Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS On December 20, 2016, a class action lawsuit was filed against one of the Company’s hotel management companies in the Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Contra Costa alleging violations of certain California employment laws, which class action affects two hotels owned by subsidiaries of the Company. The court has entered an order granting class certification with respect to: (i) a statewide class of non-exempt employees of our manager who were allegedly deprived of rest breaks as a result of our manager’s previous written policy requiring its employees to stay on premises during rest breaks; and (ii) a derivative class of non-exempt former employees of our manager who were not paid for allegedly missed breaks upon separation from employment. Notices to potential class members were sent out on February 2, 2021. Potential class members had until April 4, 2021 to opt out of the class; however, the total number of employees in the class has not been definitively determined and is the subject of continuing discovery. The opt-out period has been extended until such time that discovery has concluded. In May 2023, the trial court requested additional briefing from the parties to determine whether the case should be maintained, dismissed, or the class de-certified. The trial court set a due date of August 7, 2023 for the briefs. After submission of the briefs, the court requested that the parties submit stipulations for the court to rule upon. If this litigation goes to trial, we expect that the earliest which the trial would occur is the last quarter of 2023, based on various extensions to which the parties have agreed. While we believe it is reasonably possible that we may incur a loss associated with this litigation, because there remains uncertainty under California law with respect to a significant legal issue, discovery relating to class members continues, and the trial judge retains discretion to award lower penalties than set forth in the applicable California employment laws, we do not believe that any potential loss to the Company is reasonably estimable at this time. As of September 30, 2023, no amounts have been accrued. We are also engaged in other legal proceedings that have arisen but have not been fully adjudicated. To the extent the claims giving rise to these legal proceedings are not covered by insurance, they relate to the following general types of claims: 56 employment matters, tax matters and matters relating to compliance with applicable law (for example, the Americans with Disability Act and similar state laws). The likelihood of loss from these legal proceedings is based on the definitions within contingency accounting literature. We recognize a loss when we believe the loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. Based on the information available to us relating to these legal proceedings and/or our experience in similar legal proceedings, we do not believe the ultimate resolution of these proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flow. During the quarter ended September 30, 2023, we had a cyber incident that resulted in the potential exposure of certain employee personal information. We have completed an investigation and have identified certain employee information may have been exposed, but we have not identified that any customer information was exposed. Systems have been substantially restored with minimal effect on certain hotel operations. We believe that we maintain a sufficient level of insurance coverage related to such events, and the related incremental costs incurred to date are immaterial. It is reasonably possible that the Company may incur additional costs related to the matter, but we are unable to predict with certainty the ultimate amount or range of potential loss. At this time, no litigation has been filed nor has any been threatened. Our assessment may change depending upon the development of any current or future legal proceedings, and the final results of such legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty. If we ultimately do not prevail in one or more of these legal matters, and the associated realized losses exceed our current estimates of the range of potential losses, our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows could be materially adversely affected in future periods.