COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

6 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Legal Proceedings

In March 2009, one of our former employees, Ms. Orit Deutsch, commenced legal actions in Israel against our primary Israeli subsidiary, Verint Systems Limited (“VSL”) (Case Number 4186/09) and against our affiliate CTI (Case Number 1335/09). Also, in March 2009, a former employee of Comverse Limited (CTI’s primary Israeli subsidiary at the time), Ms. Roni Katriel, commenced similar legal actions in Israel against Comverse Limited (Case Number 3444/09). In these actions, the plaintiffs generally sought to certify class action suits against the defendants on behalf of current and former employees of VSL and Comverse Limited who had been granted stock options in Verint and/or CTI and who were allegedly damaged as a result of a suspension on option exercises during an extended filing delay period that is discussed in our and CTI’s historical public filings. On June 7, 2012, the Tel Aviv District Court, where the cases had been filed or transferred, allowed the plaintiffs to consolidate and amend their complaints against the three defendants: VSL, CTI, and Comverse Limited.

On October 31, 2012, CTI distributed all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Comverse, Inc., its principal operating subsidiary and parent company of Comverse Limited, to CTI’s shareholders (the “Comverse Share Distribution”). In the period leading up to the Comverse Share Distribution, CTI either sold or transferred substantially all of its business operations and assets (other than its equity ownership interests in Verint and in its then-subsidiary, Comverse, Inc.) to Comverse, Inc. or to unaffiliated third parties. As the result of these transactions, Comverse, Inc. became an independent company and ceased to be affiliated with CTI, and CTI ceased to have any material assets other than its equity interests in Verint. Prior to the completion of the Comverse Share Distribution, the plaintiffs sought to compel CTI to set aside up to $150.0 million in assets to secure any future judgment, but the District Court did not rule on this motion. In February 2017, Mavenir Inc. became successor-in-interest to Comverse, Inc.

On February 4, 2013, Verint acquired the remaining CTI shell company in a merger transaction (the “CTI Merger”). As a result of the CTI Merger, Verint assumed certain rights and liabilities of CTI, including any liability of CTI arising out of the foregoing legal actions. However, under the terms of a Distribution Agreement entered into in connection with the Comverse

Share Distribution, we, as successor to CTI, are entitled to indemnification from Comverse, Inc. (now Mavenir) for any losses we may suffer in our capacity as successor to CTI related to the foregoing legal actions.

Following an unsuccessful mediation process, on August 28, 2016, the District Court (i) denied the plaintiffs’ motion to certify the suit as a class action with respect to all claims relating to Verint stock options and (ii) approved the plaintiffs’ motion to certify the suit as a class action with respect to claims of current or former employees of Comverse Limited (now part of Mavenir) or of VSL who held unexercised CTI stock options at the time CTI suspended option exercises. The court also ruled that the merits of the case would be evaluated under New York law.

As a result of this ruling (which excluded claims related to Verint stock options from the case), one of the original plaintiffs in the case, Ms. Deutsch, was replaced by a new representative plaintiff, Mr. David Vaaknin. CTI appealed portions of the District Court’s ruling to the Israeli Supreme Court. On August 8, 2017, the Israeli Supreme Court partially allowed CTI’s appeal and ordered the case to be returned to the District Court to determine whether a cause of action exists under New York law based on the parties’ expert opinions.

Following two unsuccessful rounds of mediation in mid to late 2018 and in mid-2019, the proceedings resumed. On April 16, 2020, the District Court accepted plaintiffs’ application to amend the motion to certify a class action and set deadlines for filing amended pleadings by the parties. CTI submitted a motion to appeal the District Court’s decision to the Supreme Court, as well as a motion to stay the proceedings in the District Court pending the resolution of the appeal. On July 6, 2020, the Supreme Court granted the motion for a stay. On July 27, 2020, the plaintiffs filed their response on the merits of the motion for leave to appeal, and the parties are waiting for further instructions or decisions from the Supreme Court.

We are a party to various litigation matters and claims that arise from time to time in the ordinary course of our business. While we believe that the ultimate outcome of any such current matters will not have a material adverse effect on us, their outcomes are not determinable and negative outcomes may adversely affect our financial position, liquidity, or results of operations.