against the Company, its officers and directors, and the underwriters who participated in our November 12, 2010 securities offering, asserting claims under sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), as well as under sections 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"). The complaint alleges that during the relevant class period, the Company and its officers omitted to state material facts and made materially false and misleading statements relating to, among other things, its projected and recognized revenues and earnings, as well as its relationship with Sinovel Wind Group Co., Ltd. that artificially inflated the value of the Company's stock price. The complaint further alleges that the Company's November 12, 2010 securities offering contained untrue statements of material facts and omitted to state material facts required to be stated therein. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages, rescindment of the Company's November 12, 2010 securities offering, and an award of costs and expenses, including attorney's fees. All defendants moved to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint. On December 16, 2011, the district court issued a summary order declining to dismiss the Securities Act claims against the Company and its officers, and taking under advisement the motion to dismiss the Exchange Act claims against the Company and its officers and the motion to dismiss the Securities Act claims made against the underwriters. To date, district court has not issued an order regarding the Exchange Act claims against the Company and its officers or the Securities Act claims against the underwriters, so those matters remain under advisement. Between May 4, 2011 and June 17, 2011, four putative shareholder derivative complaints were filed against the Company (as a nominal defendant) and certain of its directors in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. On July 5, 2011, the District Court consolidated three of these actions, and that matter is now captioned In re American Superconductor Corporation Derivative Litigation, Docket No. 1:11-cv-10784-WGY. On June 1, 2011, the plaintiff in the fourth action, Marlborough Family Revocable Trust v. Yurek, et al., moved to voluntarily dismiss its complaint and refiled its complaint in Superior Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex County. On September 7, 2011, the Marlborough action and another putative shareholder derivative complaint filed in Superior Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts were consolidated. That consolidated matter is captioned Marlborough Family Revocable Trust v. Yurek, et al., Docket No. 11-1961. On January 12, 2012, an additional shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the Court of Chancery for the State of Delaware. That matter is captioned Krasnoff v. Budhraja, et al., Docket No. 7171. The allegations of the derivative complaints mirror the allegations made in the putative class action complaints described above. The plaintiffs purport to assert claims against the director defendants for breach of fiduciary duty, abuse of control, gross mismanagement, unjust enrichment and corporate waste. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages on behalf of the Company, as well as an award of costs and expenses, including attorney's fees. With respect to the above referenced litigation matters, an estimate of loss or range of loss cannot be made. There are numerous factors that make it difficult to meaningfully estimate possible loss or range of loss at this stage of these litigation matters, including that: the proceedings are in relatively early stages, there are significant factual and legal issues to be resolved, information obtained or rulings made during the lawsuits could affect the methodology for calculation of rescission and the related statutory interest rate. In addition, with respect to claims where damages are the requested relief, no amount of loss or damages has been specified. Therefore, the Company is unable at this time to estimate possible losses. The Company believes that these litigations are without merit, and it intends to defend these actions vigorously. On September 13, 2011, the Company commenced a series of legal actions in China against Sinovel Wind Group Co. Ltd. ("Sinovel"). The Company's Chinese subsidiary, Suzhou AMSC Superconductor Co. Ltd., filed a claim for arbitration with the Beijing Arbitration Commission in accordance with the terms of the Company's supply contracts with Sinovel. The case is captioned (2011) Jin Zhong An Zi No. 0963. On March 31, 2011, Sinovel refused to accept contracted shipments of 1.5 megawatt (MW) and 3 MW wind turbine core electrical components and spare parts that the Company was prepared to deliver. The Company alleges that these actions constitute material breaches of its contracts because Sinovel did not give it notice that it intended to delay deliveries as required under the contracts. Moreover, the Company alleges that Sinovel has refused to pay past due amounts for prior shipments of core electrical components and spare parts. The Company is seeking compensation for past product shipments and retention (including interest) in the amount of approximately RMB 485 million ($76 million) due to Sinovel's breaches of its contracts. The Company is also seeking specific performance of our existing contracts as well as reimbursement of all costs and reasonable expenses with respect to the arbitration. The value of the undelivered components under the existing