Nauticus Robotics, Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management, with the participation and under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Form 10-Q. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of June 30, 2023, as a result of the continuation of the previously disclosed material weakness discussed below, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective. In light of this fact, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has performed additional analyses, reconciliations, and other post-closing procedures in order to conclude that, notwithstanding such material weakness, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-Q fairly present, in all material respects, our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with GAAP. 26 A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Continuation of material weakness . We previously identified a material weakness in controls over the accounting for complex warrant issuances and the classification of certain issued warrants. This material weakness resulted in the failure to prevent material errors in accounting for the warrants as equity classification when the warrants should have been classified as liabilities, and marked to market each reporting period, resulting in the restatement of our financial statements as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Further, the continuation of the abovementioned material weakness, specifically in relation to the accounting for complex transactions and contracts of the Company, resulted in the untimely recognition of an accrued liability and expense arising out of the RRA, which resulted in the restatement of our financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Management is working to remediate the material weakness described above and to enhance our overall control environment. Our remediation plan includes enhancing our contract review process, particularly in the context of complex agreements and transactions, as well as internal communications in connection therewith, in addition to continuing our engagement of third-party specialists to assist with accounting, valuation, and financial reporting functions in relation to significant contracts, agreements and complex transactions. Our ongoing remediation activities are subject to continued management review supported by ongoing design and evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting framework. The Audit Committee of our board of directors is monitoring, and receives regular reports on the progress of, management’s remediation efforts. We will not consider the material weakness remediated until our enhanced controls are operational for a sufficient period of time and evaluated, enabling management to conclude that the enhanced controls are operating effectively. Changes in internal control over financial reporting. During the second quarter of 2023, there were no other changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rules 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the period covered by this Form 10-Q that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s management has expended, and will continue to expend, a substantial amount of effort and resources in connection with the remediation of previously identified material weaknesses, including the material weakness discussed above, and the ongoing improvement of our internal control over financial reporting. Inherent limitation on the effectiveness of internal control. The effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, is subject to inherent limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating the controls and procedures, and the inability to eliminate misconduct completely. Accordingly, in designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable, not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs. Moreover, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We intend to continue to monitor and upgrade our internal controls as necessary or appropriate for our business but cannot assure you that such improvements will be sufficient to provide us with effective internal control over financial reporting. 27 PART II - OTHER INFORMATION ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS From time to time, we may be subject to litigation and other claims in the normal course of business. No amounts have been accrued in the condensed consolidated financial statements with respect to any matters.