Contingencies and Litigation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

As more fully discussed below, we are involved in a variety of claims, lawsuits, investigations and proceedings concerning: securities law; governmental entity contracting, servicing and procurement law; intellectual property law; environmental law; employment law; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); and other laws and regulations. We determine whether an estimated loss from a contingency should be accrued by assessing whether a loss is deemed probable and can be reasonably estimated. We assess our potential liability by analyzing our litigation and regulatory matters using available information. We develop our views on estimated losses in consultation with outside counsel handling our defense in these matters, which involves an analysis of potential results, assuming a combination of litigation and settlement strategies. Should developments in any of these matters cause a change in our determination as to an unfavorable outcome and result in the need to recognize a material accrual, or should any of these matters result in a final adverse judgment or be settled for significant amounts, they could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial position in the period or periods in which such change in determination, judgment or settlement occurs.

Additionally, guarantees, indemnifications and claims may arise during the ordinary course of business from relationships with suppliers, customers and nonconsolidated affiliates, as well as through divestitures and sales of businesses, when the Company undertakes an obligation to guarantee the performance of others if specified triggering events occur. Nonperformance under a contract could trigger an obligation of the Company. These potential claims include actions based upon alleged exposures to products, real estate, intellectual property such as patents, environmental matters, and other indemnifications. The ultimate effect on future financial results is not subject to reasonable estimation because considerable uncertainty exists as to the final outcome of these claims. However, while the ultimate liabilities resulting from such claims may be significant to results of operations in the period recognized, management does not anticipate they will have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or liquidity. As of December 31, 2021, we have accrued our estimate of liability incurred under our indemnification arrangements and guarantees.

Brazil Contingencies

Our Brazilian operations have received or been the subject of numerous governmental assessments related to indirect and other taxes. These tax matters principally relate to claims for taxes on the internal transfer of inventory, municipal service taxes on rentals and gross revenue taxes. We are disputing these tax matters and intend to vigorously defend our positions. Based on the opinion of legal counsel and current reserves for those matters deemed probable of loss, we do not believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters will materially impact our results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Below is a summary of our Brazilian tax contingencies:


	December 31, 2021		December 31, 2020
Tax contingency - unreserved	$	292	$	355
Escrow cash deposits	32		39
Surety bonds	96		112
Letters of credit	74		78
Liens on Brazilian assets	—		—

The decrease in the unreserved portion of the tax contingency, inclusive of any related interest, was primarily related to closed cases and currency, partially offset by interest. With respect to the unreserved tax contingency, the majority has been assessed by management as being remote as to the likelihood of ultimately resulting in a loss to the Company. In connection with the above proceedings, customary local regulations may require us to make escrow cash deposits or post other security of up to half of the total amount in dispute, as well as additional surety bonds and letters of credit, which include associated indexation. Generally, any escrowed amounts would be refundable and any liens on assets would be removed to the extent the matters are resolved in our favor. We are

also involved in certain disputes with contract and former employees. Exposures related to labor matters are not material to the financial statements as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. We routinely assess all these matters as to probability of ultimately incurring a liability against our Brazilian operations and record our best estimate of the ultimate loss in situations where we assess the likelihood of an ultimate loss as probable.

Litigation Against the Company

Miami Firefighters’ Relief & Pension Fund v. Icahn, et al.:

On December 13, 2019, alleged shareholder Miami Firefighters’ Relief & Pension Fund (“Miami Firefighters”) filed a purported derivative complaint in New York State Supreme Court, New York County on behalf of Xerox Holdings Corporation ("Xerox Holdings") (as nominal defendant) against Carl Icahn and his affiliated entities High River Limited Partnership and Icahn Capital LP (the "Icahn defendants"), Xerox Holdings, and all then-current Xerox Holdings directors (the "Directors"). Plaintiff made no demand on the Board before bringing the action, but instead alleges that doing so would be futile because the Directors lack independence due to alleged direct or indirect relationships with Icahn. Among other things, the complaint alleges that Icahn controls and dominates Xerox Holdings and therefore owes a fiduciary duty of loyalty to Xerox Holdings, which he breached by acquiring HP stock at a time when he knew that Xerox Holdings was considering an offer to acquire HP or had knowledge of the "obvious merits" of such potential acquisition, and that the Icahn defendants’ holdings of HP common stock have risen in market value by approximately $128 since disclosure of the offer. The complaint includes four causes of action: breach of fiduciary duty of loyalty against the Icahn defendants; breach of contract against the Icahn defendants (for purchasing HP stock in violation of Icahn’s confidentiality agreement with Xerox Holdings); unjust enrichment against the Icahn defendants; and breach of fiduciary duty of loyalty against the Directors (for any consent to the Icahn defendants’ purchases of HP common stock while Xerox Holdings was considering acquiring HP). The complaint seeks a judgment of breach of fiduciary duties against the Icahn defendants and the Directors; a declaration that Icahn breached his confidentiality agreement with Xerox Holdings; a constructive trust on Icahn Capital and High River's investments in HP securities; disgorgement to Xerox Holdings of profits Icahn Capital and High River earned from trading in HP stock; payment of unspecified damages by the Directors for breaching fiduciary duties; and attorneys' fees, costs, and other relief the Court deems just and proper. On January 15, 2020, the Court entered an order granting plaintiff’s unopposed motion to consolidate with Miami Firefighters a similar action filed on December 26, 2019 by alleged shareholder Steven J. Reynolds against the same parties in the same court, and designating Miami Firefighters’ counsel as lead counsel in the consolidated action.

