Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies [Text Block]

Note 12. Commitments and Contingencies

Purchase Obligations

The company has entered into unconditional purchase obligations, in the ordinary course of business, that include agreements to purchase goods, services or fixed assets and to pay royalties that are enforceable and legally binding and that specify all significant terms including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable at any time without penalty. The aggregate amount of the company’s unconditional purchase obligations totaled $1.20 billion at December 31, 2019 and the majority of these obligations are expected to be settled during 2020.

Letters of Credit, Guarantees and Other Commitments

Outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees totaled $272 million at December 31, 2019. Substantially all of these letters of credit and guarantees expire before 2026.

Outstanding surety bonds and other guarantees totaled $61 million at December 31, 2019. The expiration of these bonds and guarantees ranges through 2022.

The letters of credit, bank guarantees and surety bonds principally secure performance obligations, and allow the holder to draw funds up to the face amount of the letter of credit, bank guarantee or surety bond if the applicable business unit does not perform as contractually required.

The company is a guarantor of pension plan obligations of a divested business. The purchaser of the divested business has agreed to pay for the pension benefits, however the company was required to guarantee payment of these pension benefits should the purchaser fail to do so. The amount of the guarantee at December 31, 2019 was $41 million.

In connection with the sale of businesses of the company, the buyers have assumed certain contractual obligations of such businesses and have agreed to indemnify the company with respect to those assumed liabilities. In the event a third-party to a transferred contract does not recognize the transfer of obligations or a buyer defaults on its obligations under the transferred contract, the company could be liable to the third-party for such obligations. However, in such event, the company would be entitled to seek indemnification from the buyer.

Indemnifications

In conjunction with certain transactions, primarily divestitures, the company has agreed to indemnify the other parties with respect to certain liabilities related to the businesses that were sold or leased properties that were abandoned (e.g., retention of certain environmental, tax, employee and product liabilities). The scope and duration of such indemnity obligations vary from transaction to transaction. Where probable, an obligation for such indemnifications is recorded as a liability. Generally, a maximum obligation cannot be reasonably estimated. Other than obligations recorded as liabilities at the time of divestiture, historically the company has not made significant payments for these indemnifications.

In connection with the company’s efforts to reduce the number of facilities that it occupies, the company has vacated some of its leased facilities or sublet them to third parties. When the company sublets a facility to a third-party, it remains the primary obligor under the master lease agreement with the owner of the facility. As a result, if a third-party vacates the sublet facility, the company would be obligated to make lease or other payments under the master lease agreement. The company believes that the financial risk of default by sublessors is individually and in the aggregate not material to the company’s financial position or results of operations.

In connection with the sale of products in the ordinary course of business, the company often makes representations affirming, among other things, that its products do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others and agrees to indemnify customers against third-party claims for such infringement. The company has not been required to make material payments under such provisions.

Environmental Matters

The company is currently involved in various stages of investigation and remediation related to environmental matters. The company cannot predict all potential costs related to environmental remediation matters and the possible impact on future operations given the uncertainties regarding the extent of the required cleanup, the complexity and interpretation of applicable laws and regulations, the varying costs of alternative cleanup methods and the extent of the company’s responsibility. Expenses for environmental remediation matters related to the costs of installing, operating and maintaining groundwater-treatment systems and other remedial activities related to historical environmental contamination at the company’s domestic and international facilities were not material in any period presented. The company records accruals for environmental remediation liabilities, based on current interpretations of environmental laws and regulations, when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of such liability can be reasonably estimated. The company calculates estimates based upon several factors, including input from environmental specialists and management’s knowledge of and experience with these environmental matters. The company includes in these estimates potential costs for investigation, remediation and operation and maintenance of cleanup sites. At December 31, 2019, the company’s total environmental liability was approximately $66 million. While management believes the accruals for environmental remediation are adequate based on current estimates of remediation costs, the company may be subject to additional remedial or compliance costs due to future events such as changes in existing laws and regulations, changes in agency direction or enforcement policies, developments in remediation technologies or changes in the conduct of the company’s operations, which could have a material adverse effect on the company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Litigation and Related Contingencies

