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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2026
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (a) Legal Matters The Company is subject to certain legal and other claims that arise in the ordinary course of its business. In particular, the Company and its subsidiaries are named in and subject to various proceedings and claims arising primarily from the Company’s securities business activities, including lawsuits, arbitration claims, class actions, and regulatory matters. Some of these claims seek substantial compensatory, punitive, or indeterminate damages. The Company and its subsidiaries are also involved in other reviews, investigations, and proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory organizations regarding the Company’s business, which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions, and other relief. In addition to such legal and other claims, reviews, investigations, and proceedings, the Company and its subsidiaries are subject to the risk of unasserted claims, including, among others, as it relates to matters related to Mr. Kahn and our investment in Freedom VCM. If such claims are made, however, the Company believes it has valid defenses from any such claim and any such claim would be without merit. The Company has not accrued for any such contingent liabilities, but such contingent liabilities could be realized which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition. On February 2, 2026, a stockholder derivative complaint was filed by Adrian Rubio in the U.S. Federal District Court, Central District of California on behalf of the Company and against the members of the Company’s Board of Directors and certain of the Company’s executive officers. The complaint alleges that certain of the Company’s officers and the board of directors substantially damaged the Company by filing false and misleading statements that omitted material adverse facts regarding Brian Kahn’s involvement in the Prophecy fraud and the regulatory scrutiny that the Company would face because of its entanglements with Kahn and Franchise Group. Claims include breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment. The parties have agreed to stay this action pending decisions in the other derivative matters, and a stipulation to that effect has been accepted by the court. The Company believes that these claims are meritless and intends to defend this action. On January 2, 2026, a stockholder derivative complaint was filed by Joel Friedman in the U.S. Federal District Court, Central District of California on behalf of the Company and against the members of the Company’s Board of Directors and certain of the Company’s executive officers. The complaint alleges that certain of the Company’s officers and the board of directors substantially damaged the Company by filing false and misleading statements that omitted material adverse facts regarding Brian Kahn’s involvement in the Prophecy fraud and the regulatory scrutiny that the Company would face because of its entanglements with Kahn and Franchise Group. Claims include breach of fiduciary duties, waste of corporate assets, and unjust enrichment. The parties have agreed to stay this action pending decisions in the other derivative matters, and a stipulation to that effect has been submitted to the court. The Company believes that these claims are meritless and intends to defend this action. On July 11, 2025, the Company’s subsidiary, BRS, received a demand letter from certain parties that invested in a special purpose entity that in turn invested in the going private transaction (the “Transaction”) in August 2023 of Franchise Group, Inc. An arbitration demand (the “Demand”) was filed by such parties with the American Arbitration Association on October 10, 2025 against BRS and related entities (the “BR Defendants”). The Demand alleges that the BR Defendants (i) failed to disclose certain material facts regarding FRG and the Transaction in violation of certain securities laws, (ii) committed fraud and/or civil conspiracy, and (iii) breached fiduciary duties and aided and abetted the breach of fiduciary duties. Such investors seek rescission of the aggregate investment amount of $37,500 plus interest thereon and related fees and expenses. The Company believes such claims are meritless and intends to defend such action. On February 14, 2025, a stockholder derivative complaint was filed by Michael Marchner in the Delaware Chancery Court on behalf of the Company and against the members of the Company’s Board of Directors. The complaint alleges that certain of the Company’s officers and the board of directors (i) breached their fiduciary duties related to the Company’s involvement with Mr. Kahn and subsequent legal issues, (ii) engaged in misconduct, and (iii) wasted corporate assets, including the approval of improper compensation. On March 30, 2026, the Court of Chancery dismissed the complaint in full. On April 29, 2026, Marchner filed an appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court. On January 22, 2025, a stockholder derivative complaint was filed by James Smith in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County against the Company, certain of the Company’s executive officers and the members of the Company’s Board of Directors. The complaint alleges that certain of the Company’s officers and directors (i) breached their fiduciary duties related to the Company’s involvement with Mr. Kahn and subsequent legal issues, (ii) engaged in a waste of corporate assets, and (iii) received unjust enrichment. The Company believes that these claims are meritless and intends to defend this action. On July 19, 2024, the Company received a demand from two stockholders, Renato Rene Amio and Stephen Edwards, to inspect certain of the Company’s books and records pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, focused on the Company’s business dealings with Mr. Kahn and the FRG take-private transaction, and the Company produced documents in response. On January 16, 2026, the same stockholders delivered a pre-suit litigation