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Commitments and Contingencies
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Leases
The Company has operating leases for its corporate offices including its research and development center, its manufacturing facilities and its warehouses, and capital and operating leases for certain of the Company’s equipment.
The following table represents the Company’s commitments as of December 31, 2019 including future minimum lease payments required under noncancelable lease obligations:
(in thousands)
Capital Lease
Obligations
 
Operating 
Lease
Obligations(1)
 
Purchase
Commitments
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2020
$
86

 
$
1,878

 
$
22,684

2021
80

 
1,813

 
21,418

2022
71

 
1,817

 
—

2023
58

 
1,840

 
—

2024
30

 
1,353

 
—

Thereafter
—

 
5,167

 
—

 
 
 
$
13,868

 
$
44,102

Total minimum lease payments
$
325

 
 
 
 
Less: imputed interest (4.1% to 15.9%)
(34
)
 
 
 
 
Total capital lease obligations
$
291

 
 
 
 
Less: current portion of capital lease obligations
(72
)
 
 
 
 
Long-term capital lease obligations
$
219

 
 
 
 
___________
(1) Excludes lease payments during two-year lease extension entered into subsequent to the year ended December 31, 2019 for one of the Company’s manufacturing facilities in Columbia, Missouri. See Note 12.

Total rent expense in 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $2.7 million, $1.7 million and $1.0 million, respectively. Rent expense is reflected in cost of goods sold, research and development expenses and SG&A expenses in the statements of operations for all the periods presented.
Purchase Commitments
As of December 31, 2019, the Company had committed to purchase pea protein inventory totaling $44.1 million, approximately $22.7 million in 2020 and $21.4 million in 2021.
Subsequent to the year ended December 31, 2019, on January 10, 2020, the Company and Roquette Frères (“Roquette”) entered into a multi-year sales agreement pursuant to which Roquette will provide the Company with plant-based protein. See Note 12.
Litigation
On May 25, 2017, Don Lee Farms, a division of Goodman Food Products, Inc., filed a complaint against the Company in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles asserting claims for breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition under the California Business and Professions Code, money owed and due, declaratory relief and injunctive relief, each arising out of our decision to terminate an exclusive supply agreement between the Company and
Don Lee Farms. The Company denies all of these claims and filed counterclaims on July 27, 2017, alleging breach of contract, unfair competition under the California Business and Professions Code and conversion. In October 2018, the former co-manufacturer filed an amended complaint that added one of the Company’s current contract manufacturers as a defendant, principally for claims arising from the current contract manufacturer’s alleged use of the former co-manufacturer’s alleged trade secrets, and for replacing the former co-manufacturer as one of the Company’s current co-manufacturers. The current contract manufacturer filed an answer denying all of Don Lee Farms’ claims and a cross-complaint against Beyond Meat asserting claims of total and partial equitable indemnity, contribution, and repayment. On March 11, 2019, Don Lee Farms filed a second amended complaint to add claims of fraud and negligent misrepresentation against the Company. On May 30, 2019, the judge denied the Company’s motion to dismiss the fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims, allowing the claims to proceed. On June 19, 2019, the Company filed an answer denying Don Lee Farms' claims.  On January 27, 2020, Don Lee Farms filed a third amended complaint to add three individual defendants, all of whom are current or former employees of the Company, including Mark Nelson, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to Don Lee Farms’ existing fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims alleging that those individuals were involved in the alleged fraud and negligent misrepresentations. The individual defendants deny all allegations of fraud and negligent misrepresentations.  On January 24, 2020, a writ judge granted Don Lee Farms a right to attach in the amount of $628,689 on the grounds that Don Lee Farms had established a “probable validity” of its claim that the Company owes it money for a small batch of unpaid invoices.  This determination was not made by the trial judge.  The trial judge has yet to determine the legitimacy or merits of Don Lee Farms’ claims.  The previous trial date, May 18, 2020, has been continued.  Trial is currently set for February 8, 2021.
Don Lee Farms is seeking from Beyond Meat and the current contract manufacturer unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, declaratory and injunctive relief, including the prohibition of Beyond Meat’s use or disclosure of the alleged trade secrets, and attorneys’ fees and costs. The Company is seeking from Don Lee Farms monetary damages, restitution of monies paid to Don Lee Farms, and attorneys’ fees and costs. The current contract manufacturer is seeking indemnity, contribution, or repayment from the Company of any or all damages that the current contract manufacturer may be found liable to Don Lee Farms, and attorneys’ fees and costs.
