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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

NOTE 10 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Royalty Agreements

 

During 2016, Conversion Labs PR entered into a sole and exclusive license, royalty and advisory agreement with Pilaris Laboratories, LLC (“Pilaris”) relating to Pilaris’ PilarisMax shampoo formulation and conditioner. The term of the agreement will be the life of the US Patent held by Pilaris, ten years. As consideration for granting Conversion Labs PR this license, Pilaris will receive on quarterly basis, 10% of the net income collected by the licensed products based on the following formula: Net Income = total income – cost of goods sold – advertising and operating expenses directly related to the marketing of the licensed products. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, $0 and approximately $138 thousand, respectively, were included in accrued expenses in regard to this agreement.

 

During 2018, the Company entered into a license agreement (the “Alphabet Agreement”) with M.ALPHABET, LLC (“Alphabet”), pursuant to which Alphabet agreed to license its PURPUREX business which consists of methods and compositions developed by Alphabet for the treatment of purpura, bruising, post-procedural bruising, and traumatic bruising (the “Product Line”). Pursuant to the license granted under the Alphabet Agreement, Conversion Labs PR obtains an exclusive license to incorporate (i) any intellectual property rights related to the Product Line and (ii) all designs, drawings, formulas, chemical compositions and specifications used or useable in the Product Line into one or more products manufactured, sold, and/or distributed by Alphabet for the treatment of purpura, bruising, post-procedural bruising and traumatic bruising and for all other fields of use or purposes (the “Licensed Product(s)”), and to make, have made, advertise, promote, market, sell, import, export, use, offer to sell, and distribute the Licensed Product(s) throughout the world with the exception of China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia (the “License”). The Company shall pay Alphabet a royalty equal to 13% of Gross Receipts (as defined in the Agreement) realized from the sales of Licensed Products. No amounts were earned or owed as of March 31, 2023.

 

Upon execution of the Alphabet Agreement, Alphabet was granted a 10-year stock option to purchase 20,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $2.50. Further, if Licensed Products have gross receipts of $7.5 million in any calendar year, the Company will grant Alphabet an option to purchase 20,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $2.50; (ii) if Licensed Products have gross receipts of $10.0 million in any calendar year, the Company will grant Alphabet an additional option to purchase 20,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $2.50 and (iii) if Licensed Products have gross receipts of $20.0 million in any calendar year, the Company will grant Alphabet an option to purchase 40,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.75. The likelihood of meeting these performance goals for the licensed products are remote and, therefore, the Company has not recognized any compensation.

 

 

Purchase Commitments

 

Many of the Company’s vendors require product deposits when a purchase order is placed for goods or fulfillment services related to inventory requirements. The Company’s history of product deposits with its inventory vendors, creates an implicit purchase commitment equaling the total expected product acceptance cost in excess of the product deposit. As of March 31, 2023, the Company approximates its implicit purchase commitments to be $586 thousand.

 

Legal Matters

 

In the normal course of business operations, the Company may become involved in various legal matters. As of March 31, 2023, other than as set forth below, the Company’s management does not believe that there are any potential legal matters that could have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position.

 

