Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
The Company is subject to certain legal and other claims that arise in the ordinary course of its business. In particular, the Company and its subsidiaries are named in and subject to various proceedings and claims arising primarily from the Company’s securities business activities, including lawsuits, arbitration claims, class actions, and regulatory matters. Some of these claims seek substantial compensatory, punitive, or indeterminate damages. The Company and its subsidiaries are also involved in other reviews, investigations, and proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory organizations regarding the Company’s business, which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions, and other relief. In addition to such legal and other claims, reviews, investigations, and proceedings, the Company and its subsidiaries are subject to the risk of unasserted claims, including, among others, as it relates to matters related to Mr. Kahn and our investment in Freedom VCM. If such claims are made, however, the Company believes it has valid defenses from any such claim and any such claim would be without merit. The Company has not accrued for any such contingent liabilities, but such contingent liabilities could be realized which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition.
In addition to the matters disclosed in “Note 26 – Commitments and Contingencies – (a) Legal Matters” in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, the following material change to a pending legal proceeding against the Company is disclosed pursuant to Item 103 of Regulation S-K:
As previously disclosed, on February 14, 2025, a stockholder derivative complaint was filed by Michael Marchner in the Delaware Chancery Court on behalf of the Company and against the members of the Company’s Board of Directors. The complaint alleged that certain of the Company’s officers and the board of directors (i) breached their fiduciary duties related to the Company’s involvement with Mr. Kahn and subsequent legal issues, (ii) engaged in misconduct, and (iii) wasted corporate assets, including the approval of improper compensation. On March 30, 2026, the Court of Chancery dismissed the complaint in full. On April 29, 2026, Marchner filed an appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court.
In light of the significant factual issues to be resolved with respect to the asserted claims and other proceedings described above and uncertainties regarding unasserted claims described above, at the present time reasonably possible losses cannot be estimated with respect to the asserted and unasserted claims described in the preceding paragraphs.
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