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Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Notes to Financial Statements  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

16. Commitments and Contingencies:

 

We are a party to legal proceedings with respect to a variety of matters in the ordinary course of business, including the matters described below. With respect to ongoing matters, we are unable, at the present time, to determine the ultimate resolution of or provide a reasonable estimate of the range of possible loss attributable to ongoing matters or the impact these matters may have on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. Although we believe we have strong defenses and have appealed adverse rulings to us, we could in the future incur judgments or enter into settlements of claims that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

 

ERISA Litigation

 

On September 24, 2020, former employees Jillyn Peterson, Gabe Hare, Robert Heynen and Adam Krajewski ("Plaintiffs"), filed suit in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey (No. 2:20-cv-13223-CCC-MF) against Defendants Insurance Services Office Inc. ("ISO"), the Plan Administration Committee of Insurance Services Office Inc. and its members ("Committee Defendants"), and the Trust Investment Committee of Insurance Services Office Inc. and its members. The class action complaint alleges violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as amended ("ERISA"). The class is defined as all persons who were participants in or beneficiaries of the ISO 401(k) Savings and Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("Plan"), at any time between September 24, 2014 through the date of judgment. The complaint alleges that all defendants are fiduciaries with respect to the Plan. Plaintiffs challenge the amount of fees paid by Plan participants to maintain the investment funds in the plan portfolio and the amount of recordkeeper fees paid by participants. Plaintiffs allege that by permitting the payment of excessive fees, the Committee Defendants breached their ERISA duties of prudence and loyalty. Plaintiffs further allege that ISO breached its ERISA duty by failing to monitor the Committee Defendants who they allege committed known breaches of their fiduciary duties. The complaint does not specify damages but alleges the fiduciary breaches cost Plan participants millions of dollars. Defendants filed their motion to dismiss the complaint on January 12, 2021, which the Court partially denied on April 13, 2021. The parties have completed discovery. At this time, it is not possible to reasonably estimate the liability related to this matter.

 

Financial Services Government Inquiry

 

We continue to cooperate with a civil inquiry by the Department of Justice related to government contracts within our former Financial Services segment, which was sold to TransUnion in April 2022. In addition, in March 2022, we were informed that the SEC is conducting an inquiry related to certain of the same government contracts of our former Financial Services segment. These inquiries are ongoing, we are producing documents, and we cannot anticipate the timing, outcome or possible impact of the inquiry, financial or otherwise. Under the stock purchase agreement, we entered into with TransUnion pursuant to which TransUnion acquired our former Financial Services segment, we agreed to indemnify TransUnion for certain losses with respect to the DOJ inquiry.

 

Data Privacy Litigation

 

On December 10, 2020, we were served with a putative class action lawsuit brought by Erica Jackson in the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania against Lead Intelligence, Inc. d/b/a Jornaya ("we" or "us"), Case No. 2020 CV 03695. The class complaint alleges that we violated Pennsylvania’s Wiretap Act ("PWA"), 18 Pa. Const. Stat. § 5701 et seq. by "wiretapping" and "intercepting" the plaintiff’s communications on the website colleges.educationgrant.com. The plaintiff alleges a class of all persons whose electronic communications were intercepted through the use of our wiretapping on the website. The complaint claims damages pursuant to the PWA for actual damages, but not less than liquidated damages computed at the rate of $100 a day for each day of violation, or $1,000, whichever is higher, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation costs. On February 16, 2021, we filed preliminary objections to the plaintiff’s complaint, the plaintiff opposed, and the Court ultimately denied our preliminary objections. We subsequently filed a petition to compel arbitration and a motion to stay this action pending the completion of the parties’ arbitration proceedings. On September 30, 2021, the court denied our motions and directed the parties to proceed with discovery. On October 8, 2021, we filed a Notice of Appeal to seek review of the lower court’s decision with the Pennsylvania appellate court system. The appeal has been fully briefed and will be considered on the papers. At this time, it is not possible to reasonably estimate the liability related to this matter.

 

On December 15, 2021, Plaintiff Jillian Cantinieri brought a putative class action against Verisk Analytics, Insurance Services Office and ISO Claims Services, Inc. (“we,” “our,” or “us”) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, titled Cantinieri v. Verisk Analytics Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 2:21-cv-6911. The Complaint alleges that we failed to safeguard the personally identifiable information (PII) of Plaintiff and the members of the proposed classes from a purported breach of our databases by unauthorized entities. Plaintiff and class members allege actual and imminent injuries, including theft of their PII, fraudulent activity on their financial accounts, lowered credit scores, and costs associated with detection and prevention of identity theft and fraud. They seek to recover compensatory, statutory and punitive damages, disgorgement of earnings and profits, and attorney’s fees and costs. We filed our motion to dismiss Plaintiff’s claims on April 22, 2022. As of June 15, 2022, the motion to dismiss was fully briefed but has neither been heard nor decided. Discovery is ongoing. At this time, it is not possible to reasonably estimate the liability related to this matter.

 

On June 27, 2022, Plaintiff Loretta Williams brought a putative class action against Lead Intelligence, Inc. d/b/a Jornaya (“we,” “our,” or “us”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, titled Williams v. DDR Media, LLC and Lead Intelligence, Inc. d/b/a Jornaya, Civil Action No. 3:22-cv-03789. The Complaint alleges that the Defendants violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act, Cal. Penal Code 631 (“CIPA”) and invaded Plaintiff’s and class members’ privacy rights when Defendants purportedly recorded visitors’ visits to the scrappyrent2 own.com website without prior express consent. It is further alleged that this conduct constitutes a violation of the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. Prof. Code Section 17200 et seq. and the California Constitution. The Complaint seeks class certification, injunctive relief, statutory damages in the amount of $5,000 for each violation, attorneys fees and other litigation costs. The deadline to file our responsive pleading is November 21, 2022. At this time, it is not possible to reasonably estimate the liability related to this matter.