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Note 8 - Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

NOTE 8: COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

As of March 31, 2021, the Company had outstanding letters of credit of $42 million and $48 million issued under the Amended ABL Credit Agreement and the L/C Facility Agreement, respectively, as well as bank guarantees and letters of credit of $2 million, surety bonds in the amount of $29 million, and restricted cash of $76 million, primarily related to cash collateral for the outstanding letters of credit under the L/C Facility Agreement, to ensure payment of possible casualty and workers’ compensation claims, legal contingencies, hedging activities, environmental liabilities, rental payments and to support various customs, tax and trade activities.

 

Kodak’s Brazilian operations are involved in various litigation matters in Brazil and have received or been the subject of numerous governmental assessments related to indirect and other taxes in various stages of litigation, as well as civil litigation and disputes associated with former employees and contract labor.  The tax matters, which comprise the majority of the litigation matters, are primarily related to federal and state value-added taxes.  Kodak’s Brazilian operations are disputing these matters and intend to vigorously defend its position. Kodak routinely assesses all these matters as to the probability of ultimately incurring a liability in its Brazilian operations and records its best estimate of the ultimate loss in situations where it assesses the likelihood of loss as probable. As of March 31, 2021, the unreserved portion of these contingencies, inclusive of any related interest and penalties, for which there was at least a reasonable possibility that a loss may be incurred, amounted to approximately $4 million.

 

In connection with assessments in Brazil, local regulations may require Kodak’s Brazilian operations to post security for a portion of the amounts in dispute.  As of March 31, 2021, Kodak’s Brazilian operations have posted security composed of $3 million of pledged cash reported within Restricted cash in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position and liens on certain Brazilian assets with a net book value of approximately $39 million.  Generally, any encumbrances on the Brazilian assets would be removed to the extent the matter is resolved in Kodak's favor.

 

On July 28, 2020, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (the “DFC”) announced (the “DFC Announcement”) the signing of a non-binding letter of interest to provide a subsidiary of the Company with a potential $765 million loan (the “DFC Loan”) to support the launch of Kodak Pharmaceuticals, an initiative that would manufacture pharmaceutical ingredients for essential generic drugs (the “DFC Pharmaceutical Project”).

 

On August 13, 2020 Tiandong Tang commenced a class action lawsuit against the Company, its Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer in Federal District Court in the District of New Jersey, and on August 26, 2020 Jimmie A. McAdams and Judy P. McAdams commenced a class action lawsuit against the Company and its Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York (collectively, the “Securities Class Actions”).  The Securities Class Actions seek damages and other relief based on alleged violations of federal securities laws in the context of the DFC Announcement of the potential DFC Loan and DFC Pharmaceutical Project.  Since the filing of the Securities Class Actions, procedural activities have been ongoing relating to the determination of venue and lead plaintiff.  

 

In addition to the Securities Class Actions, on December 29, 2020 Robert Garfield commenced a class action lawsuit against the Company and each of the members of its Board of Directors, in the Superior Court of Mercer County, New Jersey seeking equitable relief and damages in favor of the Company based on alleged breaches of fiduciary duty by the Company’s Board of Directors associated with alleged false and misleading proxy statement disclosure (the “Fiduciary Class Action”).  The Company filed a motion to dismiss the Fiduciary Class Action on April 13, 2021.  

 

The Company has also received three requests under New Jersey law demanding, among other things, that the Company take certain actions in response to alleged breaches of fiduciary duty relating to option grants and securities transactions in the context of the DFC Announcement and alleged proxy statement disclosure deficiencies.  The Company has responded to and engaged in discussions concerning these requests, and its response and discussions may serve as the basis for the requestors to bring shareholder derivative lawsuits (any such lawsuits, collectively with the Fiduciary Class Action, the “Fiduciary Matters”).

 

The DFC Announcement has also prompted investigations by several congressional committees, the SEC and the New York Attorney General’s office.

 

The Attorney General of the State of New York has threatened to file a lawsuit against the Company and its Chief Executive Officer alleging violations of New York State’s Martin Act in connection with the Chief Executive Officer’s purchase of 46,737 shares of the Company’s common stock on June 23, 2020 (the “Threatened Claim”).  This purchase was made by the Chief Executive Officer during an ‘open window’ period and in compliance with the Company’s insider trading policy, including pre-approval by its general counsel. The Chief Executive Officer has never sold any Kodak shares.  The Company considers the Threatened Claim to be unsupported by law or fact and intends to vigorously defend itself against the Threatened Claim should it be filed.

 

The Securities Class Actions, Fiduciary Matters and investigations by several congressional committees, the SEC and the New York Attorney General’s office pertaining to the DFC Announcement remain ongoing.  The Company intends to vigorously defend itself against the Securities Class Actions and Fiduciary Matters and is cooperating in the investigations related to the DFC Announcement.  

 

Kodak is involved in various lawsuits, claims, investigations, remediations and proceedings, including, from time to time, commercial, customs, employment, environmental, tort and health and safety matters, which are being handled and defended in the ordinary course of business. Kodak is also subject, from time to time, to various assertions, claims, proceedings and requests for indemnification concerning intellectual property, including patent infringement suits involving technologies that are incorporated in a broad spectrum of Kodak’s products and claims arising out of Kodak’s licensing its brand. These matters are in various stages of investigation and litigation and are being vigorously defended. Based on information currently available, Kodak does not believe that it is probable that the outcomes in any of these matters, individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations. Litigation is inherently unpredictable, and judgments could be rendered or settlements entered that could adversely affect Kodak’s operating results or cash flows in a particular period. Kodak routinely assesses all of its litigation and threatened litigation as to the probability of ultimately incurring a liability and records its best estimate of the ultimate loss in situations where it assesses the likelihood of loss as probable.