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Commitments and Contingencies: Litigation Settlement
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies: Litigation Settlement.  
Commitments and Contingencies: Litigation Settlement

15. Commitments and Contingencies; Litigation Settlement

Commitments

Refer to Note 10 “Financing and Operating Leases” for details on the Company’s future cash payments with respect to financing and operating leases. During the normal course of business, the Company enters into non-cancellable agreements to purchase goods and services, including production equipment and information technology systems. The Company leases real property for its facilities under non-cancellable operating lease agreements. Land and facility leases expire at various dates between 2021 and 2028 and contain various provisions for rental adjustments and renewals. The leases typically require the Company to pay property taxes, insurance and normal maintenance costs.

Contingencies

In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the Company establishes an accrued liability when loss contingencies are both probable and estimable. In such cases, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. As a matter develops, the Company, in conjunction with any outside counsel handling the matter, evaluates on an ongoing basis whether such matter presents a loss contingency that is probable and estimable. Once the loss contingency is deemed to be both probable and estimable, the Company will establish an accrued liability and record a corresponding amount of expense. The Company expenses professional fees associated with litigation claims and assessments as incurred.

Heckermann v. Montross et al., Case No. 1:17-CV-01673 (D. Del.) (the “Derivative Suit”)

On November 20, 2017, a purported CPI stockholder filed a stockholder derivative complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Court”) against certain of CPI’s former officers and current and former directors, along with the sponsors of CPI’s October 2015 initial public offering (“IPO”). CPI is also named as a nominal defendant. The derivative complaint asserts claims under §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5 and seeks, among other things, injunctive relief, damages and costs. It alleges false or misleading statements and omissions in the Registration Statement filed by CPI in connection with its IPO and subsequent public filings and statements. The derivative complaint also asserts claims for purported breaches of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, mismanagement and waste of corporate assets.

 

On December 18, 2019, the parties filed a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement to resolve and dismiss the Derivative Suit, and on April 1, 2020, the Court granted final approval of the settlement set forth therein and dismissed with prejudice all claims (the “Settlement”). Under the Settlement, (i) all claims that were or could have been asserted in the Derivative Suit were resolved and discharged, (ii) the Company agreed to implement certain corporate governance reforms, and (iii) the Company’s insurer agreed to pay fees and expenses awarded to the plaintiff’s counsel in the amount of $343 and a service award to the plaintiff of a nominal amount. No liability was recorded for the Settlement as of December 31, 2020 or December 31, 2019.

 

In addition to the matter described above, the Company may be subject to routine legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. The Company believes that the ultimate resolution of any such matters will not have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

Estimated Sales Tax Liability

The Company is evaluating a state sales tax liability analysis for states in which it has economic nexus, and collecting exemption documentation from its customers. It is probable that the Company will be subject to sales tax liabilities plus interest and penalties relating to historical activity in certain states. The estimated liability for sales tax as of December 31, 2020 is $1,696, and is recorded in accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheets. The liability changed from the original estimate recorded in prior periods primarily due to the Company remitting cash to the proper state tax authorities for historical sales tax and interest, partially offset by an increase of $633 in the contingency estimate during the fourth quarter of 2020. Due to the estimates involved in the analysis, the Company expects that the estimated liability will change in the future, and may exceed the current estimate. The Company also may be subject to examination by the relevant state tax authorities.  Sales tax recovered from customers reduces the estimated expense when it is probable of collection, and the Company recorded $596 of probable customer collections during the second half of 2020.  Future changes to the liability estimate that impact the consolidated statements of operations will be recorded within selling, general, and administrative expenses.

Litigation Settlement 

CPI Card Group Inc. v. Multi Packaging Solutions, Inc., et al. Second Case 

During the summer of 2017, the Company and its subsidiary, CPI Card Group – Minnesota, Inc. (together, the “Company Plaintiffs”), commenced a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota against a former employee, Multi Packaging Solutions, Inc. (“MPS”), and two MPS employees as individuals (collectively, the “Defendants”). On June 12, 2019, the Company Plaintiffs and the Defendants reached a settlement pursuant to which the case was resolved and dismissed by mutual agreement on terms that provided for, among other things, a cash payment to the Company. The Company received a $6,000 cash settlement payment during the second quarter of 2019, and recorded the gain within income from operations, in the Other segment. The case was dismissed in its entirety, with prejudice, by court order on July 12, 2019.