Commitments and Contingencies

Lease Commitments

Total minimum annual rental obligations under noncancelable operating leases (substantially all real property or equipment) in force at October 31, 2018, were payable as follows:



(In millions)
2019	$	37.5
2020	32.5
2021	28.1
2022	24.4
2023	22.0
2024 and thereafter	159.7
	$	304.2

Aggregate rental expense for both cancelable and noncancelable contracts amounted to $38.8 million, $32.2 million and $29.9 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Legal Proceedings

Since March 2015, over 50 putative class action complaints were filed by contact lens consumers alleging that contact lens manufacturers, in conjunction with their respective Unilateral Pricing Policy (UPP), conspired to reach agreements between each other and certain distributors and retailers regarding the prices at which certain contact lenses could be sold to consumers. The plaintiffs are seeking damages against CooperVision, Inc., other contact lens manufacturers, distributors and retailers, in various courts around the United States. In June 2015, all of the class action cases were consolidated and transferred to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. CooperVision and the other defendants jointly filed a motion to dismiss the complaints in December 2015. In June 2016, the motion to dismiss with respect to claims brought under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act was granted, but the motion to dismiss with respect to claims brought under Section 1 of the Sherman Act and other state laws was denied. The actions currently are in discovery. In March 2017, the plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification. In August 2017, CooperVision entered into a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs, without any admission of liability, to settle all claims against CooperVision. In July 2018, the Court approved the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary approval of the settlement, and the Company paid the $3.0 million settlement amount into an escrow account. The settlement remains subject to final Court approval at a future hearing to be set by the Court.

The Company is involved in various lawsuits, claims and other legal matters from time to time that arise in the ordinary course of conducting business, including matters involving our products, intellectual property, supplier relationships, distributors, competitor relationships, employees and other matters. The Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of these proceedings or claims pending against it could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations. At each reporting period, the Company evaluates whether or not a potential loss amount or a potential range of loss is probable and reasonably estimable under ASC 450, Contingencies. Legal fees are expensed as incurred.