COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
6 Months Ended |
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Jun. 30, 2024 | |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 17. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Shareholder Derivative Actions The Company, as nominal defendant, and certain of its former officers are parties to a consolidated shareholder derivative suit captioned Wells and the City of Ann Arbor Employees’ Retirement System v. Reed, et al., Case Nos. 2016-CH-16359 and 2019-CH-06753 (Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois). The consolidated lawsuit alleges that TreeHouse, under the authority and control of the individual defendants: (i) made certain false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and future prospects; and (ii) failed to disclose that (a) the Company's private label business was underperforming; (b) the Company's Flagstone Foods business was underperforming; (c) the Company's acquisition strategy was underperforming; (d) the Company had overstated its full-year 2016 guidance; and (e) TreeHouse's statements lacked reasonable basis. The complaints allege, among other things, that these actions artificially inflated the market price of TreeHouse common stock and resulted in harm to the Company. On August 26, 2022, plaintiffs in the consolidated Wells case filed a second consolidated amended complaint, which was dismissed in its entirety with prejudice on March 15, 2023. The plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal on March 16, 2023. On March 22, 2024, the Appellate Court reversed the state trial court’s dismissal of the consolidated amended complaint and remanded to the state trial court for further proceedings. Other Claims In addition, the Company is party in the ordinary course of business to certain claims, litigation, audits, and investigations. The Company will record an accrual for a loss contingency when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company believes it has established adequate accruals for liabilities that are probable and reasonably estimable that may be incurred in connection with any such currently pending or threatened matter. In the Company's opinion, the eventual resolution of such matters, either individually or in the aggregate, is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, litigation is inherently unpredictable and resolutions or dispositions of claims or lawsuits by settlement or otherwise could have an adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows for the reporting period in which any such resolution or disposition occurs. In February 2014, TreeHouse, along with its 100% owned subsidiaries, Bay Valley Foods, LLC and Sturm Foods, Inc., filed suit against Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc.'s wholly-owned subsidiary, Keurig Green Mountain ("KGM"), in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York captioned TreeHouse Foods, Inc. et al. v. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. et al. asserting claims under the federal antitrust laws, various state antitrust laws and unfair competition statutes, contending that KGM had monopolized alleged markets for single serve coffee brewers and single serve coffee pods. The Company is seeking monetary damages, declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees. The matter remains pending, with summary judgment, motions to exclude certain expert opinions, and discovery sanctions motions fully briefed. On March 28, 2022, the Magistrate Judge issued a non-public Opinion and Order granting in part and denying in part the TreeHouse sanctions motion against KGM and denying the KGM sanctions motion against TreeHouse. KGM has appealed a portion of the Opinion and Order awarding sanctions to the Company. Most recently, the Judge appointed a Special Master to resolve disputes about whether certain portions of the case record could be made public. The Special Master made the last of his decisions on these disputes on January 5, 2024, and the Judge adopted all of the Special Master’s decisions on March 24, 2024. On March 24, 2024, the District Court Judge affirmed the Special Master’s Reports and Recommendations and the parties have now filed the summary judgment record on the public record consistent with the Court’s Order. KGM is denying the allegations made by the Company in the litigation. The Company has not recorded any amount in its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as of June 30, 2024.
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