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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES    
Legal Proceedings
The Company is involved in various legal proceedings, including commercial, intellectual property, product liability, and regulatory matters of a nature considered normal for its business. The Company accrues for amounts related to these matters if it is probable that a liability has been incurred, and an amount can be reasonably estimated. The Company discloses such matters when there is at least a reasonable possibility that a material loss may have been incurred. However, the Company cannot predict the outcome of any litigation or the potential for future litigation.
C.R. Bard, Inc. v. AngioDynamics, Inc.
On January 11, 2012, C.R. Bard, Inc. (“Bard”) filed a suit in the United States District Court of Utah claiming certain of the Company's implantable port products infringe on three U.S. patents held by Bard (US Patent Nos. 7,785,302, 7,959,615 (“615”) and 7,947,022). The case was stayed pending reexamination in the US Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO"). Following the reexamination proceedings, and the parties’ related appeals to the Federal Circuit which resulted in further proceedings at the USPTO, certain claims of the 615 patent were held invalid, while the remaining claims of the 615 patent and the other two patents were upheld over the prior art references considered in the reexamination proceedings. Thereafter, on November 16, 2020, the court granted the Company’s motion to transfer the case from the District of Utah to the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (“District of Delaware”). The parties filed a proposed scheduling order on March 12, 2021. The Company believes these claims are without merit and intends to defend them vigorously. The Company has not recorded an expense related to the outcome of this litigation because it is not yet possible to determine if a potential loss is probable nor reasonably estimable.
On March 10, 2015, Bard and Bard Peripheral Vascular filed suit in the District of Delaware claiming certain of the Company's implantable port products infringe on three U.S. patents held by Bard (US Patent Nos. 8,475,417, 8,545,460, 8,805,478). The case proceeded through trial which began on March 4, 2019. On day four of the jury trial, at the close of Bard’s case, the Court granted the Company's oral motion for judgment as a matter of law as well as its motions for summary judgment on the grounds that the asserted patents are invalid, ineligible, not infringed and not willfully infringed. On May 10, 2019, the Company filed a motion for attorney fees and non-taxable expenses under 35 USC Sec. 285, which remains stayed in the case. Bard appealed the judgment to the Federal Circuit and on November 10, 2020, the Federal Circuit reversed the judgment in part with respect to Section 101, and vacated and remanded the trial court’s invalidity and non-infringement judgments. The Company filed a combined Petition for rehearing and rehearing en banc on December 10, 2020, which was denied on January 15, 2021. The Federal Circuit issued its mandate on January 22, 2021. On March 15, 2021, the District of Delaware entered an order requiring the parties to submit status reports and denied as moot the Company’s motion for attorney’s fees and expenses. The matter remains pending. The Company maintains its belief that Bard’s claims are without merit. The Company has not recorded an expense related to the outcome of this litigation because it is not yet possible to determine if a potential loss is probable nor reasonably estimable.
On March 8, 2021, Bard filed suit in the District of Delaware asserting certain of the Company’s port products (including certain related infusion sets) infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 8,025,639, 9,603,992 and 9,603,993. The Company has not yet answered, and the matter remains pending. The Company maintains its belief that Bard’s claims are without merit. The Company has not recorded an expense related to the outcome of this litigation because it is not yet possible to determine if a potential loss is probable nor reasonably estimable.
AngioDynamics, Inc. v. C.R. Bard, Inc.
On May 30, 2017, the Company commenced an action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York entitled AngioDynamics, Inc. v. C.R. Bard, Inc. and Bard Access Systems, Inc. (“Bard”). In this action, the Company alleges that Bard has illegally tied the sales of its tip location systems to the sales of its PICCs. The Company alleges that this practice violates the federal antitrust laws and has had, and continues to have, an anti-competitive effect in the market for
PICCs. The Company seeks both monetary damages and injunctive relief. Bard moved to dismiss on September 8, 2017. On August 6, 2018 the court denied Bard’s motion in its entirety. Discovery is largely complete, summary judgment, including all reply briefs, were fully briefed in October 2020, and the case will subsequently proceed to trial thereafter.
Merz North America Settlement
On May 16, 2019, Merz North America, Inc. (“Merz”) commenced an action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York entitled Merz North America, Inc. v. AngioDynamics, Inc. In this action, Merz alleged breach of contract against AngioDynamics based on a March 1, 2016 Distribution Agreement. On June 28, 2019, AngioDynamics reached a settlement with Merz. AngioDynamics made a lump-sum payment of $2.5 million to Merz in return for dismissal of the case with prejudice during the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. The case was subsequently dismissed.