Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

From time to time, the Company is a party to legal proceedings, whether arising in the ordinary course of business or otherwise. One of the proceedings the Company is involved in is summarized below.

Lawsuit by Former CEO in Connection with Termination

On January 19, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors voted to terminate for cause the employment of Jay D. Gould, then President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, for violations of the Company’s working environment policies. On February 14, 2020, Mr. Gould filed a lawsuit against the Company in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, Gould v. Interface, Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-00695. In his lawsuit, Mr. Gould asserted several claims against the Company in connection with his termination, including that the termination was a wrongful retaliation against Mr. Gould and breached his employment contract with the Company, that public statements made by the Company in connection with his termination defamed Mr. Gould (two counts) and that the Company’s investigation into Mr. Gould’s conduct that preceded the termination was negligently performed. Among other unspecified relief, Mr. Gould sought in excess of $10 million in damages for the breach of contract claim and $100 million for each of the other claims, as well as attorneys’ fees. The Court granted judgment on the pleadings in favor of the Company on Mr. Gould’s putative claim of negligent investigation, and Mr. Gould’s defamation claims were dismissed with prejudice by stipulation of the parties. On March 31, 2022, the Court entered an order granting the Company’s motion for summary judgment on all of Mr. Gould’s remaining claims, leaving only the Company’s counterclaim against Mr. Gould for breach of fiduciary duty pending in the District Court. An attempted interlocutory appeal by Mr. Gould of the summary judgment order was remanded by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals back to the District Court as premature. Mr. Gould filed a motion for reconsideration of the Court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the Company on Mr. Gould’s breach of contract claim. On July 31, 2023, the Court denied that motion for reconsideration. Also on July 31, 2023, the Company filed a motion to dismiss without prejudice its counterclaim against Mr. Gould for breach of fiduciary duty. On August 2, 2023, the Court granted that motion to dismiss, resulting in a final judgment in the trial court. The Court’s award of summary judgment in favor of the Company on Mr. Gould’s breach of contract claim was appealed by Mr. Gould to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. On November 19, 2024, oral arguments for Mr. Gould’s appeal were held in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The Court of Appeals has not issued an opinion on Mr. Gould’s appeal, and it remains pending.

The Company believes Mr. Gould’s lawsuit and the appeal therefrom is without merit and intends to defend vigorously against it.