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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
May 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Purchase Commitments
At May 31, 2020, the Company was committed to purchase $87.7 million of produce and other materials. For the fiscal years ended May 31, 2020, May 26, 2019, and May 27, 2018, purchases related to long term commitments under take or pay agreements were $3.4 million, $0.5 million, and $0.0 million, respectively.
Legal Contingencies
In the ordinary course of business, the Company is from time to time involved in various legal proceedings and claims.
The Company makes a provision for a liability relating to legal matters when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least each fiscal quarter and
adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, estimate settlements, legal rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular matter. Legal fees are expensed in the period in which they are incurred.
Claims Alleging Unfair Labor Practices
Curation Foods has been the target of a union organizing campaign which has included 3 unsuccessful attempts to unionize Curation Foods’ Guadalupe, California processing plant. The campaign has involved a union and over 100 former and current employees of Pacific Harvest, Inc. and Rancho Harvest, Inc. (collectively “Pacific Harvest”), Curation Foods’ former labor contractors at its Guadalupe, California processing facility, bringing legal actions before various state and federal agencies, the California Superior Court, and initiating over 100 individual arbitrations against Curation Foods and Pacific Harvest.
The legal actions consisted of various claims, all of which were settled in fiscal year 2017. Under the settlement agreement, the plaintiffs were to be paid in three installments. The Company and Pacific Harvest each agreed to pay one half of the settlement payments. The Company paid the entire first two installments and Pacific Harvest agreed to reimburse the Company for its $2.1 million portion. As of May 31, 2020, the outstanding balance of the receivable was $1.2 million. The Company makes ongoing estimates relating to the collectability of receivables. A reserve is established for any note when there is reasonable doubt that the principal or interest will be collected in full. The Company may write-off uncollectable receivables after collection efforts are exhausted. During the fiscal year 2020, the Company’s review for collectability concluded that a receivable reserve of $1.2 million would be recorded. The Company's conclusion regarding collectability changed as a result of Pacific Harvest communicating their refusal to pay combined with their brining claims against the Company. As of May 31, 2020, the reserve balance remained at $1.2 million.
Compliance Matters
As previously disclosed, on December 1, 2018, the Company acquired all of the voting interests and substantially all of the assets of Yucatan Foods (the “Yucatan Acquisition”), which owns a guacamole manufacturing plant in Mexico called Procesadora Tanok, S de RL de C.V. (“Tanok”).
On October 21, 2019, the Company retained Latham & Watkins, LLP to conduct an internal investigation relating to potential environmental and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) compliance matters associated with regulatory permitting at the Tanok facility in Mexico. The Company subsequently disclosed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) the conduct under investigation, and these agencies have commenced an investigation. The Company has also disclosed the conduct under investigation to the Mexican Attorney General’s Office, which has commenced an investigation, and to Mexican regulatory agencies. The Company is cooperating in the government investigations and requests for information. The conduct at issue began prior to the Yucatan Acquisition, and the agreement for the Yucatan Acquisition provides the Company with certain indemnification rights that may allow the Company to recover the cost of a portion of the liabilities that have been and may be incurred by the Company in connection with these compliance matters. At this stage, the ultimate outcome of these or any other investigations or potential claims that may arise from the matters under investigation is uncertain and the Company cannot reasonably predict the timing or outcomes, or estimate the amount of net loss after indemnification or insurance recovery, or its effect, if any, on its financial statements. Separately, there are indemnification provisions in the purchase agreement that allow the Company to recover costs for breach of warranty, etc. from the seller. Because recovery of amounts are contingent upon a legal settlement, no amounts have been recorded as recoverable costs through May 31, 2020. Nor are there any insurance claims recorded as they are similarly contingent.
Other Litigation Matters
On February 10, 2020, a complaint was filed against Curation Foods in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Printpack, Inc. v. Curation Foods, Inc., alleging breach of contract pertaining to Curation Foods’ purchase of certain poly film packaging from the plaintiff. The plaintiff was seeking an unspecified amount of monetary damages, litigation expenses, and interest. Through several negotiations and discussions between the Company and Printpack, an agreement was reached and a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal was filed on May 29, 2020. This dismisses the case against the Company with no other further legal action required.
On February 14, 2020, a complaint was filed against the Company, Curation Foods, the Company’s current CEO Albert Bolles, the Company’s former Chief Financial Officer Gregory Skinner, and other defendants (collectively, the "Landec Parties") in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, entitled Pacific Harvest, Inc., et al. v. Curation Foods, Inc., et al. (No. 20CV00920). The case was brought by Pacific Harvest, Inc. (“Pacific”) and Rancho Harvest, Inc. (“Rancho”), two related companies that have provided labor and employee staffing services to Curation Foods. Among other things, Pacific and Rancho allege that Curation Foods wrongfully decreased its use of Pacific’s staffing services and misappropriated Pacific’s trade secrets when Curation Foods increased its use of another staffing company and transitioned Pacific’s employees to the other staffing company. Pacific and
Rancho also allege that Curation Foods breached agreements between the parties related to a loan from Curation Foods. Based on this alleged breach, Pacific and Rancho have ceased making payments. Plaintiffs assert claims for breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, intentional interference with contracts and potential economic advantage, misappropriation of trade secrets under California’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act, business practices in violation of California Unfair Competition Law, fraud, defamation, violation of California Usury Law, breach of fiduciary duty, and declaratory relief regarding the parties’ rights and obligations under certain of the parties’ contracts. The Landec Parties have not yet appeared in this action. Given the preliminary stage of the litigation, at this time the Company is unable to determine whether any loss is probable or reasonably estimate a range of such loss, and accordingly has not accrued any liability associated with these matters. The Company intends to defend and pursue its interests in this case vigorously.