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CONTINGENCIES
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
CONTINGENCIES  
CONTINGENCIES

15.          CONTINGENCIES

Litigation

Envigo RMS, LLC (“Envigo RMS”) is a defendant in a purported class action and a related action under California’s Private Attorney General Act of 2004 (“PAGA”) brought by Jacob Greenwell, a former employee of Envigo RMS, on June 25, 2021 in the Superior Court of California, Alameda County. The complaints allege that Envigo RMS violated certain wage and hour requirements under the California Labor Code. PAGA authorizes private attorneys to bring claims on behalf of the State of California and aggrieved employees for violations of California’s wage and hour laws. The class action complaint seeks certification of a class of similarly situated employees and the award of actual, consequential and incidental losses and damages for the alleged violations. The PAGA

complaint seeks civil penalties pursuant to the California Labor Code and attorney’s fees. The Company intends to continue to vigorously defend these claims.

On June 23, 2022, a putative securities class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, naming the Company and Robert W. Leasure and Beth A. Taylor as defendants, captioned Grobler v. Inotiv, Inc., et al., Case No. 4:22-cv-00045 (N.D. Ind.). The complaint alleges violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder related to the Company’s disclosures concerning its acquisition of Envigo RMS, LLC and its regulatory compliance. The purported class in the complaint includes all persons who purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's common stock between September 21, 2021 and June 13, 2022, and the complaint seeks an unspecified amount of monetary damages, interest, fees and expenses of attorneys and experts, and other relief. While the Company cannot predict the outcome of this matter, the Company believes the class action to be without merit and plans to vigorously defend itself.

The Company is party to certain other legal actions arising out of the normal course of its business. In management's opinion, none of these actions will have a material effect on the Company's operations, financial condition or liquidity.

Government Investigations and Actions

During the period from July 2021 through March 2022, Envigo RMS’s Cumberland facility was inspected on several occasions by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”). USDA issued inspection reports with findings of non-compliance with certain USDA laws and regulations. Envigo RMS formally appealed certain of the findings, and made multiple remediations and improvements at the Cumberland facility, of which it kept USDA apprised.

On May 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ"), together with federal and state law enforcement agents, executed a search and seizure warrant on the Cumberland facility. The warrant was issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on May 13, 2022. Certain employees also received a grand jury subpoena requested by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia (“USAO-VA”). Consistent with Company policy, the Company is cooperating with DOJ and USAO-VA and other involved authorities.

On May 19, 2022, a civil complaint was filed against Envigo RMS in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. The complaint was a civil action by DOJ alleging violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the Cumberland facility. The complaint sought declaratory and injunctive relief and costs. A temporary restraining order was issued on May 21, 2022 and, following Envigo RMS’s announcement on June 13, 2022 of its plans to permanently decommission the Cumberland facility, a preliminary injunction was issued on June 17, 2022. On July 15, 2022, the court approved a settlement entered into by Envigo RMS, the DOJ and the USDA on the civil case, which also comprises USDA’s administrative claims against Envigo RMS for the Cumberland facility. The settlement does not require that Envigo RMS pay any fines or penalties to any governmental agencies. In addition, it is expressly stated that the settlement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by Envigo RMS with regard to its past operation of the Cumberland facility. The settlement incorporates the transfer plan that was mutually agreed to by the DOJ and Envigo RMS on July 1, 2022 (the “Transfer Plan”), and it concludes all related civil and administrative complaints related to the Cumberland facility. As of the filing date of this Report, the Transfer Plan was still being executed by all parties involved. After the Transfer Plan is fully executed, in accordance with the settlement, Envigo RMS will refrain from any operations requiring a USDA license at the Cumberland facility. In addition, the settlement requires that the DOJ and USDA move to dismiss the civil and administrative complaints with prejudice seven days after all the canines vacate the Cumberland facility pursuant to the Transfer Plan. 

On June 15, 2021, Envigo Global Services, Inc. (“EGSI”), a subsidiary of the Company acquired in the Envigo acquisition, received a grand jury subpoena requested by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (“USAO-FL”) for the production of documents related to the procurement of non-human primates (“NHPs”) from foreign suppliers for the period January 1, 2018 through June 1, 2021. The subpoena relates to an earlier grand jury subpoena requested by the USAO-FL and received by EGSI’s predecessor entity, Covance Research Products, in April 2019. Envigo acquired EGSI from Covance, Inc. (“Covance”), a subsidiary of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, in June 2019. The EGSI transaction agreement provides for indemnification of Envigo and its officers, directors and affiliates by Covance for any liabilities arising out of or related to the USAO-FL’s investigation in connection with the subpoena to Covance Research Products, as well as certain other matters, subject to an overall indemnification limit for the investigation and certain other matters of $5,500.

On January 27, 2022, EGSI acquired OBRC, which owns and operates a primate quarantine and holding facility located near Alice, Texas. In 2019, OBRC received grand jury subpoenas requested by the USAO-FL requiring the production of documents and information related to its importation of NHPs into the United States. On June 16, 2021, OBRC received a grand jury subpoena

requested by the USAO-FL requiring the production of documents related to the procurement of NHPs from foreign suppliers for the period January 1, 2018 through June 1, 2021. The OBRC purchase agreement provides for indemnification of EGSI and its officers, directors and affiliates by the seller, Orient Bio, Inc., for liabilities resulting from actions, inactions, errors or omissions of Orient Bio, Inc. or OBRC related to any period prior to the closing date. Consistent with Company policy, the Company is cooperating with USAO-FL.