On December 10, 2021, a purported breach of contract, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, and fraud lawsuit, captioned Harborside Advisors LLC v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10593, was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the Company. The Harborside Complaint alleges, among other things, that the Company breached a Consulting Services Agreement dated as of June 5, 2019, and Harborside was entitled to 1 million shares (i.e., 200,000 shares post 5-for-1 reverse stock split) in the Company if the Conversion Labs Rx business achieved a topline revenue of $10 million and an additional 1 million shares (i.e., 200,000 shares post 5-for-1 reverse stock split) for each additional $5 million in topline revenue up to a maximum of 5 million shares (i.e., 1,000,000 shares post 5-for-1 reverse stock split). The Complaint further alleges that the Company fraudulently induced Harborside to give up its ownership interest in Conversion Labs Rx and that it was a breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing and fraudulent for the Company to have dissolved Conversion Labs Rx. Consequently, alleges Harborside, the Company was unjustly enriched, and Harborside is entitled to recover from the Company for quantum meruit. The Harborside Complaint implies between $5.0 million and $33.0 million in alleged damages related to failure to award the aforementioned stock but only specifically states that “Harborside has incurred damages in excess of $75 thousand, with the exact amount to be determined with specificity at trial” for each of the 5 counts. On February 11, 2022, the Company filed a Motion to Dismiss the Harborside Complaint, which Harborside opposed. The Company replied on April 4, 2022 and was awaiting a decision from the Court on whether the case will be fully or partially dismissed. In the meantime, the parties agreed to mediate both cases (Harborside Advisors LLC v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10593, and Specialty Medical Drugstore, LLC D/B/A GoGoMeds v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10599, noted below) together. On September 22, 2022, as a result of mediation, the parties reached a settlement to resolve the matters in these cases. The Company issued 400,000 shares of common stock during the year ended December 31, 2022 and it is possible that the Company will issue 100,000 additional shares of common stock in the future related to this settlement. The costs of this settlement are reflected in the Company’s financial results.

 

On December 10, 2021, a purported breach of contract, unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, and account stated lawsuit, captioned Specialty Medical Drugstore, LLC D/B/A GoGoMeds v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10599, was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the Company. The GoGoMeds Complaint alleges, among other things, that Conversion Labs Rx breached a Strategic Partnership Agreement (dated May 27, 2019) (the “SPA”) by the Company not paying two invoices (#3269 and 3270) totaling $274 thousand, and, therefore, “LifeMD has been unjustly enriched in an amount in excess of $274 thousand, with the exact amount to be determined with specificity at trial.” Further, GoGoMeds alleges that “to the extent that the SPA is inapplicable, GoGoMeds is entitled to recover from LifeMD from quantum meruit” because “GoGoMeds conferred a benefit on LifeMD by fulfilling over 17,000 prescriptions and over the counter drug orders for LifeMD’s clients.” On February 11, 2022, the Company filed its Answer and Counterclaim to the GoGoMeds Complaint, pleading the affirmative defenses that the claims are barred, in whole or in part: (i) because they fail to state claims upon which relief can be granted; (ii) by breach of contract by plaintiff; (iii) by offset, recoupment, and/or unjust enrichment to plaintiff; (iv) by accord and satisfaction; (v) for failure of condition precedent; (vi) because adequate remedies at law exist; (vii) by failure to mitigate; (viii) by the doctrine of unclean hands; and (ix) by consent ratification, waiver, excuse, and/or estoppel, (x) as well as that attorney fees and costs, as well as special, indirect, incidental, and/or consequential damages are not recoverable. Further, the Company counterclaimed against GoGoMeds for: (a) breach of contract for failing to: (i) provide adequate customer service and related pharmacy services; (ii) charge LifeMD actual costs for prescription and over the counter drugs (including shipping), as was contractually required; and (iii) provide regular reports and allow audits for review to establish adequate service and accurate costs; (b) trade secret misappropriation of the LifeMD Information, Data, and Materials, as defined therein; (c) unjust enrichment of GoGoMeds through its retention of such LifeMD Information, Data, and Materials, and for the benefit of the creation of the GoGoCare telehealth company; (d) conversion by GoGoMeds by exercising unauthorized dominion and control over the LifeMD Information, Data, and Materials; (e) detinue; and (f) an accounting. GoGoMeds’ responded to the counterclaims on March 4, 2022 and the parties had commenced fact discovery. In the meantime, the parties agreed to mediate both cases (Harborside Advisors LLC v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10593, and Specialty Medical Drugstore, LLC D/B/A GoGoMeds v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10599) together. The court granted a 60-day stay in the Specialty Medical Drugstore, LLC D/B/A GoGoMeds v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10599, and the parties were amenable in the Harborside Advisors LLC v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 21-cv-10593, to the court foregoing any decision on our motion to dismiss until after mediation. On September 22, 2022, as a result of mediation, the parties reached a settlement to resolve the matters in these cases. As noted above, the Company issued 400,000 shares of common stock during the year ended December 31, 2022 and it is possible that the Company will issue 100,000 additional shares of common stock in the future related to this settlement. The costs of this settlement are reflected in the Company’s financial results.