Discovery commenced. On August 10, 2020, the Xerox defendants and the Icahn defendants filed separate motions to dismiss. Briefing on the motions was completed on October 21, 2020. On December 14, 2020, following oral argument, the Court issued a decision and order granting defendants’ motions and dismissing the action in its entirety as to all defendants. Dismissal as to the Icahn defendants was conditioned on the filing of an affidavit, which the Icahn defendants filed on December 16, 2020, indicating whether defendant Icahn gained a profit or incurred a loss on purchases of HP stock during the relevant time period.

On December 23, 2020, plaintiff filed a motion seeking discovery related to the Icahn defendants’ losses resulting from their investment in HP. The motion was fully briefed on January 7, 2021. On January 15, 2021, the Court issued a decision and order denying the motion.

Also on January 15, 2021, plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of the December 14, 2020 dismissal order to the Appellate Division, First Department. On January 20, 2021, plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of the January 15, 2021 order denying its motion for discovery to the Appellate Division, First Department. On July 15, 2021, plaintiff filed its brief in connection with the appeals of the December 14, 2020 dismissal order and the January 15, 2021 discovery order.

On November 18, 2021, the Appellate Division issued its decision. The Court reversed the lower court’s ruling to the extent that it dismissed the claims asserted against the Icahn defendants. The claims asserted against the Directors remain dismissed. On December 8, 2021, the Xerox Board approved the formation of a Special Litigation Committee to investigate and evaluate the claims and allegations asserted in the Miami Firefighters’ case and determine the course of action that would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Special Litigation Committee moved to stay the litigation pending its investigation and on January 25, 2022, the Court issued an order staying all discovery until February 28, 2022, except as related to the issue of the alleged damages sustained by Xerox.

Xerox Holdings Corporation v. Factory Mutual Insurance Company and Related Actions:

On March 10, 2021, Xerox Holdings Corporation (“Xerox Holdings”) filed a complaint for breach of contract and declaratory judgment against Factory Mutual Insurance Company in Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence County seeking insurance coverage for business interruption losses resulting from the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. The complaint alleges that defendant agreed to provide Xerox Holdings with up to $1 billion in per-occurrence coverage for losses resulting from pandemic-related loss or damage to certain real and other property, including business interruption loss resulting from insured property damage; that the pandemic had inflicted significant physical loss or damage to property of Xerox Holdings and its direct and indirect customers; that Xerox Holdings’ worldwide actual and projected losses through the end of 2020 totaled in excess of $300 (and is still increasing); and that following Xerox Holdings' timely and proper claim in March 2020 for coverage under the “all risk” commercial property insurance policy it had purchased from defendant, defendant improperly denied and rejected coverage for most of the claim. The complaint seeks a jury trial, a declaratory judgment against defendant declaring that Xerox is entitled to full coverage of costs and losses under defendant’s policy and declaring that defendant is required to pay for such costs and losses, subject to any applicable limits; damages in an amount to be determined at trial; consequential damages; attorneys’ fees and costs; pre- and post-judgment interest; and other relief the Court deems just and proper. Also on March 10, 2021, subsidiaries of Xerox Holdings filed similar complaints and related requests for arbitration in Toronto, London, and Amsterdam for Canadian, UK and European losses.

Xerox Holdings consented to defendant’s request for an extension of its time in which to answer or otherwise respond to the complaint. On May 6, 2021, FMG filed its answer to the complaint. The parties thereafter agreed to stay all non-U.S. proceedings pending the outcome of the U.S. litigation.

Guarantees, Indemnifications and Warranty Liabilities

Indemnifications Provided as Part of Contracts and Agreements

Acquisitions/Divestitures:

We have indemnified, subject to certain deductibles and limits, the purchasers of businesses or divested assets for the occurrence of specified events under certain of our divestiture agreements. In addition, we customarily agree to hold the other party harmless against losses arising from a breach of representations and covenants, including such matters as adequate title to assets sold, intellectual property rights, specified environmental matters and certain income taxes arising prior to the date of acquisition. Where appropriate, an obligation for such indemnifications is recorded as a liability at the time of the acquisition or divestiture. Since the obligated amounts of these types of indemnifications are often not explicitly stated and/or are contingent on the occurrence of future events, the overall maximum amount of the obligation under such indemnifications cannot be reasonably estimated. Other than obligations recorded as liabilities at the time of divestiture, we have not historically made significant payments for these indemnifications. Additionally, under certain of our acquisition agreements, we have provided for additional consideration to be paid to the sellers if established financial targets are achieved post-closing. We have recognized liabilities for these contingent obligations based on an estimate of the fair value of these contingencies at the time of acquisition. Contingent obligations related to indemnifications arising from our divestitures and contingent consideration provided for by our acquisitions are not expected to be material to our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Other Agreements:

We are also party to the following types of agreements pursuant to which we may be obligated to indemnify the other party with respect to certain matters:

•Guarantees on behalf of our subsidiaries with respect to real estate leases. These lease guarantees may remain in effect subsequent to the sale of the subsidiary.

•Agreements to indemnify various service providers, trustees and bank agents from any third-party claims related to their performance on our behalf, with the exception of claims that result from a third-party's own willful misconduct or gross negligence.

•Guarantees of our performance in certain sales and services contracts to our customers and indirectly the performance of third parties with whom we have subcontracted for their services. This includes indemnifications to customers for losses that may be sustained as a result of the use of our equipment at a customer's location.

In each of these circumstances, our payment is conditioned on the other party making a claim pursuant to the procedures specified in the particular contract and such procedures also typically allow us to challenge the other party's claims. In the case of lease guarantees, we may contest the liabilities asserted under the lease. Further, our

obligations under these agreements and guarantees may be limited in terms of time and/or amount, and in some instances, we may have recourse against third parties for certain payments we made.

Patent Indemnifications

In most sales transactions to resellers of our products, we indemnify against possible claims of patent infringement caused by our products or solutions. In addition, we indemnify certain software providers against claims that may arise as a result of our use or our subsidiaries', customers' or resellers' use of their software in our products and solutions. These indemnities usually do not include limits on the claims, provided the claim is made pursuant to the procedures required in the sales contract.

Indemnification of Officers and Directors

The corporate by-laws of Xerox Holdings Corporation and Xerox Corporation require that, except to the extent expressly prohibited by law, we must indemnify Xerox Holdings Corporation's and Xerox Corporation's officers and directors, respectively, against judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement, including legal fees and all appeals, incurred in connection with civil or criminal action or proceedings, as it relates to their services to Xerox Holdings Corporation and/or Xerox Corporation and their subsidiaries. Although the by-laws provide no limit on the amount of indemnification, Xerox Holdings Corporation or Xerox Corporation may have recourse against our insurance carriers for certain payments made by Xerox Holdings Corporation or Xerox Corporation. However, certain indemnification payments (such as those related to "clawback" provisions in certain compensation arrangements) may not be covered under Xerox Holdings Corporation's and Xerox Corporation's directors' and officers' insurance coverage. Xerox Holdings Corporation and Xerox Corporation also indemnify certain fiduciaries of our employee benefit plans for liabilities incurred in their service as fiduciary whether or not they are officers of Xerox Holdings Corporation or Xerox Corporation. Finally, in connection with Xerox Holdings Corporation's and/or Xerox Corporation's acquisition of businesses, we may become contractually obligated to indemnify certain former and current directors, officers and employees of those businesses in accordance with pre-acquisition by-laws and/or indemnification agreements and/or applicable state law.

Product Warranty Liabilities

In connection with our normal sales of equipment, including those under sales-type leases, we generally do not issue product warranties. Our arrangements typically involve a separate full service maintenance agreement with the customer. The agreements generally extend over a period equivalent to the lease term or the expected useful life of the equipment under a cash sale. The service agreements involve the payment of fees in return for our performance of repairs and maintenance. As a consequence, we do not have any significant product warranty obligations, including any obligations under customer satisfaction programs. In a few circumstances, particularly in certain cash sales, we may issue a limited product warranty if negotiated by the customer. We also issue warranties for certain of our entry level products, where full service maintenance agreements are not available. In these instances, we record warranty obligations at the time of the sale. Aggregate product warranty liability expenses for the three years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were $8, $8 and $12, respectively. Total product warranty liabilities as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $6 and $6, respectively.

Guarantees

We have issued or provided approximately $292 of guarantees as of December 31, 2021 in the form of letters of credit or surety bonds issued to i) support certain insurance programs; ii) support our obligations related to the Brazil tax and labor contingencies (see Brazil Contingencies); iii) support our obligations related to our U.K. pension plans; and iv) support certain contracts, primarily with public sector customers, which require us to provide a surety bond as a guarantee of our performance of contractual obligations.

In general, we would only be liable for the amount of these guarantees in the event we, or one of our direct or indirect subsidiaries whose obligations we have guaranteed, defaulted in performing our obligations under each contract; the probability of which we believe is remote. We believe that our capacity in the surety markets as well as under various credit arrangements (including our Credit Facility) is sufficient to allow us to respond to future requests for proposals that require such credit support.