The Company believes it was justified in terminating the supply agreement with Don Lee Farms, that the Company did not misappropriate their alleged trade secrets, that the Company is not liable for the fraud or negligent misrepresentation alleged in the proposed second amended complaint, that Don Lee Farms is liable for the conduct alleged in our cross-complaint, and that the Company is not liable to ProPortion for any indemnity, contribution, or repayment, including for any damages or attorneys’ fees and costs. The Company is currently in the process of litigating this matter and intends to vigorously defend itself and its current and former employees against the claims. The Company cannot assure you that Don Lee Farms or the current contract manufacturer will not prevail in all or some of their claims against the Company or the individual defendants, or that the Company will prevail in some or all of its claims against Don Lee Farms. For example, if Don Lee Farms succeeds in the lawsuit, the Company could be required to pay damages, including but not limited to contract damages reasonably calculated at what the Company would have paid Don Lee Farms to produce its products through 2019, the end of the contract term, and Don Lee Farms could also claim some ownership in the intellectual property associated with the production of certain of the Company’s products or in the products themselves, and thus claim a stake in the value the Company has derived and will derive from the use of that intellectual property after the Company terminated its supply agreement with Don Lee Farms. Based on the Company’s current knowledge, the Company has determined that the amount of any material loss or range of any losses that is reasonably possible to result from this lawsuit is not estimable.
On January 30, 2020, Larry Tran, a purported shareholder of Beyond Meat, filed a putative securities class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against Beyond Meat and two of the Company’s executive officers, the Company’s President and CEO, Ethan Brown, and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Mark Nelson. The lawsuit asserts claims under
Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is premised on allegedly false or misleading statements, and alleged non-disclosure of material facts, related to the Company’s public disclosures regarding the Company’s ongoing litigation with Don Lee Farms during the proposed class period of May 2, 2019 to January 27, 2020. The Company believes the claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend all claims asserted. 
On March 16, 2020, Eric Weiner, a purported shareholder of Beyond Meat, filed a shareholder derivative lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, putatively on behalf of the Company, against two of the Company’s executive officers, the Company’s President and CEO, Ethan Brown, and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Mark Nelson, and each of the Company’s directors, including one former director, who signed the Company’s initial public offering registration statement.  The lawsuit asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 21D of the Exchange Act, claims of breaches of fiduciary duty as directors and/or officers of Beyond Meat, and claims of unjust enrichment and waste of corporate assets, all relating to the Company’s ongoing litigation with Don Lee Farms, related actions taken by Beyond Meat and the named individuals during the period of May 2, 2019 to March 16, 2020, and the securities case brought against the Company. Based on the early stage of this matter, the Company is unable to estimate potential losses, if any, related to this lawsuit. 
On March 18, 2020, Kimberly Brink and Melvyn Klein, purported shareholders of Beyond Meat, filed a shareholder derivative lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, putatively on behalf of the Company, against two of the Company’s executive officers, the Company’s President and CEO, Ethan Brown, and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Mark Nelson, and each of the Company’s directors who signed the Company’s initial public offering registration statement. The lawsuit asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 21D of the Exchange Act, claims of breaches of fiduciary duty as directors and/or officers of Beyond Meat, and claims of unjust enrichment and waste of corporate assets, all relating to the Company’s ongoing litigation with Don Lee Farms, related actions taken by Beyond Meat and the named individuals during the period of May 2, 2019 to March 18, 2020, and the securities case brought against the Company. Based on the early stage of this matter, the Company is unable to estimate potential losses, if any, related to this lawsuit. 
Also on March 18, 2020, Nazrin Massaro filed a putative class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California against Beyond Meat and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Inc. (“PETA”). The lawsuit asserts claims under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and alleges that PETA sent unsolicited text message advertisements promoting the Company’s products to the putative class members in violation of consumers’ privacy rights. The lawsuit further alleges that PETA sent the text messages at the direction, and/or under the control, of Beyond Meat. The plaintiff seeks injunctive relief and damages on behalf of herself and the putative class members. The Company believes the claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend all claims asserted.
The Company is involved in various other legal proceedings, claims, and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. Based on the facts currently available, the Company does not believe that the disposition of such matters that are pending or asserted will have a material effect on its financial statements.