Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

The Company is involved in various routine legal proceedings and claims incidental to the ordinary course of its business. There are no material legal proceedings pending against the Company, except as follows:

Government Investigations and Litigation Relating to the Audit Committee Investigation

As previously reported, on October 29, 2014, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K (the “October 29 8-K”) reporting the Audit Committee’s conclusion, based on the preliminary findings of its investigation, that certain previously issued consolidated financial statements of the Company, including those included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and June 30, 2014, and related financial information should no longer be relied upon. The Company also reported that the Audit Committee had based its conclusion on the preliminary findings of its investigation into concerns regarding accounting practices and other matters that were first reported to the Audit Committee in early September 2014 and that the Audit Committee believed that an error in the calculation of adjusted funds from operations for the first quarter of 2014 had been identified but intentionally not corrected when the Company reported its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014. Prior to the filing of the October 29 8-K, the Audit Committee previewed for the SEC the information contained in the filing. Subsequent to that filing, the SEC provided notice that it had commenced a formal investigation and issued subpoenas calling for the production of various documents. In addition, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York contacted counsel for the Audit Committee and counsel for the Company with respect to this matter, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued a subpoena calling for the production of various documents. The Company has been cooperating with these regulators in their investigations.

In connection with these investigations, on September 8, 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the filing of criminal charges against the Company’s former Chief Financial Officer (the “Former CFO”) and former Chief Accounting Officer (the “Criminal Action”), as well as the fact that the former Chief Accounting Officer pleaded guilty to the charges filed. Also on September 8, 2016, the SEC announced the filing of a civil complaint against the same two individuals in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. On June 30, 2017, following a jury trial, the Former CFO was convicted of the charges filed. Both the former Chief Accounting Officer and the Former CFO have entered into settlement agreements with the SEC resolving the charges brought against them.

The United States Attorney’s Office has indicated that it does not intend to bring criminal charges against the Company arising from its investigation. In addition, the Company has not been in contact with the Massachusetts regulator since June 2015 and believes the investigation is concluded. On November 18, 2019, the Company announced it had reached agreement with the staff of the Enforcement Division of the SEC on the material terms of a negotiated resolution relating to the SEC's investigation of the matters disclosed in the Company's October 29 8-K. The agreement with the SEC staff, which is subject to documentation and approval by the SEC's Commissioners, includes payment of $8.0 million as a civil penalty. 

As discussed below, the Company and certain of its former officers and directors were named as defendants in a number of lawsuits filed following the October 29 8-K, including class actions, individual actions and derivative actions seeking money damages and other relief under the federal securities laws and state laws in both federal and state courts in New York, Maryland and Arizona.

Between October 30, 2014 and January 20, 2015, the Company and certain of its former officers and directors, among other individuals and entities, were named as defendants in ten securities class action complaints filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The court consolidated these actions under the caption In re American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. Litigation, No. 15-MC-00040 (AKH) (the “Class Action”). The plaintiffs filed a second amended class action complaint on December 11, 2015, which asserted claims for violations of Sections 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act and Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. On September 30, 2016, plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint to reflect certain prior rulings by the court in connection with various motions to dismiss. On August 31, 2017, the court issued an order granting plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. Defendants’ petitions seeking leave to appeal the court’s order granting class certification were denied on January 24, 2018. On September 8, 2019, the Company, along with the other parties to the Class Action, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) providing for the settlement of the Class Action, and on September 30, 2019, the parties entered into a Stipulation of Settlement (the “Class Action Settlement”) consistent with the terms of the MOU. Pursuant to the Class Action Settlement, certain defendants agreed to pay in the aggregate $1.025 billion, comprised of contributions from the principals of the Company's former external manager, ARC Properties Advisors, LLC, (the “Former Manager”) totaling $225.0 million, $12.5 million from the Company’s Former CFO, $49.0 million from the Company’s former auditor, and the balance of $738.5 million from the Company, which is included in litigation and non-routine costs, net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019. The contribution from the Company’s Former Manager is inclusive of the value of substantially all of the Limited Partner OP Units and dividends surrendered to the Company in July 2019 as a result of a settlement by the Former Manager and certain of its principals with the SEC, totaling approximately $32.0 million, which is included in litigation and non-routine costs, net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019. The Class Action Settlement does not contain any admission of liability, wrongdoing or responsibility by any of the parties. The Class Action Settlement was approved by the court on January 21, 2020, and a final judgment dismissing the Class Action was entered on January 22, 2020.

