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BRAZIL MANAGEMENT AND SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT-ARBITRATION
12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2013
Brazil Management and Share Purchase Agreement [Abstract]  
Brazil Management and Share Purchase Agreement [Text Block]
4.
BRAZIL MANAGEMENT AND SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT-ARBITRATION
 
Lakeland Industries, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lakeland Brasil S.A. (“Lakeland Brasil” and together with Lakeland Industries, Inc., the “Company”) were parties to an arbitration proceeding in Brazil involving the Company and two former officers (the “former officers”) of Lakeland Brasil. On May 8, 2012, the Company received notice of an arbitral award in favor of the former officers as described below. On May 12, 2012, the Company filed a request for clarification seeking a modification of the award or to have it set aside. However, no such relief was awarded to the Company.
 
The arbitration proceeding arose out of the acquisition by the Company in 2008 of Qualytextil, S.A., a company of which the former officers were owners. In connection with the acquisition, the Company entered into management agreements with the former officers and agreed to pay the former officers a supplemental purchase price payment (“SPP”), calculated based upon the 2010 EBITDA of the acquired company, subject to a cap (the “Maximum SPP”).  Based upon actual results for 2010 as contractually specified, the Company determined that no SPP would be payable.  Contractual provisions further provided for the former officers to be paid the Maximum SPP in the event that either of them were terminated by the Company without cause even if an SPP would not otherwise be payable. In May 2010, the Company terminated the former officers for cause.
 
In the arbitration proceeding, the former officers sought a determination that they were terminated by the Company without cause and, therefore, entitled to be paid their portion of the Maximum SPP and the monthly remuneration that they would have been paid from the date of termination through the end of their contractual employment period on December 31, 2011. On May 8, 2012, the Company received the arbitration decision which accepted the former officers’ requests to declare that their employments were terminated without cause and determined that, among other things, the noncompete clauses of each of the stock purchase agreement and management agreements were null and nonapplicable despite having been drafted by one of the top law firms in Brazil and reviewed by a second top law firm. The Company was ordered to pay to the former officers damages representing their portion of the Maximum SPP in the aggregate amount of R$18,037,500 (approximately US$9 million at current exchange rates) and monthly remuneration from the date of termination through December 31, 2011, which the Company estimates at an aggregate amount of R$1,150,000 (US$580,000). The arbitration panel further ordered that the Company pay the former officers approximately R$450,000 (US$226,000) from an escrow account established in connection with the acquisition, and the Company is responsible for payment of 85% of the costs and arbitrators’ fees associated with the arbitration. The arbitration award, with all taxes, expenses, interest and applicable adjustments to date, amounts to R$25,148,252 (approximately US$ 12,575,000) as adjusted for inflation, plus interest and penalties.
  
On September 11, 2012, the Company and the former officers entered into a settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) which fully and finally resolved all alleged outstanding claims against the Company arising from the arbitration proceeding. Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to pay to the former officers an aggregate of approximately US$8.5 million (the “Settlement Amount”) over a period of six (6) years. The Settlement Amount is payable in combined Brazilian Real and United States dollars as follows: (i) R$3 million (approximately US$1.5 million) was paid on the effective date of the Settlement Agreement, of which amount (A) R$2.294 million (approximately US$1.15 million) in cash was released from the escrow account established in connection with the Qualytextil, S.A. acquisition and (B) R$706,000 (approximately US$350,000) was paid directly by the Company; (ii) R$2 million (approximately US$1.0 million) was paid in December 2012; and (iii) the balance of $6.0 million of the Settlement Amount will be made in United States dollars consisting of 24 consecutive quarterly installments of US $250,000 beginning on March 31, 2013. In the event the Company fails to pay the remainder of the Settlement Amount in accordance with terms of the Settlement Agreement, the former officers will be entitled to seek payment by the Company of R$25,148,252.47 (approximately US$12,575,000) as adjusted for inflation, plus interest and penalties, less prior payments, which represents the original arbitral award inclusive of all taxes, expenses, interest and applicable adjustments. The Company is current with all obligations pursuant to this Settlement Agreement.
 
In addition, pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, as additional security for payment of the Settlement Amount, Lakeland Brasil agreed to grant the former officers a second mortgage interest on certain of its property in Brazil, which mortgage is expressly behind the lien securing the payment of tax debts to a state within Brazil related to certain notices of tax assessment on such property. The Company also agreed to become a co-obligor, in lieu of a guarantor, for payment of the Settlement Amount.
 
The Company, upon reaching the Settlement Agreement, has recorded a settlement liability at net present value of $7.0 million, by applying a risk-free interest rate of 1.58% to discount the noninterest-bearing payment schedule. Together with estimated total fees for the settlement of $856,000, the total cost for the settlement is estimated at $8.0 million. The Settlement liability is $5.7 million as of January 31, 2013, as reflected on the accompanying balance sheet.
 
The Company further believes that its available resources, together with additional outside funding through debt or equity financings or asset sales, will enable it to make timely payment of the Settlement Amount and continue its operations on a viable basis. There can, however, be no assurance that such outside funding will ultimately be obtained (see Note 6). The Company is continuing to work with Raymond James & Associates, Inc. in its evaluation of a broad range of financial and strategic alternatives for the Company.
 
The legal and arbitration fees are being charged to expense as incurred.