demand to the Company’s Board of Directors demanding that the Board pursue claims against certain officers and directors for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, citing Mr. Kahn’s December 2025 guilty plea, alleging that the Board knew or should have known of Mr. Kahn’s history, criticizing the Company’s internal investigations, and seeking disgorgement of compensation, personnel action, and corporate governance reforms. The demand does not specify an amount of alleged damages. The Company believes any resulting claims would be without merit and intends to respond in due course. On July 9, 2024, a putative class action was filed by Brian Gale, Mark Noble, Terry Philippas and Lawrence Bass in the Delaware Chancery Court against Freedom VCM, Mr. Kahn, Andrew Laurence, Matthew Avril, and the Company. This complaint alleges that former shareholders of FRG suffered damages due to alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by officers, directors and other participants in the August 2023 management-led take private transaction of FRG and that the Company aided and abetted those alleged breaches of fiduciary duties. The claim seeks an award of unspecified damages, rescissory damages and/or quasi-appraisal damages, disgorgement of profits, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and interest thereon. The Company believes these claims are meritless and intends to defend this action. On July 3, 2024, each of the Company and Bryant Riley, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, received a subpoena from the SEC requesting the production of certain documents and other information primarily related to (i) the Company’s business dealings with Mr. Kahn, (ii) certain transactions in an unrelated public company’s securities, and (iii) the communications and related compliance and other policies and procedures of certain of its regulated subsidiaries. On November 22, 2024, each of the Company and Mr. Riley received an additional SEC subpoena requesting the production of certain additional documents and information relating to Franchise Group, Inc. (including its holding company, Freedom VCM Holdings, LLC) as well as Mr. Riley’s personal loan and his pledge of shares of the Company’s common stock as collateral for such loan. In June 2026, the SEC issued subpoenas to certain current and former employees seeking their testimony. As previously disclosed on April 23, 2024, the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, with the assistance of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, the Company’s legal counsel, conducted an internal review, and separately the Audit Committee retained Winston & Strawn LLP, independent legal counsel, to conduct an independent investigation, to review transactions among Mr. Kahn (and his affiliates) and the Company (and its affiliates). The review and the investigation both confirmed that the Company and its executives, including Mr. Riley, had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any alleged misconduct concerning Mr. Kahn or any of his affiliates. The receipt of subpoenas is not an indication that the SEC or its staff has determined that any violations of law have occurred. Both the Company and Mr. Riley are responding to the subpoenas and are fully cooperating with the SEC. On May 2, 2024, a putative class action was filed by Ted Donaldson in the Superior Court for the State of California, County of Los Angeles on behalf of all persons who acquired the Company’s senior notes pursuant to the shelf registration statement filed with the SEC on Form S-3 dated January 28, 2021, and the prospectuses filed and published on August 4, 2021 and December 2, 2021 (the “Offerings”). The action asserts claims under §§ 11, 12, and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 against the Company, some of the Company’s current and former officers and directors, and the financial institutions that served as underwriters and book runners for the Offerings. An amended complaint was filed on September 27, 2024. The amended complaint alleges that the offering documents failed to advise investors that Brian Kahn and/or one or more of his controlled entities was engaged in illicit business activities, that the Company, despite the foregoing, continued to finance transactions for Kahn, eventually enabling him and others to take FRG private, and that the foregoing was reasonably likely to draw regulatory scrutiny and reputational harm to the Company. The Company believes these claims are meritless and intends to defend this action. On January 24, 2024, a putative securities class action complaint was filed by Mike Coan in U.S. Federal District Court, Central District of California, against the Company, Mr. Riley, Tom Kelleher and Phillip Ahn. The purported class includes persons and entities that purchased shares of the Company’s common stock between May 10, 2023 and November 9, 2023. A second putative class action lawsuit was filed on March 15, 2024 by the KL Kamholz Joint Revocable Trust (“Kamholz”). On August 8, 2024, this matter was consolidated with the Kamholz matter and an amended complaint was then filed on April 21, 2025. The amended complaint alleges that the Company failed to disclose to investors material financial details concerning a going private transaction involving FRG, and that the Company made false or misleading statements concerning the Company’s lending practices, its high concentration of risk in transactions involving Mr. Kahn and his affiliates, the condition and composition of the Company’s loan portfolio, the Company’s due diligence and risk management procedures, and the Company’s level of concern and internal scrutiny concerning Mr. Kahn after it learned he was potentially implicated in a fraud involving an unrelated third party. The amended complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. On December 12, 2025, the District Court granted in part and denied in part the Company’s motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint. The matter will now move into discovery and class certification proceedings. The Company cannot