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Legal Proceedings
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Legal Proceedings Legal ProceedingsIn the ordinary course of our business, from time to time we are subject to legal proceedings, lawsuits, government investigations and other claims with respect to a variety of matters. In addition, we are subject to periodic reviews, inspections, examinations and investigations by regulators in the U.S. and other jurisdictions, any of which may result in claims, legal proceedings, assessments, fines, penalties, restrictions on our business or other sanctions. We record estimated expenses and reserves for legal or regulatory matters or other claims when these matters present loss contingencies that are probable and the related amount is reasonably estimable. Any such accruals may be adjusted as circumstances change. Assessments of losses are inherently subjective and involve unpredictable factors. While the
outcome of legal and regulatory matters is inherently difficult to predict and/or the range of loss often cannot be reasonably estimable, we do not believe that the liabilities, if any, which may ultimately result from the resolution of the various legal and regulatory matters that arise in the ordinary course of our business, including the matters described below and those described in Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of our 2021 Form 10-K, are likely to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity. It is possible, however, that future results of operations for any particular quarterly or annual period could be materially and adversely affected by any developments relating to these legal and regulatory matters. A range of possible losses related to certain cases cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, except as otherwise disclosed below and in Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of our 2021 Form 10-K. Individual matter disclosures in this Form 10-Q are limited to new significant matters or significant updates on existing matters since our most recent Form 10-K.
City of Providence Litigation
On March 28, 2022, the district court entered an order granting the defendant exchanges’ (including New York Stock Exchange LLC and NYSE Arca, Inc., two of our subsidiaries) motion for summary judgment on the ground that the plaintiffs lack standing under Article III of the U.S. Constitution, and dismissing without prejudice the plaintiffs’ claims on this basis. Among other things, the district court found that the plaintiffs failed to show that they have been injured and that, even putting aside this defect, the plaintiffs failed to produce evidence from which a jury could reasonably conclude that they suffered an injury traceable to any conduct of the exchanges. The district court also held that the opinions of the plaintiffs’ principal expert witness in this matter were fundamentally flawed and unreliable, and therefore inadmissible. In light of these holdings, the district court denied as moot the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and the exchanges’ motion for summary judgment on the basis of preclusion. On April 25, 2022, the plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of the district court's dismissal order. Effective as of June 6, 2022, the parties to the litigation executed settlement agreements pursuant to which, among other things, the plaintiffs withdrew their appeal with prejudice and provided the defendants a covenant not to sue (and additionally provided the NYSE and Cboe Global Markets, Inc. defendants a release of claims). No monetary payment was made by the defendants. The settlement agreements and dismissal of the appeal constitute the final resolution of this matter.
LIBOR Litigation
On February 14, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, or the Second Circuit, issued a decision in the appeal of the March 2020 dismissal of the underlying complaint against the defendants, which include ICE and several of our subsidiaries. In its decision, the Second Circuit dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction, holding that DYJ Holdings, LLC, the sole entity attempting to pursue the appeal, lacked standing to do so. The dismissal of the appeal constitutes the final resolution of this matter.
ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data Matter
As of April 28, 2022, our subsidiary ICE Data Pricing & Reference Data, LLC, or PRD, resolved the last known remaining claim of a Live Well Financial, Inc., or Live Well, financial institution creditor relating to PRD’s legacy business practices with respect to broker quotes received from Live Well. With the resolution of this putative claim, there are no known unresolved assertions of liability against PRD relating to broker quotes PRD received from Live Well.
For further information on our legal and regulatory matters, please see Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of our 2021 Form 10-K.