Legal Proceedings

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

8. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As previously reported in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 9, 2018, on July 3, 2018, we commenced a lawsuit in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware against the company's former director and principal executive officer George Farley and AnneMarieCo LLC ("AMC").

The lawsuit alleges to the following six causes of action:

1. Breach of Fiduciary Duty of Loyalty against George Farley

2. Breach of Fiduciary Duty of Care against George Farley

3. Aiding and Abetting Breach of Fiduciary Duty against AMC

4. Conversion against George Farley

5. Fraudulent Transfer against George Farley and AMC

6. Injunctive Relief against George Farley and AMC

This report provides an update on the progress of the litigation.

In connection with the lawsuit, the company requested a temporary restraining order prohibiting Mr. Farley and AMC from selling their 25 million shares of the company's common stock which the company alleges were improperly issued. On July 20, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery, Vice Chancellor Tamika Montgomery-Reeves presiding, entered a "status quo" order upon the stipulation of the parties, whereby Mr. Farley and AMC agreed not to transfer, alienate or sell any of their shares pending a ruling on the company's motion for a preliminary injunction.

On July 26, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery entered a scheduling order setting dates and deadlines for, among other matters, a hearing and briefing schedule on the amount of the bond the company would be required to post to maintain the "status quo" order through the preliminary injunction hearing, a hearing and briefing schedule on the motion for a preliminary injunction, and a discovery schedule.

Also, in connection with the lawsuit, on August 8, 2018, the company filed a motion to disqualify Mr. Farley's attorney, Ryan Whalen, who had previously represented the company.

On August 14, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued an order requiring the company to post a bond in the total amount of $200,446.52. On August 21, 2018, the company posted the bond via Atlantic Specialty Insurance company acting as surety. Pursuant to the contract between the company and Atlantic Specialty Insurance company, the company deposited $200,446.52 in cash as collateral for the surety agreement.

On August 23, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery court extended the hearing date on the company's motion for a preliminary injunction to October 23, 2018, and simultaneously ordered an increase in the bond amount of $55,446.52. On August 30, 2018, the company posted the increased bond amount, again with Atlantic Specialty Insurance Company acting as surety, and deposited the additional $55,446.52 in cash with the surety.

On September 7, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery entered an order setting a briefing schedule on the company's motion to disqualify Mr. Whalen.

On September 10, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery entered an order governing the production and exchange of confidential documents and information among the parties in discovery.

In another Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 13, 2018, the company updated the status of the litigation to include events that occurred up to that date. This report further updates the progress of the litigation.

On October 16, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery entered a scheduling order continuing the hearing date on the company's motion for a preliminary injunction against defendants George Farley and AMC to December 14, 2018.

The October 16, 2018 order also required the company to increase its bond amount by an additional $185,301.86 ($80,301.86 for AMC and $105,000.00 for Mr. Farley) to account for the continued hearing date. On October 24, 2018, the company posted the additional bond amount of $185,301.86.

On October 16, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued an order denying the company's motion to disqualify Mr. Whalen.

On January 23, 2019, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a Memorandum Opinion, granting a preliminary injunction prohibiting Mr. Farley and AMC from selling their 25 million shares of the company's common stock, which the company alleges were improperly issued. On January 24, 2019, the Delaware Court of Chancery issued a revised Memorandum Opinion correcting calculations regarding the increased bond amount.

In granting the preliminary injunction, the Court found that the company met "its considerable burden" of demonstrating it was likely to win its lawsuit against Mr. Farley and AMC. Specifically, the Court found it was "reasonably probable" Mr. Farley had unlawfully issued the 25 million shares without proper authorization, Mr. Farley had breached his duty of loyalty to the company, Mr. Farley was unlikely to prove the stock issuance was procedurally or substantively "fair" to the company, and Mr. Farley had fraudulently transferred 20 million of the shares to AMC. Finally, the Court ruled because Farley and AMC's 25 million shares represented one eighth of the company's outstanding ownership, the injunction was necessary to protect the company's capital structure, ability to attract new investors, ability to raise new capital and continue deployment of its plans now underway to revitalize its business.

The company had previously requested the temporary restraining order on July 20, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery, Vice Chancellor Tamika Montgomery-Reeves presiding, entered a "status quo" order upon the stipulation of the parties, whereby Mr. Farley and AMC agreed not to transfer, alienate or sell any of their shares pending a ruling on the company's motion for the preliminary injunction.

In its Memorandum Opinion, the Court also required that the company post additional bond money, bringing the total cash collateral for the surety agreement to $582,377.26. The company posted the additional bond amount, and deposited the additional cash amount with the surety, on January 29, 2019.

On March 4, 2019, the company filed an amended complaint adding claims against Mr. Farley concerning loans Mr. Farley caused the company take from PowerUp Lending Group Ltd. and Auctus Fund LLC from September 2017 through March 2018. Mr. Farley responded to the amended complaint by filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit based on Delaware Court of Chancery Rules 12(b)(3) and 12(b)(7). On June 28, 2019, the Delaware Chancery Court denied this motion.

On June 7, 2019, the company filed a motion to reduce or eliminate the cash bond requirement. As previously reported, the cash bond was required by the Delaware Chancery Court. The defendants' response to this motion is due on August 16, 2019.

On July 19, 2019, Mr. Farley and AMC filed answers and amended counter claims in response to the Company's amended complaint. The amended counter claims add claims under Delaware General Corporate Law section 205, seeking to validate the stock issuances at issue in the litigation.

On July 29, 2019, the Delaware Chancery Court entered a scheduling order which, among other deadlines, rescheduled the trial date to begin on January 21, 2020.

In a related matter, on February 8, 2019, the company filed a complaint against Stein Riso Mantel McDonough, LLP ("Stein Riso"), its former counsel, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York alleging the following:

1. breach of fiduciary duty;

2. legal malpractice;

3. aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty;

4. voidance of fees under New York Rules of Professional Conduct 1.8;

5. violation of New York Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5;

6. securities fraud;

7. breach of contract; and

8. unjust enrichment.

The complaint against Stein Riso followed the issuance, on January 23, 2019, of a Memorandum Opinion granting the company's motion for a preliminary injunction by the Delaware Court of Chancery in the case against George Farley and AMC. Stein Riso has responded to the complaint by filing a motion to dismiss the complaint pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The company amended its complaint in response. On July 31, 2019, Stein Riso responded to the company's amended complaint by filing another motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The company's response is due on August 13, 2019.

On July 3, 2019, Gusrae, Kaplan & Nusbaum and its partner, Ryan Whalen, counsel for defendants, George Farley and AnneMarie Co. LLC, in the litigation brought by the company and pending in Delaware, filed a claim in the District Court for the Southern District of New York against the company its directors, officers, attorneys and a consultant. The action alleges libel, securities fraud and related claims. The company believes that this suit lacks merit and intends to dispute these allegations.

Based on the discussion in the order granting its preliminary injunction (as previously reported) and the potential outcome of the case, on June 24, 2019, the company has filed a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Beaufort, South Carolina, to prevent the sale of certain property located there (or in the alternative, to require payment of proceeds from any sale of the property into the registry of the court until a final decision is entered in the matter), in order to protect the company from having property disposed of.

On July 24, 2019 the Farley defendants and Annemarico, LLC filed an Answer to the South Carolina lawsuit in which they deny all allegations made against them. On that same date, they also filed a Motion to Dismiss the South Carolina case on numerous grounds. We are currently preparing a response to that Motion, and anticipate a hearing being held in the next sixty (60) days.

As with any litigation, the company cannot predict the outcome with certainty, but the company expects to provide further updates on the status of the litigation as circumstances warrant.