estimate the amount of potential liability, if any, that could arise from these matters and believes these claims are meritless and intends to defend these actions. On September 21, 2023, BRCC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, received a demand alleging that certain payments to BRCC in the aggregate amount of approximately $32,166 made by Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (“Sorrento”), a Chapter 11 debtor in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Texas (the “Court”), pursuant to that certain Bridge Loan Agreement dated September 30, 2022 between Sorrento and BRCC, are avoidable as preferential transfers (the “Alleged Preferences”). On June 16, 2025, the liquidating trustee (the “Trustee”) on behalf of the Sorrento Liquidating Trust filed a complaint with the Court in an adversary proceeding seeking to avoid and recover the Alleged Preferences. On September 12, 2025, the Court denied BRCC’s motion to dismiss. The Company believes that the Trustee’s claims lack merit and intends to continue to assert its statutory defenses to defeat such claims. In light of the significant factual issues to be resolved with respect to the asserted claims and other proceedings described above and uncertainties regarding unasserted claims described above, at the present time reasonably possible losses cannot be estimated with respect to the asserted and unasserted claims described in the preceding paragraphs. (b) Babcock & Wilcox Commitments and Guarantees On January 18, 2024, the Company entered into a guaranty (the “Axos Guaranty”) in favor of (i) Axos Bank, in its capacity as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”) for the secured parties under that certain credit agreement, dated as of January 18, 2024, among B&W, the guarantors party thereto, the lenders party thereto and the Administrative Agent (the “B&W Axos Credit Agreement”), and (ii) the secured parties. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Axos Guaranty, the Company has guaranteed certain obligations of B&W (subject to certain limitations) under the B&W Axos Credit Agreement, including the obligation to repay outstanding loans and letters of credit and to pay earned interest, fees costs and expenses of enforcing the Axos Guaranty, provided however, that the Company’s obligations with respect to the principal amount of credit extensions and unreimbursed letter of credit obligations under the B&W Axos Credit Agreement shall not at any time exceed $150,000 in the aggregate, which is the maximum potential amount of future payments under the guaranty. In consideration for the agreements and commitments under the Axos Guaranty and pursuant to a separate fee and reimbursement agreement, B&W has agreed to pay the Company a fee equal to 2.00% of the aggregate revolving commitments (as defined in the B&W Axos Credit Agreement) under the B&W Axos Credit Agreement, payable quarterly and, at B&W’s election, in cash in full or 50% in cash and 50% in the form of penny warrants. On June 18, 2025, an amendment was made to the Axos Guaranty whereby the Company’s obligations as guarantor were suspended until January 1, 2027. On February 25, 2026, the Axos Guaranty was terminated and is of no further force and effect. On December 22, 2021, the Company entered into a general agreement of indemnity in favor of one of B&W’s sureties. Pursuant to this indemnity agreement, the Company agreed to indemnify the surety in connection with a default by B&W under a €30,000 payment and performance bond issued by the surety in connection with a construction project undertaken by B&W. Under the agreement, the performance bond amount was reduced upon the satisfaction of specified contractual performance obligations. As of June 30, 2026, the Company’s indemnity obligation under the performance bond was €5,000. (c) Other Commitments In the normal course of business, the Company enters into commitments to its clients in connection with capital raising transactions, such as firm commitment underwritings, equity lines of credit, or other commitments to provide financing on specified terms and conditions. Securities underwriting exposes the Company to market and credit risk, primarily in the event that, for any reason, securities purchased by the Company cannot be distributed at the anticipated price and to balance sheet risk in the event that debt or equity financing commitments cannot be syndicated. The Company entered into two Written Put agreements in April and September of 2025 and the September 2025 Written Put agreement has been subsequently amended. Under the Written Put agreements, the Issuers may require the Company to purchase up to: (i) $15,000 of the Issuer’s convertible preferred stock prior to March 24, 2027 and (ii) $2,000,000 of the Issuer’s convertible preferred stock prior to August 27, 2029, subject to limitations. The maximum put notice is (i) $500 per week in the aggregate and (ii) $150,000 per issuance and no more than one put notice a week, respectively. Conversion of the preferred stock is subject to a 19.99% conversion limitation pursuant to the applicable Nasdaq Listing Rules. If exercised, the Company would remit cash and receive preferred shares at a discount to their stated value, with the preferred stock convertible at the Company’s option into common shares of the Issuer based on a formula tied to market prices. The preferred stock also includes a contingent redemption feature if the Issuer’s common stock declines below a specified price threshold. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, the Company purchased an aggregate of $225,000 and $375,000 of preferred shares pursuant to the April 2025 agreement. As of June 30, 2026, future commitments for the Written Puts include: (i) $12,700, which does not meet the requirements to be put by one Issuer, due to a decrease in stock price below the required floor as of the balance sheet date and (ii) $960,000, which remained outstanding from another Issuer and had not been exercised, and no amounts were due (see Note 5 - Fair Value Measurements).

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