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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Litigation
From time to time, the Company and its affiliates are involved in litigation and other legal disputes or regulatory inquiries that arise in the ordinary course of business. Any claims or regulatory actions against the Company and its affiliates, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming and costly, and could divert significant operational resources. The outcomes of such matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, carrying the potential for unfavorable rulings that could include monetary damages and injunctive relief.
On July 8, 2020, Jeffrey Garcia filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Company in the Central District of California (20-cv-06096), alleging violations of federal securities laws. The court appointed a lead plaintiff. The Company moved to dismiss the consolidated class action complaint. The court granted the motion to dismiss and the lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint. The Company moved to dismiss the amended complaint. On August 8, 2022, the court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint without leave to amend. The lead plaintiff has filed a notice of appeal.
On September 24, 2020, International Union of Operating Engineers of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery (C.A. No. 2020-0819-VCL) asserting derivative claims for breach of fiduciary duty and related theories against directors of the Company and other third parties relating generally to the investment by the Company in OCV Fund I, L.P. (the “Chancery Court Derivative Action”). On November 17, 2020, the court entered an order allowing Orlando Police Pension Fund to intervene as a plaintiff in the case. The parties reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit, which required court approval. On July 29, 2021, the parties filed a stipulation of settlement that provided the terms of the settlement and began the settlement approval process with the Court. On January 20, 2022 the Court approved the settlement. Among other terms of the settlement, no further management fees will be charged and no further capital calls will be made in connection with the Company’s investment in OCV Fund I, L.P.
On December 11, 2020, Danning Huang filed a lawsuit in the District of Delaware (20-cv-01687-LPS) asserting derivative claims against directors of the Company and other third parties. The lawsuit alleges violations of Section 14(a), Section 10(b), Section 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and abuse of control.
On March 24, 2021, Fritz Ringling filed a lawsuit in the District of Delaware (21-cv-00421-UNA) asserting substantially similar derivative claims, and on April 8, 2021, the district court consolidated the two actions under the caption In re J2 Global Stockholder Derivative Litigation. No.: 20-cv-01687-LPS. As part of the settlement of the Chancery Court Derivative Action described above, the Company and its directors and officers intend to defend against the remaining claims in the other actions.
The Company does not believe, based on current knowledge, that the foregoing legal proceedings or claims, after giving effect to existing accrued liabilities, are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, depending on the amount and timing, an unfavorable resolution of some or all of these matters could have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows in a particular period.
The Company has not accrued for any material loss contingencies relating to these legal proceedings because materially unfavorable outcomes are not considered probable by management. It is the Company’s policy to expense as incurred legal fees related to various litigations.
Non-Income Related Taxes
The Company does not collect and remit sales and use, telecommunication, or similar taxes and fees in certain jurisdictions where the Company believes such taxes are not applicable or legally required. Several states and other taxing jurisdictions have presented or threatened the Company with assessments, alleging that the Company is required to collect and remit such taxes there.
The Company is currently under audit or is subject to audit for indirect taxes in various states, municipalities and foreign jurisdictions. The Company has a $25.5 million and $24.0 million reserve established for these matters as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which is included within ‘Accounts payable and accrued expenses’ and ‘Other long-term liabilities’ on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. It is reasonably possible that additional liabilities could be incurred resulting in additional expense, which could have a material impact to our financial results.