There are various lawsuits and claims pending against the company including matters involving product liability, intellectual property, employment and commercial issues. The company determines the probability and range of possible loss based on the current status of each of these matters. A liability is recorded in the financial statements if it is believed to be probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The company establishes a liability that is an estimate of amounts expected to be paid in the future for events that have already occurred. The company accrues the most likely amount or at least the minimum of the range of probable loss when a range of probable loss can be estimated. The accrued liabilities are based on management’s judgment as to the probability of losses for asserted and unasserted claims and, where applicable, actuarially determined estimates. Accrual estimates are adjusted as additional information becomes known or payments are made. The amount of ultimate loss may differ from these estimates. Due to the inherent uncertainties associated with pending litigation or claims, the company cannot predict the outcome, nor, with respect to certain pending litigation or claims where no liability has been accrued, make a meaningful estimate of the reasonably possible

loss or range of loss that could result from an unfavorable outcome. The company has no material accruals for pending litigation or claims for which accrual amounts are not disclosed below, nor are material losses deemed probable for such matters. It is reasonably possible, however, that an unfavorable outcome that exceeds the company’s current accrual estimate, if any, for one or more of the matters described below could have a material adverse effect on the company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Product Liability, Workers Compensation and Other Personal Injury Matters

The range of probable loss for product liability, workers compensation and other personal injury matters of the company’s continuing operations at December 31, 2019, was approximately $206 million to $342 million on an undiscounted basis. The portion of these liabilities assumed in the 2006 merger with Fisher was recorded at its fair (present) value at the date of merger. The company’s accrual for all such matters in total, including the discounted liabilities, was $198 million at December 31, 2019 (or $215 million undiscounted). The accrual includes estimated defense costs and is gross of estimated amounts due from insurers of $84 million at December 31, 2019 (or $96 million undiscounted) that are included in other assets in the accompanying balance sheet. The portion of these insurance assets assumed in the merger with Fisher was also recorded at its fair value at the date of merger. In addition to the above accrual, as of December 31, 2019, the company had a product liability accrual of $9 million (undiscounted) relating to divested businesses.

The assets and liabilities assumed at the Fisher merger date were ascribed a fair value based on the present value of expected future cash flows, using a discount rate equivalent to the risk free rate of interest for monetary assets with comparable maturities (weighted average discount rate of 4.67%). The discount on the liabilities of approximately $17 million and the discount on the assets of approximately $12 million (net discount $5 million) are being accreted to interest expense over the expected settlement period.

Although the company believes that the amounts accrued and estimated recoveries are probable and appropriate based on available information, including actuarial studies of loss estimates, the process of estimating losses and insurance recoveries involves a considerable degree of judgment by management and the ultimate amounts could vary materially. Insurance contracts do not relieve the company of its primary obligation with respect to any losses incurred. The collectability of amounts due from its insurers is subject to the solvency and willingness of the insurer to pay, as well as the legal sufficiency of the insurance claims. Management monitors the payment history as well as the financial condition and ratings of its insurers on an ongoing basis.

Intellectual Property Matters

On June 3, 2013, Unisone Strategic IP filed a complaint against Life Technologies, a subsidiary of the company, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California alleging patent infringement by Life Technologies’ supply chain management system software, which operates with product “supply centers” installed at customer sites. Plaintiff seeks damages for alleged willful infringement, attorneys’ fees, costs, and injunctive relief. On August 24, 2017, Unisone filed an appeal from a decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) that found the challenged patent claims invalid. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the PTAB’s ruling finding the challenged claims in the Unisone patent invalid. Unisone had until March 11, 2019 to file an appeal with the United States Supreme Court. Unisone did not appeal that decision, and consequently the case before the United States District Court, which had been stayed pending the outcome of the PTAB decision, resumed with Unisone filing an amended complaint on September 12, 2019 regarding similar patent claims that were not included in the PTAB proceeding. On November 1, 2019, Life Technologies filed two additional covered business method (CBM) challenges with the PTAB regarding Unisone’s new patent claims. On December 16, 2019, the United States District Court granted Life Technologies’ motion to stay the case pending the PTAB’s decision whether to institute a CBM review of the new patent claims.