The Company, certain of its former officers and directors, and the OP, among others, were also named as defendants in thirteen individual securities fraud actions filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York: Jet Capital Master Fund, L.P. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc., et al., No. 15-cv-307 (the “Jet Capital Action”); Twin Securities, Inc. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc., et al., No. 15-cv-1291; HG Vora Special Opportunities Master Fund, Ltd v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc., et al., No. 15-cv-4107; BlackRock ACS US Equity Tracker Fund, et al. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al., No. 15-cv-08464; PIMCO Funds: PIMCO Diversified Income Fund, et al. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al., No. 15-cv-08466; Clearline Capital Partners LP, et al. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al., No. 15-cv-08467; Pentwater Equity Opportunities Master Fund Ltd., et al. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al., No. 15-cv-08510; Archer Capital Master Fund, et al. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al, No. 16-cv-05471; Atlas Master Fund et al. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al., No. 16-cv-05475; Eton Park Fund, L.P. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc., et al., No. 16-cv-09393; Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, et al, v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al, No. 17-cv-02796; Fir Tree Capital Opportunity Master Fund, L.P. et al. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al., No. 17-cv-04975; and Cohen & Steers Institutional Realty Shares, Inc. et al v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. et al., No. 18-cv-06770, (collectively, the “Opt-Out Actions”). The Opt-Out Actions asserted claims arising out of allegedly false and misleading statements in connection with the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities. The Company entered into a series of agreements dated September 30 through October 26, 2018, to settle all of the Opt-Out Actions other than the Jet Capital Action (the “Opt-Out Settlement Agreements”), which were brought by plaintiffs holding shares of common stock and swaps referencing common stock representing approximately 18.0% of VEREIT’s outstanding shares of common stock held at the end of the period covered by the litigations, for an aggregate payment of $127.5 million. The Opt-Out Settlement Agreements contain mutual releases by both plaintiffs and the Company and do not contain any admission of liability, wrongdoing or responsibility by any of the parties.

On October 27, 2015, the Company and certain of its former officers, among others, were also named as defendants in an individual securities fraud action filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, captioned Vanguard Specialized Funds, et al. v. VEREIT, Inc. et al., No. 15-cv-02157 (the “Vanguard Action”). The Vanguard Action asserted claims arising out of allegedly false and misleading statements in connection with the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities. On June 7, 2018, the Company entered into a Settlement Agreement and Release (the “Vanguard Settlement Agreement”) to settle the Vanguard Action for a payment of $90.0 million. The Vanguard Settlement Agreement contains mutual releases by Plaintiffs and the Company, and does not contain any admission of liability, wrongdoing or responsibility by any of the parties. Vanguard’s holdings accounted for approximately 13.0% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock held at the end of the period covered by the various pending shareholder actions.

In addition to the settlement of the Opt-Out Actions and the Vanguard Action discussed above, between February 5, 2019 and April 5, 2019, the Company entered into a series of agreements to settle claims with shareholders who decided not to participate as class members in the Class Action. Pursuant to the terms of these settlement agreements, the shareholders released all claims that were the subject matter of the Class Action and the Company made payments totaling $27.9 million.

On June 24, 2019, the Company and certain of its former officers were named as defendants in an individual action filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York captioned Lakewood Capital Partners, L.P. v. American Realty Capital Properties, Inc., et al., Index No. 653676/2019 (the “Lakewood Action”), alleging claims of common law fraud arising out of allegedly false and misleading statements similar to those that were the subject of the Class Action.

