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Commitments and contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and contingencies

13. Commitments and contingencies

Contingencies policy

The Company records accruals for certain outstanding legal proceedings, investigations, or claims when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company evaluates developments in legal proceedings, investigations, and claims that could affect the amount of any accrual, as well as any developments that would make a loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable on a quarterly basis. When a loss contingency is not both probable and reasonably estimable, the Company does not accrue the loss. However, if the loss (or an additional loss in excess of the accrual) is at least a reasonable possibility and material, then the Company discloses a reasonable estimate of the possible loss or range of loss, if such reasonable estimate can be made. If the Company cannot make a reasonable estimate of the possible loss, or range of loss, then that is disclosed. In addition, legal fees and other directly related costs are expensed as incurred.

In addition to the matters described in the paragraphs below, in the normal course of its business, the Company is involved in various lawsuits from time to time and may be subject to certain other contingencies. The Company believes any losses related to these matters are individually and collectively immaterial as to a possible loss and range of loss.

Arbitration claims with former executives

In September 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors (the "Board") terminated the employment of Keith Valentine, John Bostjancic, and Patrick Keran, who had served respectively as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Legal Officer. The Board’s decision followed an investigation conducted by independent outside legal counsel and directed and overseen by the Company’s independent directors. As a result of the investigation, the Board determined that each of these executives engaged in repeated inappropriate and offensive conduct that violated multiple code of conduct requirements and was inconsistent with the Company’s values and culture. The Company notified each of Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic, and Keran that their respective terminations were being made for "Cause," as defined in applicable employment-related agreements (including each executive’s respective Change in Control and Severance Agreement, dated June 19, 2023). The Company also notified each of Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic, and Keran that it did not believe it was required to make any further payments to them, other than payment of salary through September 12, 2023. The Board also requested that Mr. Valentine resign as a director, which he did in October 2023.

In January 2024, the Company received written notices of arbitration claims from counsel to Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic, and Keran. Each of the arbitration claims asserts that the respective former executive was wrongfully terminated for "Cause" because the former executive’s conduct did not meet the contractually applicable definition of "Cause." The claims seek relief for, among other things, alleged breach of contract, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, deceit, as well as indemnification and advancement for attorneys’ fees. The three former executives seek severance payments, as well as the value of forfeited equity grants under applicable change in control and severance agreements and further damages as a result of purported defamatory statements. In addition, in September 2024, Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic and Keran filed an action in California State Court against former director and interim CEO Catherine Burzik and current director Wayne Burris, seeking relief for, among other things, alleged defamation, false light invasion of privacy, intentional misrepresentation, false promise, and tortious interference with contract.

The Company disagrees with the allegations contained in the arbitration demands and in the action against Ms. Burzik and Mr. Burris, and intends to vigorously defend the asserted claims. Due in part to the preliminary nature of this matter, the Company currently cannot reasonably estimate a possible loss, or range of loss, that may arise from these claims.

Securities class action complaints

On August 21, 2024, a securities class action complaint captioned Bernal v. Orthofix Medical Inc., et al., Case No. 24-cv-00690, was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the "Bernal Complaint"). The plaintiff, a purported Company shareholder, alleges through the complaint violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and SEC Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and names as defendants the Company and the following former Company directors and officers: Jon Serbousek (former director and former President and Chief Executive Officer), Keith Valentine (former director and former President and Chief Executive Officer), John Bostjancic (former Chief Financial Officer), and Patrick Keran (former Chief Legal Officer). The complaint alleges that the Company made, and the named former directors and officers caused the Company to make, materially false and misleading statements between October 11, 2022 and September 12, 2023 that, according to the complaint, falsely assured the market regarding Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic and Keran’s respective commitments to, among other things, ethical and legal standards and corporate responsibility.