contracts, including the deliveries refused by Sinovel in March 2011, amounts to approximately RMB 4.6 billion ($720 million). On October 8, 2011, Sinovel filed with the Beijing Arbitration Commission an application under the caption (2011) Jing Zhong An Zi No. 0963, for a counterclaim against the Company for breach of the same contracts under which the Company filed its original arbitration claim. Sinovel claimed, among other things, that the goods supplied by the Company do not conform to the standards specified in the contracts and claimed damages in the amount of approximately RMB 370 million ($58 million). On October 17, 2011, Sinovel filed with the Beijing Arbitration Commission a request for change of counterclaim to increase its damage claim to approximately RMB 1 billion ($157 million). On December 22, 2011, Sinovel filed with the Beijing Arbitration Commission an additional request for change of counterclaim to increase its damages claim to approximately RMB 1.2 billion ($190 million). On February 27, 2012, Sinovel filed with the Beijing Arbitration Commission an application under the caption (2012) Jing Zhong An Zi No. 0157, against the Company for breach of the same contracts under which the Company filed its original arbitration claim. Sinovel claimed, among other things, that the goods supplied by the Company do not conform to the standards specified in the contracts and claimed damages in the amount of approximately RMB 105 million ($17 million). The Company believes that Sinovel's claims are without merit and it intends to defend these actions vigorously. Since the proceedings in this matter are in relatively early stages, the Company cannot reasonably estimate possible losses or range of losses at this time. The Company also submitted a civil action application to the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court under the caption (2011) Yi Zhong Min Chu Zi No. 15524, against Sinovel for software copyright infringement on September 13, 2011. The application alleges Sinovel's unauthorized use of portions of the Company's wind turbine control software source code developed for Sinovel's 1.5MW wind turbines and the binary code, or upper layer, of the Company's software for the PM3000 power converters in 1.5MW wind turbines. In July 2011, a former employee of the Company's Austrian subsidiary was arrested in Austria on charges of economic espionage and fraudulent manipulation of data. In September 2011, the former employee pled guilty to the charges, and was imprisoned. As a result of the Company's internal investigation and a criminal investigation conducted by Austrian authorities, the Company believes that this former employee was contracted by Sinovel through an intermediary while employed by the Company and improperly obtained and transferred to Sinovel portions of its wind turbine control software source code developed for Sinovel's 1.5MW wind turbines. Moreover, the Company believes the former employee illegally used source code to develop for Sinovel a software modification to circumvent the encryption and remove technical protection measures on the PM3000 power converters in 1.5MW wind turbines in the field. The Company is seeking a cease and desist order with respect to the unauthorized copying, installation and use of its software, monetary damages of approximately RMB 38 million ($6 million) for our economic losses and reimbursement of all costs and reasonable expenses. The No. 1 Intermediate People's Court accepted the case, which was necessary in order for the case to proceed. In November 2011, Sinovel filed a motion to remove this case from the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court and transfer the matter to the Beijing Arbitration Commission. On February 14, 2012, the court denied Sinovel's motion to remove the case. On February 21, 2012, Sinovel filed an appeal of the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court decision to the Beijing Higher People's Court. The Company submitted a civil action application to the Beijing Higher People's Court against Sinovel and certain of its employees for trade secret infringement on September 13, 2011 under the caption (2011) Gao Min Chu Zi No. 4193. The application alleges the defendants' unauthorized use of portions of the Company's wind turbine control software source code developed for Sinovel's 1.5MW wind turbines as described above with respect to the Copyright Action. The Company is seeking monetary damages of RMB 2.9 billion ($453 million) for the trade secret infringement as well as reimbursement of all costs and reasonable expenses. The Beijing Higher People's Court accepted the case, which was necessary in order for the case to proceed. On December 22, 2011, the Beijing Higher People's Court transferred this case to the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court under the caption (2011) Gao Min Chu Zi No. 4193. The Company is currently awaiting notice from the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court regarding the evidence submission deadline and the first hearing date. On September 16, 2011, the Company filed a civil copyright infringement complaint in the Hainan Province No. 1 Intermediate People's Court against Dalian Guotong Electric Co. Ltd. ("Guotong"), a supplier of power converter products to Sinovel, and Huaneng Hainan Power, Inc. ("Huaneng"), a wind farm operator that has purchased Sinovel wind turbines containing Guotong power converter products. The case is captioned (2011) Hainan Yi Zhong Min Chu Zi No. 62. The application