On September 6 and September 9, 2019, the Company entered into settlement agreements and releases similar to the Opt-Out Settlement Agreements to settle the only two remaining opt-out actions - the Jet Capital Action and the Lakewood Action - for a total of $27.0 million, which is included in litigation and non-routine costs, net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The Company was also named as a nominal defendant, and certain of its former officers and directors were named as defendants, in shareholder derivative actions filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York: Witchko v. Schorsch, et al., No. 15-cv-06043 (the “Witchko Action”); and Serafin, et al. v. Schorsch, et al., No. 15-cv-08563 (the “Serafin Action”). The court consolidated the Witchko Action and the Serafin Action (together the “SDNY Derivative Action”) and the plaintiffs designated the complaint filed in the Witchko Action as the operative complaint in the SDNY Derivative Action. The SDNY Derivative Action sought money damages and other relief on behalf of the Company for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, among other claims. In conjunction with entering into the Class Action Settlement, the Company entered into an agreement to resolve the claims asserted in the SDNY Derivative Action, as well as the claims asserted in the Frampton Action, the Kosky Action, and the Meloche Action (each as defined below) (the “Derivative Settlement”). On January 21, 2020, the court granted final approval of the settlement, and a final judgment dismissing the SDNY Derivative Action was entered on January 22, 2020.

On December 3, 2015, the Company was named as a nominal defendant and certain of its former officers and directors were named as defendants in a shareholder derivative action filed in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in Maryland, Frampton v. Schorsch, et al., No. 24-C-15-006269 (the “Frampton Action”). The Frampton Action sought money damages and other relief on behalf of the Company for, among other things, alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and contribution and indemnification. By order dated November 4, 2016, the Frampton Action was stayed pending resolution of the SDNY Derivative Action. On January 31, 2020, the plaintiff in the Frampton Action filed a notice dismissing the Frampton Action with prejudice.

On June 10, 2016, the Company was named as a nominal defendant, and certain of its former officers and directors, among others, were named as defendants, in a shareholder derivative action filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kosky v. Schorsch, et al., No. 653093/2016 (the “Kosky Action”). The Kosky Action sought money damages and other relief on behalf of the Company for, among other things, alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, negligence, and breach of contract. On October 6, 2016, the parties filed a stipulation staying the Kosky Action until resolution of the Class Action. In light of the release of claims in the Derivative Settlement, the Company expects that the parties in the Kosky Action will jointly seek to dismiss the Kosky Action with prejudice.

On October 6, 2016, the Company was named as a nominal defendant, and certain of its former officers and directors, among others, were named as defendants, in a shareholder derivative action filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, captioned Meloche v. Schorsch, et al., 16-cv-03366 (the “Meloche Action”). An amended complaint was filed on January 17, 2017. The Meloche Action seeks money damages and other relief on behalf of the Company for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty and negligence. By order dated May 16, 2017, the Meloche Action was stayed until resolution of the SDNY Derivative Action, and by order dated October 25, 2019, the stay was continued. In light of the release of claims in the Derivative Settlement, the Company expects that the parties in the Meloche Action will jointly seek to dismiss the Meloche Action with prejudice.

Cole Litigation Matter

In December 2013, Realistic Partners filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Company and the then-members of its board of directors in the Supreme Court for the State of New York, captioned Realistic Partners v. American Realty Capital Partners, et al., No. 654468/2013. The plaintiff alleged, among other things, that the board of the Company breached its fiduciary duties in connection with the transactions contemplated under the agreement and plan of merger with Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. In January 2014, the parties entered into a memorandum of understanding regarding settlement of all claims asserted on behalf of the alleged class of the Company’s stockholders. The proposed settlement terms required the Company to make certain additional disclosures related to this merger, which were included in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the SEC on

January 17, 2014. The memorandum of understanding also contemplated that the parties would enter into a stipulation of settlement, which would be subject to customary conditions, including confirmatory discovery and court approval following notice to the Company’s stockholders, and provided that the defendants would not object to a payment of up to $625,000 for attorneys’ fees. If the parties enter into a stipulation of settlement, which has not occurred, a hearing will be scheduled at which the court will consider the fairness, reasonableness and adequacy of the settlement. There can be no assurance that the parties will enter into a stipulation of settlement, that the court will approve any proposed settlement, or that any eventual settlement will be under the same terms as those contemplated by the memorandum of understanding.

Purchase Commitments

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into various types of commitments to purchase real estate properties. These commitments are generally subject to the Company’s customary due diligence process and, accordingly, a number of specific conditions must be met before the Company is obligated to purchase the properties.

Environmental Matters

In connection with the ownership and operation of real estate, the Company may potentially be liable for costs and damages related to environmental matters. The Company has not been notified by any governmental authority of any non-compliance, liability or other claim, and is not aware of any other environmental condition, in each case, that it believes will have a material adverse effect on the results of operations.