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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies.  
Commitments and Contingencies

9. Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

On October 19, 2018, a purported stockholder of the Company filed a putative class action lawsuit, captioned Ronge v. Camping World Holdings, Inc. et al., in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Company, certain of its officers and directors, and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Ronge Complaint”). On October 25, 2018, a different purported stockholder of the Company filed a putative class action lawsuit, captioned Strougo v. Camping World Holdings, Inc. et al., in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Company, certain of its officers and directors, and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. (the “Strougo Complaint”).

The Ronge and Strougo Complaints were consolidated and lead plaintiffs appointed by the court. On February 27, 2019, lead plaintiffs filed a consolidated complaint against the Company, certain of its officers, directors, Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C., and the underwriters of the May and October 2017 secondary offerings of the Company’s Class A common stock (the “Consolidated Complaint”). The Consolidated Complaint alleges violations of Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as well as Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and rule 10b-5 thereunder, based on allegedly materially misleading statements or omissions of material facts necessary to make certain statements not misleading related to the business, operations, and management of the Company. Additionally, it alleges that certain of the Company’s officers and directors, Crestview Partners II GP, L.P., and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. violated Section 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, by allegedly acting as controlling persons of the Company. The lawsuit brings claims on behalf of a putative class of purchasers of the Company’s Class A common stock between March 8, 2017 and August 7, 2018, and seeks compensatory damages, rescission, attorneys’

fees and costs, and any equitable or injunctive relief the court deems just and proper. On May 17, 2019, the Company, along with the other defendants, moved to dismiss the Consolidated Complaint.

While the Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims of the plaintiffs and members of the putative class, the Company has been engaged in a mediation session with the plaintiffs in the Consolidated Complaint in an effort to avoid the uncertainty and expense of litigation. Any losses that the Company believes are probable are expected to be covered directly by the Company’s applicable insurance policies. The Company is not currently able to estimate a range of reasonably possible loss in excess of any amount that would be paid directly by the Company’s insurance carriers. Moreover, no assurance can be made that this matter either individually or together with the potential for similar suits, will not result in a material financial exposure in excess of insurance coverage, which could have a material adverse effect upon the Company's financial condition and results of operations.

On December 12, 2018, a putative class action complaint styled International Union of Operating Engineers Benefit Funds of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware v. Camping World Holdings Inc., et al. was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, on behalf of all purchasers of Camping World Class A common stock issued pursuant and/or traceable to a secondary offering of such securities in October 2017 (“IUOE Complaint”). The IUOE Complaint names as defendants the Company, and certain of its officers and directors, among others, and alleges violations of Sections 11, 12(a), and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 based on allegedly materially misleading statements or omissions of material facts necessary to make certain statements not misleading and seeks compensatory damages, including prejudgment and post-judgement interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any equitable or injunctive relief the court deems just and proper, including rescission. On February 28, 2019, the Company, along with the other defendants, moved to dismiss this action. The parties argued the merits of defendants’ motion to dismiss before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Commercial Division, on September 6, 2019. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims of the plaintiffs and members of the putative class, and any liability for the alleged claims is not currently probable or reasonably estimable.

On February 22, 2019, a putative class action complaint styled Daniel Geis v. Camping World Holdings, Inc., et al. was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division, on behalf of all purchasers of Camping World Class A common stock in and/or traceable to the Company’s initial public offering on October 6, 2016 (“Geis Complaint”). The Geis Complaint names as defendants the Company, certain of its officers and directors, and the underwriters of the offering, and alleges violations of Sections 11, 12(a)(2), and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 based on allegedly materially misleading statements or omissions of material facts necessary to make certain statements not misleading. The Geis Complaint seeks compensatory damages, prejudgment and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper. On April 19, 2019, the Company, along with the other defendants, moved to dismiss this action. The parties argued the merits of defendants’ motion to dismiss before the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chancery Division on August 20, 2019. On August 26, 2019, the Court stayed the Geis Complaint pending resolution of the motion to dismiss the Consolidated Complaint that is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims of the plaintiff and members of the putative class, and any liability for the alleged claims is not currently probable or reasonably estimable.

On March 5, 2019, a shareholder derivative suit styled Hunnewell v. Camping World Holdings, Inc., et al., was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty for alleged failure to implement effective disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting and to properly oversee certain acquisitions and for alleged insider trading (the “Hunnewell Complaint”). The Hunnewell Complaint names the Company as nominal defendant, and names certain of the Company’s officers and directors, among others, as defendants and seeks restitutionary and/or compensatory damages, disgorgement of all management fees, advisory fees, expenses and other fees paid by Camping World during the period in question, disgorgement of profits pursuant to the alleged insider trading, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper.

On April 17, 2019, a shareholder derivative suit styled Lincolnshire Police Pension Fund v. Camping World Holdings, Inc., et al., was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty for alleged failure to implement effective disclosure controls and internal controls over financial

reporting and to properly oversee certain acquisitions and for alleged insider trading and unjust enrichment for compensation received during that time (the “LPPF Complaint”). The LPPF Complaint names the Company as nominal defendant, and names certain of the Company’s officers and directors, among others, as defendants and seeks compensatory damages, extraordinary equitable and/or injunctive relief, restitution and disgorgement, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper. On May 30, 2019, the Court granted the parties’ joint motion to consolidate the Hunnewell and LPPF Complaints (as well as any future filed actions relating to the subject matter) and stay the newly consolidated action pending the resolution of defendants’ motion to dismiss the Consolidated Complaint pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims of the plaintiffs, and any liability for the alleged claims is not currently probable or reasonably estimable.

On August 6, 2019, two shareholder derivative suits, styled Janssen v. Camping World Holdings, Inc., et al., and Sandler v. Camping World Holdings, Inc. et al., were filed in the U.S. District Court of Delaware. Both actions name the Company as a nominal defendant, and name certain of the Company’s officers and directors, Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. and Crestview Advisors, L.L.C. as defendants, and allege: (i) violations of Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act for issuing proxy statements that allegedly omitted material information and allegedly included materially false and misleading financial statements; (ii) violations of Section 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, seeking contribution for causing the Company to issue allegedly false and misleading statements and/or allegedly omit material information in public statements and/or Company filings concerning the Company’s financial performance, the effectiveness of internal controls to ensure accurate financial reporting, and the success and profitability of the integration and rollout of Gander Outdoors stores; (iii) breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, and gross mismanagement for allegedly causing or allowing the Company to disseminate to Camping World shareholders materially misleading and inaccurate information through the Company’s SEC filings; and (iv) breach of fiduciary duties for alleged insider selling and misappropriation of information (together, the “Janssen and Sandler Complaints”). The Janssen and Sandler Complaints seek restitutionary and/or compensatory damages, injunctive relief, disgorgement of all profits, benefits, and other compensation obtained by the certain of the Company’s officers and directors, attorneys’ fees and costs, and any other and further relief the court deems just and proper. On September 25, 2019, the Court granted the parties’ joint motion to consolidate the action and stay the action pending resolution of the motion to dismiss the Consolidated Complaint that is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Company is only a nominal defendant in the Janssen and Sandler Complaints, and any liability for the alleged claims is not currently probable or reasonably estimable.

The Company is also engaged in various other legal actions, claims and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including claims related to employment-related matters, breach of contracts, products liabilities, consumer protection and intellectual property matters resulting from the Company’s business activities. The Company does not believe that the ultimate resolution of such matters will have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations. However, litigation is subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of certain of such individual litigated matters may not be reasonably predictable and any related damages may not be estimable. Certain of these litigation matters could result in an adverse outcome to the Company, and any such adverse outcome could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.