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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Jun. 28, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
LEGAL CLAIMS
The Company is subject to litigation, claims, investigations and audits arising from time to time in the ordinary course of business. Although legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable, the Company believes that it has valid defenses with respect to any matters currently pending against the Company and intends to defend itself vigorously. The outcome of these matters, individually and in the aggregate, is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's cash flows, results of operations, or financial position.
On December 7, 2021, counsel for National Technical Systems, Inc. (“NTS”) sent the Company an environmental demand letter pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 21E, Section 4A, and CERCLA 42 U.S.C. Section 9601, related to a site that NTS formerly owned at 533 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts. NTS received a Notice of Responsibility from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“MassDEP”) alleging trichloroethene, freon and 1,4-dioxane contamination in the groundwater emanating from NTS’s former site. NTS alleges in its demand letter that the operations of a predecessor company to Mercury that was acquired in the Company's acquisition of the Microsemi Carve-Out Business that once owned and operated a facility at 531 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts contributed to the groundwater contamination. NTS is seeking payment from the Company of NTS’s costs for any required environmental remediation. In April 2022, the Company engaged in a meet and confer session with NTS pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 21E, Section 4A to discuss the status of the environmental review performed by NTS and its licensed site professional. The Company subsequently delivered a letter to NTS outlining the deficiencies in their claim and reiterated that the Company is not obligated to tender a substantive response to their demand without first having received the responsive information requested in connection with the meet and confer session. In April 2024, counsel for NTS sent additional communications on their demand that the Company participate in their environmental monitoring and remediation planning, and in May 2024, the Company responded with a rebuttal of the allegations. The Company believes the NTS claims are without merit and intends to defend itself vigorously. In addition, in November 2021, the Company responded to a request for information from MassDEP regarding the detection of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroakyl substances) in the Acton, Massachusetts Water District’s Conant public water supply wells near the former facility at 531 Main Street, Acton, Massachusetts at a level above the standard that MassDEP published for PFAS in October 2020. The Company has not been contacted by MassDEP since the response was provided in November 2021. It is too early to determine what responsibility, if any, the Company may have for these environmental matters.
On June 19, 2023, the Board of Directors received notice of the Company's former CEO’s resignation from his positions of President and Chief Executive Officer. The Board accepted his resignation effective June 24, 2023. In his notice, the former CEO claimed he was entitled to certain benefits, including equity vesting, severance, and other benefits, under his change in control severance agreement (the “CIC Agreement”) because he had resigned with good reason during a potential change in control period. The Company disputes these claims and maintains that he resigned without good reason. On September 19, 2023, the former CEO filed for binding arbitration under the employment rules of the American Arbitration Association
(“AAA”). An arbitrator was appointed on November 29, 2023, and the arbitration trial has been scheduled for mid-December 2024. On March 25, 2024, the arbitrator denied Mr. Aslett’s motion for compensation during the dispute and payment of his legal fees, preserving those matters for the arbitration trial. The Company intends to contest vigorously the claims under the CIC Agreement and believes that the Company has strong arguments that the former CEO’s claims lack merit. If the arbitrator rules in the Company's favor, the Company may still need to pay the former CEO’s reasonable legal fees, interest, and compensation during the dispute. If instead the arbitrator rules for the former CEO, the Company could be liable for up to approximately $14,100, based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on June 26, 2023, for accelerated equity vesting, severance, and other benefits under the CIC Agreement, plus interest, legal fees and expenses and compensation during dispute, which could include Mr. Aslett's base salary and other amounts based on the compensation, benefit and insurance plans in which he participated. The Company categorically denies any wrongdoing or liability under the CIC Agreement, but the outcome of potential arbitration is inherently uncertain. Accordingly, it is reasonably possible that the Company will incur a liability in this matter, and the Company estimates the potential range of exposure from $0 to $14,100, plus costs and attorneys’ fees and compensation to the former CEO during the dispute.
On December 13, 2023, a securities class action complaint was filed against the Company, Mark Aslett, and Michael Ruppert in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The complaint asserted Section 10(b) and 20(a) securities fraud claims on behalf of a purported class of purchasers and sellers of the Company's stock from December 7, 2020, through June 23, 2023. The complaint alleged that the Company's public disclosures in SEC filings and on earnings calls were false and/or misleading. On February 27, 2024, the Court entered an order appointing Carpenters Pension Trust Fund for Northern California as lead plaintiff. On April 18, 2024, the lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint including William Ballhaus and David Farnsworth as additional defendants and amended the class period to February 3, 2021 through February 6, 2024. The Company filed a motion to dismiss on May 24, 2024, and after the plaintiffs’ filed their opposition motion and the Company filed its reply to their opposition, a hearing on the motion was conducted by the Court on July 24, 2024. On July 24, 2024, the Court dismissed the case without prejudice and permitted the plaintiffs 30 days to file an amended complaint. Subject to the terms of the Company's by-laws and applicable Massachusetts law, Mr. Aslett, the former Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ruppert, the former Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Ballhaus, the current Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Farnsworth, the current Chief Financial officer, are indemnified by the Company for this matter. The Company believes the claims in the complaint are without merit and intends to defend itself vigorously. It is too early to determine what responsibility, if any, the Company will have for this matter.
On January 31, 2024, a former employee at the Company's Torrance, California location, filed a wage and hour class action lawsuit in California state court in Los Angeles County, along with a companion Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) lawsuit, to act in a representative capacity for other Mercury Mission Systems, LLC employees in California, alleging a range of violations of California wage and hour regulations. The Company believes the claims in the complaints are without merit and intends to defend itself vigorously. It is too early to determine what responsibility, if any, the Company will have for this matter.
INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS
The Company's standard product sales and license agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business typically contain an indemnification provision pursuant to which the Company indemnifies, holds harmless, and agrees to reimburse the indemnified party for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party in connection with any patent, copyright or other intellectual property infringement claim by any third party with respect to the Company's products. Such provisions generally survive termination or expiration of the agreements. The potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is, in some instances, unlimited.
PURCHASE COMMITMENTS
As of June 28, 2024, the Company has entered into non-cancelable purchase commitments for certain inventory components and services used in its normal operations. The purchase commitments covered by these agreements are for less than one year and aggregate to $122,195.
OTHER
The Company may elect from time to time to purchase and subsequently retire shares of common stock in order to settle an individual employees’ tax liability associated with vesting of a restricted stock award or exercise of stock options. These transactions are treated as a use of cash in financing activities in the Company's Statements of Cash Flows.