Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are subject from time to time to various claims, lawsuits and other legal and administrative proceedings (including those described below). Some of these claims, lawsuits and other proceedings may involve highly complex issues that are subject to substantial uncertainties, and could result in damages, fines and penalties, non-monetary sanctions or relief.
We intend to recognize provisions for claims or pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable, and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Due to the inherent uncertain nature of litigation, the ultimate outcome or actual cost of settlement may materially vary from estimates. For additional information, see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Common Stock - We are party to pending litigation, and we may be subject to future litigation in the operation of our business. An adverse outcome in one or more proceedings could adversely affect our business.”
SEC Request for Information
We have been responding to requests for information from the SEC relating to an investigation by the SEC of alleged violations by us of Rule 21F-17, which prohibits actions to impede an individual from communicating directly with the SEC staff about a possible securities law violation. We intend to continue to defend this matter vigorously and cannot predict the outcome of this investigation.
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Securities Class Actions
On August 14, 2024, a putative class action captioned Fox v. Symbotic Inc. et al., Case No. 24-cv-12090 was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts by an alleged holder of our common stock. The complaint asserts claims for violations of federal securities laws against us and two of our officers on the grounds that, among other things, we made false and/or misleading statements related to its expected earnings for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. Based on these allegations, the plaintiff brings claims seeking unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees, expert fees, and other costs and relief on behalf of herself and a putative class of persons who purchased our stock between May 6, 2024 and July 29, 2024. On September 11, 2024, the court entered a stipulation staying our deadline to respond to the complaint until after a lead plaintiff has been appointed pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. On October 15, 2024, four alleged shareholders filed motions seeking to be appointed as lead plaintiff. As of November 7, 2024, one alleged shareholder has withdrawn her motion for appointment as lead plaintiff, and two others have filed papers stating that they do not oppose the competing motion of the movant who claimed the largest losses, Dr. Seshagiri Rao Kalapala, and his selection of Levi & Korsinsky, LLP as lead counsel. As of December 3, 2024, the court has not yet ruled on the pending lead plaintiff motions.
On December 3, 2024, a putative class action captioned Decker v. Symbotic Inc. et al., Case No. 24-cv-12976 was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts by an alleged purchaser of our common stock. The complaint asserts claims for violations of federal securities laws against us and three of our officers on the grounds that we made false and/or misleading statements related to our revenue recognition and the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based on these allegations, the plaintiff brings claims seeking unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees, expert fees, and other costs and relief on behalf of himself and a putative class of persons who purchased our stock between February 8, 2024 and November 26, 2024.
We intend to vigorously defend these cases. If a court ultimately determines that we are liable in either or both of these cases, we may be subject to substantial damages. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of these matters or determine the extent of any potential liabilities. We also cannot provide an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss. Any adverse outcome in these matters could expose us to substantial damages that may have a material adverse impact on our operations and cash flows. Despite the potential for significant damages, we do not believe, based on currently available information, that the outcome of these proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, although the outcome could be material to our operating results for any particular period, depending, in part, upon the operating results for such period.
Shareholder Derivative Actions
On October 2, 2024, two putative shareholder derivative actions captioned Austen v. Cohen et al., 24-cv-12522 and Kukreja v. Cohen et al., 24-cv-12523 were filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts by our alleged shareholders. The actions assert claims on behalf of us against certain senior officers and members of our board of directors for, among others, breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, and violations of federal securities laws based primarily on allegations that the defendants caused or allowed us to disseminate misleading and inaccurate information to shareholders in connection with our expected earnings for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. The actions also contend that the defendants wasted corporate assets by exposing us to the securities class action lawsuit filed on August 14, 2024. The actions seek compensatory damages, changes to corporate governance and internal procedures, restitution, costs and attorneys’ fees, and other unspecified relief. On November 19 and November 20, 2024, the parties filed motions seeking to consolidate the two actions into a single matter, appoint lead plaintiffs’ counsel, and stay any obligation of the defendants to respond to the complaint based on the pendency of the related Fox v. Symbotic securities class action lawsuit (described above).
We intend to vigorously defend these cases. If a court ultimately determines that we are liable, we may be subject to substantial damages. We cannot predict with any degree of certainty the outcome of this matter or determine the extent of any potential liabilities. We also cannot provide an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss. Any adverse outcome in this matter could expose us to substantial damages that may have a material adverse impact on our operations and cash flows. Despite the potential for significant damages, we do not believe, based on currently available information, that the outcome of this proceeding will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, although the outcome could be material to our operating results for any particular period, depending, in part, upon the operating results for such period.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
PART II
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