On September 6, 2024, a securities class action complaint captioned O’Hara v. Orthofix Medical Inc., et al., Case No. 24-cv-01593, was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California (the "O’Hara Complaint"). The plaintiff, a purported former shareholder of SeaSpine at the time of the Merger, alleges through the complaint violations of Sections 11, 12 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, and names most of the same defendants as the Bernal Complaint, as well as certain additional current and/or former Company directors and officers. The complaint makes similar assertions to the Bernal complaint, and alleges that the Company’s registration statement on Form S-4 filed in 2022 in connection with the Merger, as well as related written and oral offering materials, contained untrue statements of material fact and material omissions, including, among other things, with respect to the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls. On November 26, 2024, the O’Hara Complaint was transferred to the Eastern District of Texas, and on December 11, 2024, the O’Hara Complaint was consolidated with the Bernal Complaint.

On October 28, 2024, a derivative shareholder complaint was filed against certain of the Company's current and former officers and directors alleging derivative liability for the allegations made in the two complaints noted above. On December 18, 2024, a second

derivative shareholder complaint was filed with the same allegations made in the first derivative shareholder complaint. A motion to consolidate the two derivative shareholder complaints is pending.

The Company disagrees with the legal claims asserted in these complaints and intends to defend them vigorously. Due in part to the preliminary nature of these three matters, the Company currently cannot reasonably estimate a possible loss, or range of loss, that may arise from the respective complaints.

Commitments

As a result of the Merger, the Company became party to agreements with certain distributor partners that provide the Company with an option to purchase, and an option for those partners to require the Company to purchase, the distribution business of those partners at specified future dates. At such time, the Company or distributor may (in certain cases, subject to satisfying certain conditions) submit written notice to the other of its intention to exercise its rights and initiate or require the purchase. Upon receipt of the written notice, the Company and the distributor will work in good faith to consummate the purchase. Under certain of these agreements, the purchase price would be paid in shares of the Company's common stock, whereas for others, the purchase price can be paid in cash or shares, at the Company's option. Based on the closing price of the Company's common stock as of December 31, 2024, assuming the options under all the relevant agreements were exercised, the estimated total number of shares the Company would issue under these agreements was approximately 0.2 million shares for agreements that must be settled in shares of the Company's stock. The Company has received notification from one such distributor, who has notified the Company of its decision to exercise its buyout option. The Company is currently in negotiations with this distributor in regard to the consummation of the potential acquisition.

Italian Medical Device Payback ("IMDP")

In 2015, the Italian Parliament introduced rules for entities that supply goods and services to the Italian National Healthcare System. A key provision of the law is a ‘payback’ measure, requiring medical device companies in Italy to make payments to the Italian government if medical device expenditures exceed regional maximum ceilings. Companies are required to make payments equal to a percentage of expenditures exceeding maximum regional caps.

In the third quarter of 2022, the Italian Ministry of Health provided guidelines to the Italian regions and provinces on seeking payback of expenditure overruns relating to the 2015 through 2018 calendar years. Since receiving the guidelines, several regions and provinces have requested payment from affected medical device companies, including the Company. The Company has taken legal action to dispute the legality of such measures. In July 2024, the Italian Constitutional Court issued two judgments following public hearings on the matter held in May 2024. These judgments (i) declared the payback system itself as constitutionally legitimate and (ii) extended previously communicated reductions in the payback liability for certain fiscal years to all medical device companies, regardless of whether or not they had waived their legal claims on the matter.

The Company accounts for the estimated cost of the IMDP as sales, general, and administrative expense and periodically reassesses the liability based upon current facts and circumstances. As a result, the Company recorded expenses of $1.4 million, $1.3 million, and $1.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively, as a result of certain temporary relief provided by the Italian National Healthcare System in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December 31, 2024, the Company has accrued $8.2 million related to the IMDP, which it has classified within other long-term liabilities; however, the actual liability could be higher or lower than the amount accrued once all legal proceedings are resolved and upon further clarification of the IMDP by the Italian authorities for more recent fiscal years.