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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note R — Commitments and Contingencies

Guarantees and Indemnification

In the ordinary course of our business, we may enter into service agreements with service providers in which we agree to indemnify or limit the service provider against certain losses and liabilities arising from the service provider’s performance of the agreement.  We have reviewed our existing contracts containing indemnification or clauses of guarantees and do not believe that our liability under such agreements is material.

Legal Proceedings

Derivative Litigation

In February and August of 2015, two separate shareholder derivative suits were filed in Texas state court against us related to the announced restatement of certain of our financial statements. The cases were subsequently consolidated into Judy v. Asar, et. al., Cause No. D-1-GN-15-000625.  On October 25, 2016, plaintiffs in that action filed an amended complaint, and the case was pending before the 345th Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas.

The amended complaint in the consolidated derivative action named us and certain of our current and former officers and directors as defendants.  It alleged claims for breach of fiduciary duty based, inter alia, on the defendants’ alleged failure to exercise good faith to ensure that we had in place adequate accounting and financial controls and that disclosures regarding our business, financial performance, and internal controls were truthful and accurate.  The complaint sought unspecified damages, costs, attorneys’ fees, and equitable relief.

As disclosed in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 6, 2016, the Board of Directors appointed a Special Litigation Committee of the Board (the “Special Committee”).  The Board delegated to the Special Committee the authority to (1) determine whether it was in our best interests to pursue any of the allegations made in the derivative cases filed in Texas state court (which cases were consolidated into the Judy case discussed above), (2) determine whether it was in our best interests to pursue any remedies against any of our current or former employees, officers, or directors as a result of the conduct discovered in the Audit Committee investigation concluded on June 6, 2016 (the “Investigation”), and (3) otherwise resolve claims or matters relating to the findings of the Investigation.  The Special Committee retained independent legal counsel to assist and advise it in carrying out its duties and reviewed and considered the evidence and various factors relating to our best interests.  In accordance with its findings and conclusions, the Special Committee determined that it was not in our best interest to pursue any of the claims in the Judy derivative case.  Also in accordance with its findings and conclusions, the Special Committee determined that it was not in our best interests to pursue legal remedies against any of our current or former employees, officers, or directors.

On April 14, 2017, we filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated derivative action based on the resolution by the Special Committee that it was not in our best interest to pursue the derivative claims.  Counsel for the derivative plaintiffs opposed that motion and moved to compel discovery.  In a hearing held on June 12, 2017, the Travis County court denied plaintiffs’ motion to compel, and held that the motion to dismiss would be considered only after appropriate discovery was concluded.

The plaintiffs subsequently subpoenaed counsel for the Special Committee, seeking a copy of the full report prepared by the Special Committee and its independent counsel.  Counsel for the Special Committee, as well as our counsel, took the position that the full report was not discoverable under Texas law.  Plaintiffs’ counsel filed a motion to compel the Special Committee’s counsel to produce the report.  We opposed the motion.  On July 20, 2018, the Travis County court ruled that only a redacted version of the report was discoverable, and counsel for the Special Committee provided a redacted version of the report to plaintiffs’ counsel.  Plaintiffs objected to the redacted version of the report, and on February 4, 2019, the Travis County court appointed a Special Master to review plaintiffs’ objections to the redacted report.  On March 22, 2019, the Special Master submitted a report to the Travis County court recommending that the court order that the entire Special Committee report be produced.  On April 2, 2019 we filed an objection to the Special Master’s report and recommendation, and requested a hearing on the matter.  On June 25, 2019, the Travis County court rejected the recommendation of the Special Master, and instead ordered that only a limited additional portion of the Special Committee report should be unredacted.  On July 10, 2019, the updated redacted Special Committee report was provided to plaintiffs through their counsel.

In late October 2019, a non-binding agreement in principle was reached by the parties to settle the consolidated derivative action, the parties entered into a definitive settlement agreement in late December 2019, and in January 2020 the Travis County court issued an order providing preliminary approval of the settlement and ordering that notice of the settlement be made to the Company’s shareholders.  On March 10, 2020, the Travis County court issued an order providing final approval of the settlement and dismissing with prejudice the consolidated derivative action.

Other Matters

From time to time we are subject to legal proceedings and claims which arise in the ordinary course of our business, and are also subject to additional payments under business purchase agreements.  In the opinion of management, the amount of ultimate liability, if any, with respect to these actions will not have a materially adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, liquidity, or results of our operations.

We operate in a highly regulated industry and receive regulatory agency inquiries from time to time in the ordinary course of our business, including inquiries relating to our billing activities.  No assurance can be given that any discrepancies identified during a regulatory review will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Favorable Settlements

For the year ended December 31, 2018, our results of operations and net income benefited from the favorable resolution of two matters.

On May 15, 2018, we received a net favorable settlement of $1.7 million in connection with our long standing damage claims relating to the “Deepwater Horizon” disaster, and the prior adverse effect which it had on our clinic operations along the Gulf Coast in April of 2010. We do not anticipate further payments in connection with this matter as this settlement constituted a full and final satisfaction of our claims. The benefit of this settlement was recognized as a reduction to our general and administrative expenses.

On June 28, 2018, we entered into an agreement with the State of Delaware, and made payment, to satisfy all of the State’s abandoned or unclaimed property claims transactions represented within the period of January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2012 which were reportable through December 31, 2017 in the amount of $2.2 million. This agreed upon payment amount was favorable by $0.5 million to the amount we had previously estimated for these liabilities and had the effect of reducing our general and administrative expenses by this amount.  Additionally, under the terms of the agreement, we were not required to pay interest on the previously unremitted cumulative abandoned or unclaimed property relating to this twelve year period in the amount of $1.5 million, which had the effect of lowering our interest expense in the year by this accrued interest amount.