Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Item
3. Legal Proceedings.
From
time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. Below
is a description of our outstanding pending litigation matters. Litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties and an adverse result
in the below described or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business.
On
June 5, 2020, we filed suit against Ortho-Tain, Inc. (“ Ortho-Tain ”) in the United States District Court for the District
of Colorado seeking relief from certain false, threatening, and defamatory statements to our business affiliate, Benco Dental (“ Benco ”).
We believe such statements have interfered with its business relationship and contract with Benco, causing harm to our reputation, loss
of goodwill, and unspecified monetary damages. On February 12, 2021, we amended our complaint to add claims for false advertising and
unfair business practices, as well as additional variants of the original claims to address Ortho-Tain’s alleged false advertising
campaign against us in the fall of 2020. Our amended complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief to prevent what we believe are defamatory
statements and interference with our business relationships by Ortho-Tain.
We
further seek declaratory relief to refute the defendant’s false allegations, as well as monetary damages. Prior to filing the suit,
we worked collaboratively with legal counsel at Benco to address and resolve this matter. Such efforts were unsuccessful. On February
26, 2021, Ortho-Tain, Inc. filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. We opposed the motion. On June 21, 2022, the Tenth Circuit
entered an order and judgment. Pursuant to such order, the appeal was terminated, and the case was remanded to the U.S. District Court
for the District of Colorado for further proceedings. On July 13, 2022, the Clerk of Court for the Tenth Circuit transferred jurisdiction
back to the District of Colorado. On February 14, 2024, the District Court of Colorado issued an order denying Ortho-Tain’s motion
to dismiss after analyzing the issue of litigation privilege under the standard ordered by the Tenth Circuit. In response, Ortho-Tain
filed a notice of appeal of the District Court of Colorado order on February 14, 2024. The appeal has been docketed in the Tenth Circuit,
and the record has been completed. On March 5, 2024, we filed a motion to dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. Ortho-Tain filed
its response to the motion to dismiss on March 19, 2024. Our reply in support of the motion to dismiss was filed on March 26, 2024. On
March 20, 2024, the Court ordered that our motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction would be referred to the panel of judges to be
assigned to the appeal, and that no ruling on the motion to dismiss would be issued at that time. Ortho-Tain filed its opening brief
on April 29, 2024. We filed an Answer Brief on May 29, 2024. Ortho-Tain filed its response brief on June 20, 2024. On October 31, 2024,
the Tenth Circuit ordered additional briefing on two discrete issues and that briefing was filed on November 21, 2024. Oral Argument
is scheduled for March 18, 2025.
- 51 -
On
July 22, 2020, Ortho-Tain, Inc. filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the
Company, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, R. Kirk Huntsman, Benco Dental Supply Co., Dr. Brian Kraft, Dr. Ben Miraglia, and
Dr. Mark Musso (the “ Illinois Ortho-Tain Case ”). The complaint in the Illinois Ortho-Tain Case addresses the same
events as the suit we filed against Ortho-Tain in June 2020 as described above. The complaint in the Illinois Ortho-Tain Case alleges
violation of the Lanham Act and an alleged civil conspiracy among the defendants to violate the Lanham Act by an alleged false designation
of origin related to a presentation given by Dr. Brian Kraft at an event sponsored by us and Benco Dental.
Ortho-Tain
also alleges that the actions of the defendants diverted sales from Ortho-Tain, deprived Ortho-Tain of advertising value and resulted
in a loss of goodwill to Ortho-Tain. Ortho-Tain further alleges two separate breach of contract actions against Dr. Brian Kraft and Mr.
Huntsman. Ortho-Tain’s allegation of breach of contract against Mr. Huntsman, relates to a Non-Disclosure Agreement entered into
in October 2013 with Mr. Huntsman’s prior entity, Xenith Practices, LLC, which Non-Disclosure Agreement expired pursuant to its
terms in October 2016. We continue to evaluate the allegations, although we believe they lack merit and believe Ortho-Tain will be unable
to establish actionable damages.
On
September 9, 2020, we moved to dismiss the claims against it in the Illinois Ortho-Tain Case. On October 23, 2020, we filed a motion
requesting, in the alternative, that if the case is not dismissed, it be transferred to the Colorado action described above or stayed.
On May 14, 2021, the United States District Judge entered an order granting our motion to stay this case pending the outcome of a substantially
similar, first-filed suit by us is pending in the United States District Court. In light of the stay, the District Court denied, without
prejudice, our pending motion to dismiss. On March 2, 2023, the District Court lifted the stay.
The
Defendants renewed their motions to dismiss. On August 23, 2024, the District Court of Colorado issued its order partially granting the
motions to dismiss, including dismissing Defendants Benco Dental Supply Co. and Dr. Mark Musso. Ortho-Tain subsequently sought leave
to amend its Complaint to try and address the deficiencies identified by the District Court of Colorado in its August 23, 2024 order.
The Defendants opposed the Motion for Leave to Amend, and, on October 9, 2024, the District Court of Colorado held a hearing to address
the Motion for Leave to Amend. The District Court of Colorado denied Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to File an Amended Complaint
without Prejudice.
The
Parties submitted a Joint Discovery Plan to the District Court on October 21, 2024. On October 22, 2024, the District Court ordered the
parties to exchange Rule 26(a)(1) initial disclosures by November 22, 2024 and Initial Written Discovery to Be Issued by the same date,
which the parties completed. The parties provided a status report to the court on January 6, 2025 and February 24, 2025. The District
Court set a deadline of May 16, 2025 to amend pleadings and July 30, 2025 to complete fact discovery.
Item
4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not
applicable.
- 52 -
PART
II