alleges that the Company's PM1000 converters in certain Sinovel wind turbines have been replaced by converters produced by Guotong. Because the Guotong converters are being used in wind turbines containing the Company's wind turbine control software, the Company believes that its copyrighted software is being infringed. The Company is seeking a cease and desist order with respect to the unauthorized use of its software, monetary damages of RMB 1.2 million ($0.2 million) for its economic losses (with respect to Guotong only) and reimbursement of all costs and reasonable expenses. The court has accepted the case, which was necessary in order for the case to proceed. In addition, upon the request of the defendant Huaneng, Sinovel has been added by the court to this case as a defendant and Huaneng has been released from this case. In December 2011, Sinovel filed a jurisdiction opposition motion requesting dismissal by the Hainan Province No. 1 Intermediate People's Court, saying the case should be governed by the Beijing Arbitration Commission. On February 3, 2012, the Company received the Civil Ruling from the court, which granted Sinovel's motion, and dismissed the entire case. The Company appealed the court's ruling to the Hainan Higher Court, which on April 5, 2012 upheld the decision of the Hainan Province No. 1 Intermediate People's Court. On April 9, 2012, the Company filed an appeal of the Hainan Higher Court's decision with China's Supreme People's Court. The Supreme Court accepted the appeal on May 23, 2012. The case is captioned, (2010) Min Shen Zi No. 630. Ghodawat Energy Pvt Ltd ("Ghodawat"), a company registered in India carrying on the business of wind power development, lodged a Request for Arbitration with the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration on May 12, 2011 and named AMSC Windtec GmbH ("AMSC Austria") as the Respondent. Under the Request for Arbitration, Ghodawat alleges that AMSC Austria breached an agreement dated March 19, 2008 pursuant to which AMSC Austria granted a license to Ghodawat to manufacture, use, sell, market, erect, commission and maintain certain wind turbines using its technical information and wind turbine design (the "License Agreement"). Under the Request for Arbitration, Ghodawat's claims in this arbitration amount to approximately €18 million ($24 million). AMSC Austria filed an Answer to Request for Arbitration and Counterclaim ("Answer and Counterclaim"), in which AMSC Austria denied Ghodawat's claims in their entirety. AMSC Austria has also submitted counterclaims under the License Agreement against Ghodawat in the amount of approximately €6 million ($9 million). Ghodawat has filed a Reply to Answer to Request for Arbitration and Counterclaim in which it denies AMSC Austria's counterclaims. The arbitration proceedings are currently ongoing. The Company has recorded a loss contingency based on its assessment of probable losses on this claim; however this amount is immaterial to its consolidated financial statements. Other The Company enters into long-term construction contracts with customers that require the Company to obtain performance bonds. The Company is required to deposit an amount equivalent to some or all the face amount of the performance bonds into an escrow account until the termination of the bond. When the performance conditions are met, amounts deposited as collateral for the performance bonds are returned to the Company. In addition, the Company has various contractual arrangements in which minimum quantities of goods or services have been committed to be purchased on an annual basis. At March 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company had $12.1 million and $5.6 million, respectively, of restricted cash included in current assets, and as of March 31, 2012, $2.5 million of restricted cash included in long-term assets. These amounts included in restricted cash represent deposits to secure letters of credit for various supply contracts. These deposits are held in interest bearing accounts. The Company is working with its inventory suppliers to delay cash settlements and to reduce the gross liability associated with its adverse purchase commitments. During the quarter ending June 30, 2012, the Company agreed to settle adverse purchase commitments with certain of its vendors. In conjunction with these settlements, the Company agreed to provide letters of credit and bank guarantees in the amount of approximately $9.0 million with expirations through January 31, 2013. The letters of credit and bank guarantees were secured with cash collateral of $8.5 million and will result in a reduction of its adverse purchase commitments liability of $7.4 million. See Note 18, "Subsequent Events," for additional information. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had five performance bonds in support of customer contracts. The total value of the outstanding performance bonds is $0.8 million with expiration dates through March 2014. In the event that the payment is made in accordance with the requirements of any of these performance bonds, the Company would record the payment as an offset to revenue. The Company had unused, unsecured lines of credit consisting of €2.3 million (approximately $3.1 million) in Austria as of March 31, 2012. During the year ended March 31, 2012, our unsecured credit line with the Bank of China expired and we repaid borrowings of $4.6 million. There were no borrowings with the Bank of China outstanding as of March 31, 2012.

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