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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 26, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Legal Proceedings

From time to time, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings incidental to its business. Because of the nature and inherent uncertainties of litigation, we cannot predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of these actions and, should the outcome of these actions be unfavorable, the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.
The Company reviews the status of its legal proceedings and records a provision for a liability when it is considered probable that both a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. This review is updated periodically as additional information becomes available. If either or both of the criteria are not met, we reassess whether there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss, or additional losses, may be incurred. If there is a reasonable possibility that a loss may be incurred, we disclose the estimate of the amount of the loss or range of losses, or that an estimate of loss cannot be made. The Company expenses its legal fees as incurred.
We are currently and may in the future become subject to various claims and pending or threatened lawsuits in the ordinary course of our business.
Our subsidiary, FirstSight Vision Services, Inc. (“FirstSight”), is a defendant in a purported class action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California that alleges that FirstSight participated in arrangements that caused the illegal delivery of eye examinations and that FirstSight thereby violated, among other laws, the corporate practice of optometry and the unfair competition and false advertising laws of California. The lawsuit was filed in 2013 and FirstSight was added as a defendant in 2016. In March 2017, the court granted the motion to dismiss previously filed by FirstSight and dismissed the complaint with prejudice. The plaintiffs filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in April 2017. In July 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated in part, and reversed in part, the district court’s dismissal and remanded for further proceedings. In October 2018, the plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint with the district court, and, in November 2018, FirstSight filed a motion to dismiss. On March 23, 2020, the district court granted FirstSight’s motion to dismiss the second amended complaint. On April 24, 2020, the plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint. FirstSight filed a motion to dismiss the third amended complaint on May 8, 2020. We believe that the claims alleged are without merit and intend to continue to defend the litigation vigorously.
In May 2017, a complaint was filed against us and other defendants alleging, on behalf of a proposed class of consumers who purchased contact lenses online, that 1-800 Contacts, Inc. entered into a series of agreements with the other defendants, including our wholly-owned subsidiary, Arlington Contact Lens Service, Inc. (“AC Lens”), to suppress certain online advertising and that each defendant thereby engaged in anticompetitive conduct in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. We have settled this litigation for $7.0 million, without admitting liability. Accordingly, we recorded a charge for this amount in litigation settlement in the consolidated statement of operations during the second quarter of fiscal year 2017. On November 8, 2017, the court in the 1-800 Contacts matter entered an order preliminarily approving the settlement agreement, subject to a settlement hearing. Pursuant to this order, we deposited 50% of the settlement amount, or $3.5 million, into an escrow account, to be distributed subject to and in accordance the terms of the settlement agreement and any further order of the court. On May 15, 2020, the plaintiffs filed a motion seeking preliminary approval of their settlement with the remaining defendant, 1-800 Contacts, Inc., as well as conditional certification of the class and approval of the plan of distribution of settlement funds. This motion was granted by the court on June 3, 2020. The court held a hearing on plaintiffs’ motion for final approval of class action settlements, approval of the plan of distribution, and final certification of the settlement classes on October 20, 2020. There were no objections and the court entered final judgment and order of dismissal following the hearing. Based on that order, we deposited the final 50% of the settlement amount, $3.5 million, into the designated escrow account to be distributed subject to and in accordance with the settlement agreement.
In February 2019, we were served with a lawsuit by a former employee who alleges, on behalf of himself and a proposed class, several violations of California wage and hour laws and seeks unspecified alleged unpaid wages, monetary damages, injunctive relief and attorneys’ fees. On March 21, 2019, we removed the lawsuit from state court to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiff moved to remand the action to state court on April 18, 2019, and the Court denied this motion on July 8, 2019. On July 22, 2019, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint. On July 26, 2019, the parties filed a joint stipulation wherein the Company denied all claims in the amended complaint but joined the plaintiff in seeking a stay of further proceedings in the lawsuit based on the parties’ agreement to attend early mediation in an effort to avoid further costs and expenses of protracted litigation. The parties participated in mediation on February 19, 2020, but a resolution of the matter was not reached at that time. On February 27, 2020, following mediation, the parties agreed to a settlement of all claims alleged by the named claimant on behalf of himself and all putative class members and other aggrieved employees. The Company will pay $3.5 million as the gross settlement fund in connection with this settlement. This settlement was preliminarily approved by the court on April 29, 2020. A final approval hearing was conducted by the court on October 27, 2020. The court approved the settlement according to the terms of the parties’ agreement and final judgment and order of dismissal was then entered. The Company deposited the settlement amount, or $3.5 million, into the designated account pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement.
In November 2019, the Company agreed to enter into a pre-litigation settlement with six former employees who asserted, on behalf of themselves and a proposed class, violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and of California wage and hour laws. In order to avoid the burden, expense and uncertainty of litigation, and without admitting liability, the Company agreed to a settlement with the named claimants and all participating class members for a maximum settlement amount of $895,000. This settlement is subject to approval by a tribunal following a fairness hearing.