 

 

On February 28, 2022, a purported breach of contract lawsuit (with six counts of alleged breach, and indemnity reliance concerning reasonable costs and expenses), captioned William Blair LLC v. LifeMD, Inc., Case No. 2022L001978, was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois County Department, Law Division against the Company (the “Blair Complaint”). The Blair Complaint alleges, among other things, that LifeMD breached an engagement letter agreement entered into on January 7, 2021 with Blair that concerned potential debt financing. In particular, Blair alleges that the Company breached its obligations by, inter alia: (i) failing to advise Blair of, and ultimately completing, a debt financing transaction with a different investment banking firm on or about June 3, 2021; (ii) reproducing several pages from a Confidential Information Brochure used in the Company’s debt financing transaction with a different investment banking firm; (iii) failing to provide Blair with a right of first refusal to be its joint active bookrunning manager for a common stock sales agreement that it executed on or about June 3, 2021, through a different investment banking firm; (iv) failing to provide Blair with a right of first refusal to be its joint active bookrunning manager for a common stock sales agreement that it executed on or about September 28, 2021, through a different investment banking firm (despite the Company having formally terminated the engagement letter with Blair on or about July 16, 2021); (v) failing to provide Blair with a right of first refusal to be its joint active bookrunning manager for a preferred stock offering that it executed on or about September 28, 2021, through two different investment banking firms as bookrunning co-managers (despite the Company having formally terminated the engagement letter with Blair on or about July 16, 2021); and (vi) purchasing a convertible note from a pharmaceutical investor in connection with its acquisition of all outstanding shares of allergy telehealth platform, Cleared. The Blair Complaint seeks damages adequate to compensate Blair for the aforementioned alleged breaches (i.e., which implicitly meets or exceeds the purported $1.0 million minimum fee in the engagement letter), as well as reasonable costs and expenses incurred in this action. On May 22, 2022, the Company filed its answer, affirmative defenses, and counterclaim, denying the alleged breaches of its obligations under the engagement letter agreement. Further, the Company asserted the following affirmative defenses: (1) failure to state a claim on which relief can be granted; (2) laches; (3) breach of the engagement letter agreement; (4) unclean hands; (5) failure to mitigate; (6) the doctrines of waiver, accord, and satisfaction, and res judicata; (7) estoppel; and (8) repudiation/anticipatory breach. The Company also counterclaimed for a declaratory judgment that: (i) Plaintiff breached, repudiated and/or anticipatorily breached the engagement letter agreement; (ii) as a result, the Company was not bound by the terms of the engagement letter agreement from that time forward; (iii) Plaintiff is not owed any amounts under the engagement letter agreement; and (iv) and an award to the Company of any further relief that the Court deems just and proper.

 

The Court conducted virtual case management conferences on June 30, 2022 and August 3, 2022, and fact discovery (i.e., written discovery requests and responses) commenced thereafter. On August 29, 2022, the plaintiff subpoenaed B. Riley Financial, Inc. for documents. The Court subsequently conducted several case management and status conferences, beginning in October 2022 and continuing through March 2023. On April 5, 2023, the court granted the plaintiff’s motion to compel and ordered the Company to conduct certain additional searches for documents and to produce responsive documents by April 26, 2023. The Court further set a case management conference for May 17, 2023, which will address a schedule for remaining discovery. The Company intends to vigorously defend against this action. As this action is in its preliminary phase, a potential loss cannot yet be estimated.