Note 16 - Related Party Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Notes to Financial Statements

Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block]

(16) Related Party Transactions

Litigation Funding Agreement

On April 9, 2020, the Company entered into a Litigation Funding Agreement (the Funding Agreement) with BSLF, L.L.C. (the Funder), an entity owned and controlled by Andrew Blank, Chair of BioCardia’s board of directors, for the purpose of funding the Company’s legal proceedings and any and all claims, actions and/or proceedings relating to or arising from the case captioned Boston Scientific Corp., et al., v. BioCardia Inc., Case No. 3:19-05645-VC, U.S.D.C., N. D. Cal (the Litigation). BioCardia sought imposition of constructive trusts both on the patents naming Ms. Surbhi Sarna as an inventor and the proceeds received from the sale of nVision to Boston Scientific, as well as damages, including unjust enrichment damages measured by the proceeds received from the sale of nVision to Boston Scientific.

Under the terms of the Funding Agreement, the Funder agreed to fund the legal fees and costs incurred by the Company in connection with the Litigation on and after March 1, 2020 on a non-recourse basis. The Company agreed to repay the Funder from any proceeds arising from the Litigation (the Litigation Proceeds), (i) any taxes paid by or imposed upon Funder (other than taxes imposed upon Funder as a consequence of Funder’s income) with respect to the claims, the litigation proceeds or as a consequence of any settlement in connection with the Litigation, if any, plus (ii) an amount, without reduction, set-off or counterclaim, equal to the amount actually paid by the Funder pursuant to the Funding Agreement (the Actual Funding Amount) plus (iii) the greater of:

(a) 50% of the remaining Litigation Proceeds, up to three times the Actual Funding Amount; or

(b) 30% of the remaining Litigation Proceeds.

Although the Company is required under the terms of the Funding Agreement to consult with the Funder regarding any settlement in connection with the Litigation and to allow Funder to participate in any real-time settlement negotiations, the Company has the sole and exclusive right to settle on whatever terms it deems acceptable. 

On April 12, 2021, all parties to the Litigation entered into a confidential settlement agreement. All claims in the Litigation have been dismissed. The settlement did not result in any material benefit or liability to the Company.

In March 2022, the Company entered into settlement agreements with its litigation service providers and the Funder to terminate the Funding Agreement and conclude on all remaining matters thereunder (the Litigation Funding Settlement). Under the terms of the confidential agreements, litigation and corporate counsel have agreed to provide credits and refunds of legal fees totaling $688,000, which offset the amounts owed to the Company by the Funder under the Funding Agreement, and to provide up to $300,000 in future discounts on legal services. The Company will remit the discounts, as received, to the Funder on a quarterly basis. As result of the settlement, accounts payable was reduced by $523,000, the $562,000 other receivable due from the related party was eliminated, and a $156,000 related party payable was included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of December 31, 2021. This settlement resulted in additional legal expense of $195,000, which is included in selling, general and administrative expenses during the year ended December 31, 2021.