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Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Note 11 - Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

From time to time, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. For example, to the extent a claim is asserted by a third party in a lawsuit against one of the Company’s insureds covered by a particular policy, the Company may have a duty to defend the insured party against the claim. These claims may relate to bodily injury, property damage or other compensable injuries as set forth in the policy. Such proceedings are considered in estimating the liability for loss and LAE expenses.

Office Lease

The Company enters into lease agreements for real estate that is primarily used for office space in the ordinary course of business. These leases are accounted for as operating leases, whereby lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

The Company was a party to a non-cancellable operating lease, dated March 27, 2015, for its office facility for KICO located in Valley Stream, New York, which expired on March 31, 2024. The lease was not renewed.

Additional information regarding the Company’s office operating leases is as follows:

		Three months ended
		March 31,
Lease cost		2024				2023

Operating lease		$	41,342			$	40,815
Total lease cost		$	41,342			$	40,815

Other information on operating leases
Cash payments included in the measurement of lease liability reported in operating cash flows		$	49,145			$	47,483
Discount rate			5.50	%			5.50	%
Remaining lease term in years			-				1.00

Rent expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 amounted to $41,342 and $40,815, respectively, and is included in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) within other underwriting expenses.

Employment Agreements

Meryl Golden, President and Chief Executive Officer; formerly Chief Operating Officer (See Note 13 Subsequent Events)

Employment Agreement effective as of January 1, 2021

On September 16, 2019, the Company and Meryl Golden entered into an employment agreement (the “Golden Employment Agreement”) pursuant to which Ms. Golden served as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Golden also served as KICO’s President and Chief Operating Officer. The Golden Employment Agreement became effective as of September 25, 2019 (amended on December 24, 2020) and expired on December 31, 2022.

Pursuant to the Golden Employment Agreement, Ms. Golden was entitled to receive an annual salary of $500,000. The Golden Employment Agreement also provided for the grant on the effective date of a five year option for the purchase of 50,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock pursuant to the 2014 Plan. The options granted vested in four equal installments, with the first installment vesting on the grant date, and the remaining installments vesting on the first, second, and third anniversaries of the grant date. Pursuant to the Golden Employment Agreement, as amended, in each of January 2021 and January 2022, Ms. Golden was granted 30,000 shares of restricted Common Stock pursuant to the 2014 Plan. Each such grant will vest in three equal installments on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date. Pursuant to the 2014 Plan, Ms. Golden’s outstanding stock options and restricted stock awards will vest in the event of a change in control of the Company.

Employment Agreement effective as of January 1, 2023

On June 27, 2022, the Company and Ms. Golden entered into a second amended and restated employment agreement which took effect as of January 1, 2023, and expires on December 31, 2024 (the “Second Amended Golden Employment Agreement”).

Pursuant to the Second Amended Golden Employment Agreement, Ms. Golden is entitled to receive an annual base salary of $500,000 and an annual bonus equal to 3% of the Company’s consolidated income from operations before taxes, exclusive of the Company’s consolidated net investment income (loss), net unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities and net realized gains (losses) on investments, up to a maximum of 1.25 times her base salary. In addition, pursuant to the Second Amended Golden Employment Agreement, Ms. Golden was granted, under the terms of the 2014 Plan, during each of January 2023 and January 2024, a number of shares of restricted stock determined by dividing $136,500 by the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. In January 2023, Ms. Golden was granted 101,111 shares of restricted stock pursuant to this provision. The 2023 grant will vest with respect to one-half of the award on the first anniversary of the grant date and one-half of the award on December 31, 2024, based on the continued provision of services through such dates. In January 2024, Ms. Golden was granted 64,085 shares of restricted stock pursuant to this provision. The 2024 grant will vest on January 2, 2025, based on the continued provision of services through such date. Further, pursuant to the Second Amended Golden Employment Agreement, Ms. Golden would be entitled to receive, under certain circumstances, a payment equal to 1.5 times her then annual base salary and her accrued bonus in the event of the termination of her employment within eighteen months following a change of control of the Company.

Effective as of October 1, 2023, Ms. Golden was appointed to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company to succeed Mr. Goldstein.

Barry Goldstein, Executive Chairman of the Board; and formerly President and Chief Executive Officer

Employment Agreement effective as of January 1, 2020

On October 14, 2019, the Company and Barry B. Goldstein, the Company’s then President, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of the Board, entered into a Second Amended and Restated Employment Agreement (the “Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement”). The Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement became effective as of January 1, 2020 and expired on December 31, 2022. The Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement extended the expiration date of the employment agreement in effect for Mr. Goldstein from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

