Legal Proceedings

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Legal Proceedings

Legal Proceedings

In 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, other than our accrual related to a potential regulatory settlement of $10 million, 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 PennyMac Arbitration matter described below and those described in Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of our 2022 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 16 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of our 2022 Form 10-K. Individual matter disclosures in this Form 10-Q are limited to new significant matters or significant updates on existing matters since the 2022 Form 10-K.

Black Knight Transaction Litigation

On March 9, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC, filed an administrative complaint alleging that the proposed transaction between ICE and Black Knight, if consummated, would be an unfair method of competition in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, and that it would substantially lessen competition, or tend to create a monopoly, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act. The complaint sought a variety of injunctive relief, including, among other things, a prohibition on the completion of the transaction without the FTC’s consent and, if the transaction is completed, a divestiture or reconstitution of assets in a manner that restores such separate and independent businesses as the parties had operated prior to the completion of the transaction. On April 10, 2023, the FTC filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction enjoining the completion of the transaction. On April 21, 2023, the court entered a temporary restraining order, or TRO, enjoining the completion of the transaction until the court ruled on the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction. In their answers to the administrative and court complaints, filed on March 20, 2023 and April 25, 2023, respectively, ICE and Black Knight denied the FTC’s substantive allegations; asserted numerous affirmative defenses; described the pro-competitive aspects and significant lender, servicer, investor, vendor and consumer benefits relating to this transaction; and denied that the combination of their respective businesses would violate any laws. Additionally, the answers to the court complaint contained counterclaims by ICE and Black Knight against the FTC seeking declaratory relief that the FTC’s administrative process is unconstitutional and should be enjoined. On July 17, 2023, the district court entered an order granting a joint motion by the parties to continue the evidentiary hearing on the FTC's motion for a preliminary injunction, noting that the parties were discussing a potential resolution of the matter resulting from the announcement of the planned divestiture of the Optimal Blue business (Note 3) and the FTC’s analysis

of the implications of the divestiture for this case and the administrative complaint. On July 25, 2023, the FTC granted an unopposed motion filed by FTC counsel to withdraw the administrative complaint from adjudication, and, on August 7, 2023, the parties announced a joint stipulation to dismiss the federal court complaint and dissolve the TRO. ICE and Black Knight entered into an Agreement Containing Consent Orders with the FTC's Bureau of Competition on August 25, 2023, which fully and finally resolved the matter upon completion of the transaction effective as of September 5, 2023.

PennyMac Arbitration

In 2019, Black Knight Servicing Technologies, LLC, or BKST, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Black Knight, filed a Complaint and Demand for Jury Trial, or the Black Knight Complaint, against PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, or PennyMac, in Florida state court. The Black Knight Complaint includes causes of action for breach of contract and misappropriation of MSP® System trade secrets by PennyMac for it to develop a mortgage servicing system intended to replace the MSP® System. The Black Knight Complaint seeks damages for breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets, injunctive relief under the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act and a declaratory judgment that BKST owns all intellectual property and software developed by or on behalf of PennyMac as a result of its wrongful use of and access to the MSP® System and related trade secret and confidential information. PennyMac filed a motion to compel arbitration of the action, and the trial court granted the motion in 2020. The trial court’s order compelling arbitration was confirmed on appeal.

Shortly after the filing of the Black Knight Complaint, PennyMac filed an Antitrust Complaint, or the PennyMac Complaint, against Black Knight in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The PennyMac Complaint includes causes of action for alleged monopolization and attempted monopolization under Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, violation of California’s Cartwright Act, violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law and common law unfair competition under California law. The PennyMac Complaint seeks equitable remedies, damages and other monetary relief, including treble and punitive damages. Generally, PennyMac alleges that Black Knight relies on various anticompetitive, unfair and discriminatory practices to maintain and to enhance its dominance in the mortgage servicing platform market and in an attempt to monopolize the platform software applications market. Black Knight moved to dismiss the PennyMac Complaint or have the action transferred to Florida based upon a forum selection clause in the agreement with BKST. In 2020, the judge granted Black Knight's motion to transfer the case to Florida and denied as moot the motion to dismiss, and PennyMac filed a notice of dismissal of this action without prejudice and indicated that it intended to bring the claims raised in the dismissed PennyMac Complaint as defenses, third party claims and/or counterclaims in arbitration. Following PennyMac’s submission of this matter in 2020 to the American Arbitration Association, PennyMac filed an amended arbitration demand and Black Knight filed an answering statement. A multi-week arbitration hearing was held on Black Knight’s and PennyMac’s respective claims, and the hearing concluded in June 2023. The arbitrator’s decision is expected to be issued by November 30, 2023.

For further information on our legal and regulatory matters, please see Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of our 2022 Form 10-K.