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Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Aug. 27, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Contingencies
Contingencies
 
Employment Discrimination Action
 
In December 2005, a purported class action lawsuit captioned, Jasmen Holloway, et al. v. Best Buy Co., Inc., was filed against us in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (the “Court”). This federal court action alleges that we discriminate against women and minority individuals on the basis of gender, race, color and/or national origin in our stores with respect to our employment policies and practices. The action seeks an end to alleged discriminatory policies and practices, an award of back and front pay, punitive damages and injunctive relief, including rightful place relief for all class members. In June 2011, the plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary approval of the parties’ negotiated settlement including conditional certification of settlement classes and seeking a schedule for final approval. The proposed class action settlement terms include, in exchange for a release and dismissal of the action, certain changes to our personnel policies and procedures; payment to the nine named plaintiffs of $0.3 in the aggregate; and payment in an amount to be determined by the Court, not to exceed $10, of a portion of the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and costs. In August 2011, the Court preliminarily approved the proposed class action settlement and consent decree; provisionally certified the settlement class; approved and directed distribution of notice of the settlement; and scheduled November 9, 2011 as the date for a Fairness Hearing, pursuant to which the Court will determine whether to grant final approval. We established an accrual based on the proposed settlement terms. It is not reasonably possible that we will incur losses materially in excess of the recorded amount.


Securities Actions
 
In February 2011, a purported class action lawsuit captioned, IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et al., was filed against us and certain of our executive officers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. This federal court action alleges, among other things, that we and the officers named in the complaint violated Sections 10(b) and 20A of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act in connection with press releases and other statements relating to our fiscal 2011 earnings guidance that had been made available to the public. Additionally, in March 2011, a similar purported class action was filed by a single shareholder, Rene LeBlanc, against us and certain of our executive officers in the same court. In July 2011, after an unopposed motion by IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund and Rene LeBlanc to consolidate their respective lawsuits was granted, a consolidated complaint captioned, IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et al., was filed and served. In September 2011, we filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated complaint.


In June 2011, a purported shareholder derivative action captioned, Salvatore M. Talluto, Derivatively and on Behalf of Best Buy Co., Inc. v. Richard M. Schulze, et al., as Defendants and Best Buy Co., Inc. as Nominal Defendant, was filed against both present and former members of our Board of Directors serving during the relevant periods in fiscal 2011 and us as a nominal defendant in the U.S. District Court for the State of Minnesota. The lawsuit alleges that the director defendants breached their fiduciary duty, among other claims, including violation of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, in failing to correct public misrepresentations and material misstatements and/or omissions regarding our fiscal 2011 earnings projections and, for certain directors, selling stock while in possession of material adverse non-public information. Additionally, in July 2011, a similar purported class action was filed by a single shareholder, Daniel Himmel, against us and certain of our executive officers in the same court. In August 2011, the parties filed a stipulation for consolidation of the respective lawsuits of Salvatore M. Talluto and Daniel Himmel into a new action, and upon consolidation, intend to move the court to stay the new action until after a final resolution of the motion to dismiss in the consolidated IBEW Local 98 Pension Fund v. Best Buy Co., Inc., et al. case.
 
The plaintiffs in the above securities actions seek damages, including interest, equitable relief and reimbursement of the costs and expenses they incurred in the lawsuits. We believe the allegations in the above securities actions are without merit, and we intend to defend these actions vigorously. Based on our assessment of the facts underlying the claims in the above securities actions, their respective procedural litigation history, and the degree to which we intend to defend our company in these matters, the amount or range of reasonably possible losses, if any, cannot be estimated.
 
Other Legal Proceedings
 
We are involved in various other legal proceedings arising in the normal course of conducting business. For such legal proceedings, we have accrued an amount that reflects the aggregate liability deemed probable and estimable, but this amount is not material to our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Because of the preliminary nature of many of these proceedings, the difficulty in ascertaining the applicable facts relating to many of these proceedings, the variable treatment of claims made in many of these proceedings and the difficulty of predicting the settlement value of many of these proceedings, we are not able to estimate an amount or range of any reasonably possible additional losses. However, based upon our historical experience, the resolution of these proceedings is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.