Pursuant to the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, Mr. Goldstein was entitled to receive an annual base salary of $500,000 and an annual bonus equal to 6% of the Company’s consolidated income from operations before taxes, exclusive of the Company’s consolidated net investment income (loss), net unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities and net realized gains (losses) on investments, up to a maximum of 2.5 times his base salary. In addition, pursuant to the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, Mr. Goldstein was entitled to receive a long-term compensation (“LTC”) award of between $945,000 and $2,835,000 based on a specified minimum increase in the Company’s adjusted book value per share (as defined in the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement) as of December 31, 2022 as compared to December 31, 2019 (with the maximum LTC payment being due if the average per annum increase was at least 14%). Pursuant to the Third Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement (discussed below), Mr. Goldstein relinquished the right to receive the LTC. Pursuant to the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, in the event that Mr. Goldstein’s employment was terminated by the Company without cause or he resigned for good reason (each as defined in the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement), Mr. Goldstein would have been entitled to receive his base salary and the 6% bonus for the remainder of the term. In addition, in the event of Mr. Goldstein’s death, his estate would have been entitled to receive his base salary and accrued bonus through the date of death. Further, in the event that Mr. Goldstein’s employment was terminated by the Company without cause or he resigned for good reason, or, in the event of the termination of Mr. Goldstein’s employment due to disability or death, Mr. Goldstein’s granted but unvested restricted stock awards would have vested. Mr. Goldstein would have been entitled, under certain circumstances, to a payment equal to 3.82 times his then annual salary and his accrued 6% bonus in the event of the termination of his employment within eighteen months following a change of control of the Company.

Pursuant to the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, in January 2020, Mr. Goldstein received a grant of 157,431 shares of restricted stock under the terms of the Company’s 2014 Plan determined by dividing $1,250,000 by the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. This 2020 grant vested with respect to one-third of the award on each of the first and second anniversaries of the grant date and was scheduled to vest with respect to one-sixth of the award on each of December 29, 2023 and December 30, 2024 based on the continued provision of services through such dates. On September 18, 2023, Mr. Goldstein and the Company agreed to extend the vesting date of the one-sixth of the award that was scheduled to vest on December 29, 2023 to December 30, 2024. Also pursuant to the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, Mr. Goldstein received a grant, under the terms of the 2014 Plan, during January 2021, of 230,769 shares of restricted stock determined by dividing $1,500,000 by the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. This 2021 grant vested with respect to one-half of the award on the first anniversary of the grant date and was scheduled to vest with respect to one-fourth of the award on each of December 29, 2023 and December 30, 2024 based on the continued provision of services through such dates. On September 18, 2023, Mr. Goldstein and the Company agreed to extend the vesting date of the one-fourth of the award that was scheduled to vest on December 29, 2023 to December 30, 2024. Further, pursuant to the Second Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, Mr. Goldstein received in 2020, 2021, and 2022 a grant, under the terms of the 2014 Plan of a number of shares of restricted stock determined by dividing $136,500 by the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. In January 2020, Mr. Goldstein was granted 17,191 shares of restricted stock pursuant to this provision. This grant vested with respect to one-third of the award on each of the first and second anniversaries of the grant date and was scheduled to vest with respect to one-sixth of the award on each of December 29, 2023 and December 30, 2024 based on the continued provision of services through such dates. On September 18, 2023, Mr. Goldstein and the Company agreed to extend the vesting date for the one-sixth of the award that was scheduled to vest on December 29, 2023 to December 30, 2024. In January 2021, Mr. Goldstein was granted 21,000 shares of restricted stock pursuant to this provision. This grant vested with respect to one-half of the award on the first anniversary of the grant date and was scheduled to vest with respect to one-fourth of the award on each of December 29, 2023 and December 30, 2024 based on the continued provision of services through such dates. On September 18, 2023, Mr. Goldstein and the Company agreed to extend the vesting date for the one-fourth of the award that was scheduled to vest on December 29, 2023 to December 30, 2024. In January 2022, Mr. Goldstein was granted 27,300 shares of restricted stock pursuant to this provision. This grant was scheduled to vest with respect to one-half of the award on each of December 29, 2023 and December 30, 2024 based on the continued provision of services through such dates. On September 18, 2023, Mr. Goldstein and the Company agreed to extend the vesting date for the one-half of the award that was scheduled to vest on December 29, 2023 to December 30, 2024. Pursuant to the 2014 Plan, Mr. Goldstein’s unvested restricted stock awards will vest in the event of a change in control of the Company. In addition, in the event of the termination of Mr. Goldstein’s employment with the Company for any reason, his unvested restricted stock will vest.

Employment Agreement effective as of January 1, 2023

On June 27, 2022, the Company and Mr. Goldstein entered into a third amended and restated employment agreement which took effect as of January 1, 2023, and expires on December 31, 2024 (the “Third Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement”).

Pursuant to the Third Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, Mr. Goldstein is entitled to receive an annual base salary of $500,000 and an annual bonus equal to 3% of the Company’s consolidated income from operations before taxes, exclusive of the Company’s consolidated net investment income (loss), net unrealized gains (losses) on equity securities and net realized gains (losses) on investments, up to a maximum of 1.25 times his base salary. Pursuant to the Third Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement, Mr. Goldstein would be entitled to receive, under certain circumstances, a payment equal to 1.5 times his then annual base salary and his accrued bonus in the event of the termination of his employment within eighteen months following a change of control of the Company.

Employment Agreement effective as of October 1, 2023

On August 9, 2023, the Company and Mr. Goldstein entered into an amendment to the Third Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement which took effect as of October 1, 2023. Pursuant to the amendment, effective as of October 1, 2023, Mr. Goldstein is no longer serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, the expiration date of the Third Amended Goldstein Employment Agreement shall be the earlier of (a) December 31, 2024 or (b) in the event Mr. Goldstein is not re-elected as Chairman of the Board of the Company following its 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, then the date of such annual meeting, Mr. Goldstein’s salary was reduced to $300,000 per annum, and Mr. Goldstein is no longer entitled to receive a bonus based upon the Company’s net income.