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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 18 – Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Matters

From time to time, the Company is subject to or otherwise involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations and legal proceedings that arise out of or are incidental to the conduct of our business (collectively, “Legal Matters”), including those relating to employment matters, patent rights, regulatory compliance matters, stockholder claims, and contractual and other commercial disputes. Such Legal Matters, even if not meritorious, could result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. Additionally, an unfavorable outcome in a legal matter, including in a patent dispute, could require the Company to pay damages, entitle claimants to other relief, such as royalties, or could prevent the Company from selling some of its products in certain jurisdictions. The Company records an accrual for any Legal Matters that arise whenever it considers that it is probable that it is exposed to a loss contingency and the amount of the loss contingency can be reasonably estimated. Although the ultimate disposition of asserted claims cannot be predicted with certainty, it is our belief that the outcome of any such claims, either individually or on a combined basis, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position.

DPLTA Appraisal Proceedings

In addition to such Legal Matters, the Company is a party to appraisal proceedings relating to the DPLTA. The DPLTA provides that Adtran Networks shareholders (other than the Company) be offered, at their election, (i) to put their Adtran Networks shares to the Company in exchange for compensation in cash of €17.21 per share, plus guaranteed interest or (ii) to remain Adtran Networks shareholders and receive recurring cash compensation of €0.52 per share for each full fiscal year of Adtran Networks. The appraisal proceedings, which were initiated by certain minority shareholders of Adtran Networks, challenge the adequacy of both forms of compensation. While the Company believes that the compensation offered in connection with the DPLTA is fair, it notes that German courts often adjudicate increases of the cash compensation to plaintiffs in varying amounts in connection with German appraisal proceedings. Therefore, the Company cannot rule out that the first instance court or an appellate court may increase the cash compensation owed to the minority Adtran Networks shareholders. Given the stage of the appraisal proceedings, the Company is currently unable to predict the likely outcome or estimate the potential financial impact, if any, of the appraisal proceedings. If a ruling were to occur and be upheld upon appeal that required the Company to pay significant additional cash compensation to the Adtran Networks minority shareholders, there exists the possibility of a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations for the period in which the ruling occurs or future periods.

DPLTA Exit and Recurring Compensation Costs and the Absorption of Adtran Network's Annual Net Loss

Pursuant to the terms of the DPLTA, each Adtran Networks shareholder (other than the Company) has received an offer to elect either (1) to remain an Adtran Networks shareholder and receive from us an Annual Recurring Compensation payment, or (2) to receive Exit Compensation plus guaranteed interest. The guaranteed interest under the Exit Compensation is calculated from the effective date of the DPLTA to the date the shares are tendered, less any Annual Recurring Compensation paid. The guaranteed interest rate is 5.0% plus a variable component (according to the German Civil Code) that was 3.37% as of December 31, 2024. Assuming all the minority holders of currently outstanding Adtran Networks shares were to elect the second option, we would be obligated to make aggregate Exit Compensation payments, including guaranteed interest, of approximately 333.2 million or approximately $344.9 million, based on an exchange rate as of December 31, 2024 and reflecting interest accrued through December 31, 2024 during the pendency of the appraisal proceedings discussed below. Shareholders electing the first option of Annual Recurring Compensation may later elect the second

option. The opportunity for outside Adtran Networks shareholders to tender Adtran Networks shares in exchange for Exit Compensation had been scheduled to expire on March 16, 2023. However, due to the appraisal proceedings that have been initiated in accordance with applicable German law, this time period for tendering shares has been extended pursuant to the German Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz) and will end two months after the date on which a final decision in such appraisal proceedings has been published in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger).

Our obligation to pay Annual Recurring Compensation under the DPLTA is a continuing payment obligation, which will amount to approximately €8.9 million (or $9.3 million based on the current exchange rate) per year assuming none of the minority Adtran Networks shareholders were to elect Exit Compensation. The foregoing amounts do not reflect any potential increase in payment obligations that we may have depending on the outcome of ongoing appraisal proceedings in Germany. The Annual Recurring Compensation is due on the third banking day following the ordinary general shareholders’ meeting of Adtran Networks for the respective preceding fiscal year (but in any event within eight months following expiration of the fiscal year). With respect to the 2023 fiscal year, Adtran Networks’ ordinary general shareholders’ meeting occurred on June 28, 2024 and, therefore, the Annual Recurring Compensation was paid on July 3, 2024.With respect to the 2024 fiscal year, Adtran Networks’ ordinary general shareholders meeting is scheduled for June 27, 2025 and, therefore, the Annual Recurring Compensation will be due on July 2, 2025. During the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we accrued $9.8 million and $10.1 million, respectively, in Annual Recurring Compensation, which was reflected as an increase to retained deficit.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, approximately 831 thousand shares, of Adtran Networks stock were tendered to the Company. This resulted in total Exit Compensation payments of approximately €15.7 million, or approximately $17.4 million, based on exchange rates at the time of the transactions, being paid to Adtran Networks shareholders. For the year ended December 31, 2023, 67 thousand shares, respectively, of Adtran Networks shares were tendered to the Company. This resulted in Exit Compensation payments of approximately €1.2 million, respectively, or approximately $1.3 million, based on an exchange rate as of December 31, 2023, being paid to Adtran Networks shareholders.

In addition, under the DPLTA, subject to certain limitations pursuant to applicable law and the specific terms of the DPLTA, (i) the Company is entitled to issue binding instructions to the management board of Adtran Networks, (ii) Adtran Networks will transfer its annual profit to the Company, subject to, among other things, the creation or dissolution of certain reserves, and (iii) the Company will generally absorb the annual net loss incurred by Adtran Networks. The Company’s payment obligation in satisfaction of the requirement that it absorb Adtran Networks’ annual net loss applied for the first time to the net loss generated in 2023.

Performance Bonds

Certain contracts, customers and jurisdictions in which the Company do business require us to provide various guarantees of performance such as bid bonds, performance bonds and customs bonds. As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had commitments related to these bonds totaling $15.7 million and $10.8 million, respectively, which expire at various dates through April 2029. In general the Company would only be liable for the amount of these guarantees in the event of default under each contract, the probability of which the Company believes is remote.

Purchase Obligations

The Company purchases components from a variety of suppliers and use contract manufacturers to provide manufacturing services for our products. Our inventory purchase obligations are for short-term product manufacturing requirements, as well as for obligations to suppliers to secure manufacturing capacity. Certain of our inventory purchase obligations with contract manufacturers and suppliers relate to arrangements to secure supply and pricing for certain product components for multi-year periods. As of December 31, 2024, purchase obligations totaled $202.5 million.