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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
11.
Commitments and Contingencies

Contractual Commitments – We have agreements with various vendors under which we have remaining commitments to purchase hardware components and development services. Such commitments will become payable as we receive the hardware components, or as development services are provided.

In June 2022, we and Hughes entered into a supply and product support agreement (the “SPSA”), providing for our purchase from Hughes of airborne antennas for use on a LEO satellite network, and the performance by Hughes of services related thereto. Under the SPSA, we commit to purchase, over a seven-year period that will begin on completion of a project milestone currently expected to occur at the end of 2024, antennas with an estimated aggregate purchase price of approximately $170 million. During the contractual seven-year period, Hughes may not sell substantially similar equipment to other purchasers in our primary target market. In March 2023, we amended the SPSA, pursuant to which, we committed to purchase, over a seven-year period that will begin on completion of a project milestone currently expected to occur in mid-2025, additional equipment with an estimated aggregate purchase price of approximately $102 million.

Indemnifications and Guarantees – In accordance with Delaware law, we indemnify our officers and directors for certain events or occurrences while the officer or director is, or was, serving at our request in such capacity. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under this indemnification is uncertain and may be unlimited, depending upon circumstances. However, our Directors’ and Officers’ insurance does provide coverage for certain of these losses.

In the ordinary course of business, we may occasionally enter into agreements pursuant to which we may be obligated to pay for the failure of the performance of others, such as the use of corporate credit cards issued to employees. Based on historical experience, we believe that the risk of sustaining any material loss related to such guarantees is remote.

We have entered into a number of agreements pursuant to which we indemnify the other party for losses and expenses suffered or incurred in connection with any patent, copyright, or trademark infringement or misappropriation claim asserted by a third party with respect to our equipment or services. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is uncertain and is typically not limited by the terms of the agreements.

Derivative LitigationOn September 25, 2018 and September 26, 2018, two purported stockholders of the Company filed substantively identical derivative lawsuits in the Court, styled Nanduri v. Gogo Inc. and Hutsenpiller v. Gogo Inc., respectively. Both lawsuits were purportedly brought derivatively on behalf of us and name us as a nominal defendant and name as defendants each then-current member of the Company’s Board of Directors, its former Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, its then-current President, Commercial Aviation, and its current Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The complaints assert claims under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and waste of corporate assets, and allege misrepresentations or omissions by us purporting to relate to the 2Ku antenna’s reliability and installation and remediation costs, as well as allegedly excessive bonuses, stock options, and other compensation paid to current officers and directors and excessive severance paid to former officers. The plaintiffs seek to recover, on our behalf, an unspecified amount of damages from the individual defendants. The two lawsuits were consolidated and were stayed pending a final disposition of the motion to dismiss in the class action suit and remain stayed. In addition, a purported stockholder has sent a letter to the Company’s Board of Directors, dated June 21, 2021, demanding based on substantially the same allegations, that the Company sue certain current and former Officers for, inter alia, breach of fiduciary duty. The two derivative lawsuits and the litigation demand letter are collectively referred to herein as the “Derivative Matters” and the plaintiffs in the two derivative lawsuits and the purported stockholder who sent the litigation demand letter are collectively referred to herein as the “Stockholders.”

On January 5, 2023, following mediation, the defendants and the Stockholders entered into a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement (the “Derivative Settlement”) under which the Company, in consideration of dismissal of the two derivative lawsuits with prejudice and a release of all claims asserted against the Company and the individual defendants in the Derivative Matters, will implement certain corporate governance initiatives and cause its D&O insurance carrier to pay the Stockholders’ attorneys’ fees. Under the terms of the Derivative Settlement, the defendants will not be required to pay any damages. We had accrued a liability for attorneys’ fees within Accrued liabilities and a corresponding receivable in Prepaid expenses and other current assets in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 21, 2022.

On February 1, 2023, the Court granted preliminary approval of the proposed Derivative Settlement, approved various notices to be disseminated to the Company’s stockholders and the schedule for dissemination. On April 11, 2023, the Court issued final judgment approving the Derivative Settlement. The Company released the accrued liability and corresponding receivable for attorneys’ fees as of March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the terms of the Derivative Settlement, the Company is required to implement certain governance changes by May 11, 2023.

SmartSky LitigationOn February 28, 2022, SmartSky Networks, LLC brought suit against Gogo Inc. and its subsidiary Gogo Business Aviation LLC in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware alleging that Gogo 5G infringes four patents owned by the plaintiff. On February 21, 2023, the plaintiff amended its complaint to allege that Gogo 5G infringes two additional patents recently issued to the plaintiff. The suit seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory damages as well as treble damages for alleged willful infringement and reimbursement of plaintiff's costs, disbursements and attorneys' fees. Under a schedule agreed upon by the parties, fact discovery and claim construction proceedings will be substantially completed by the end of 2023 or early 2024, and expert discovery by early-to-mid 2024, with dispositive motions to follow. A trial date has been scheduled for April 14, 2025. Also on February 28, 2022, the plaintiff filed a motion (the “PI Motion”) requesting that the Court preliminarily enjoin the Company from making, using, offering to sell or selling the Gogo 5G system. On September 26, 2022, the Court issued an order denying the PI Motion. The plaintiff has appealed the denial to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Briefing for the appeal is complete and the appellate court scheduled the oral argument for June 5, 2023. We believe that the plaintiff’s claims are without merit and intend to continue to vigorously defend our position in the infringement suit and defend against the appeal. The outcomes of the appeal and the underlying litigation are inherently uncertain. No amounts have been accrued for any potential losses under this matter, as we cannot reasonably predict the outcome of the litigation or any potential losses.