Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Note 7 - Commitments and Contingencies

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Note 7 - Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Notes to Financial Statements  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

7.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Settlement of Pending or Threatened Claims

 

In May 2024, the Company settled a dispute concerning the interpretation of certain financial terms contained within the Series AA and Series AA-2 Preferred Stock certificates of designation filed in connection with the Series AA and Series AA-2 Preferred Stock Offerings (“Pioneer Settlement”). Pioneer Capital Anstalt (“Pioneer”) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking monetary damages and specific performance concerning the interpretation and calculation of certain financial terms applicable to Pioneer’s additional investment rights agreements acquired in connection with Pioneer’s participation in the Series AA and Series AA-2 Preferred Stock Offerings (“Pioneer AA AIRs”)(“Pioneer Action”). In order to avoid further expense, costs, and time to litigate the action, the Parties resolved the dispute, resulting in the modification of the conversion price and conversion floor price applicable to the Pioneer AA AIRs from prices ranging from $377.20 to $521.60, down to prices ranging from $75.44 to $104.32, and the extension of the exercise term for the Pioneer AA AIRs for a period of six (6) months. The modifications to the Pioneer AIRs resulted in an incremental increase in fair value totaling $213,000 which was included as a noncash legal settlement charge in general and administrative expense in the statement of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024. As a result of the reduction of the Pioneer AA AIRs conversion price, total common shares underlying the modified Pioneer AA AIRs increased from 9,315 to 46,576 shares.

 

In addition, the Company issued to Pioneer 6,875 shares of restricted common stock valued at $346,000 on the date of issuance, which was included as a noncash legal settlement charge in general and administrative expense in the statement of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024. In connection with the Pioneer Settlement, Pioneer filed a notice of dismissal regarding the Action.

 

The Company utilized an option pricing model, employing the back solve method for purposes of determining the implied common stock value of the Company for input into a Black Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of the Pioneer AA AIRs immediately before and after the modifications described above, using Level 3 inputs. Weighted average assumptions utilized in the Black Scholes option pricing model included a $34.40 implied common stock price, conversion prices ranging from $75.44 to $521.60 (based on the applicable original and modified preferred stock conversion prices), risk free interest rates ranging from 5.13% to 5.36%, terms ranging from .52 years to 1.02 years and volatility assumptions ranging from 80% to 93%.

 

During the fourth quarter of 2023, the certain note holders related to a convertible note original issued in May 2022 (the “Note Holders”) made certain claims arising from an interpretation of certain rights that the Note Holders had pursuant to the terms of underlying securities purchase agreement (“2022 SPA”). On March 12, 2024, the Company and the Note Holders (the “Parties”) executed a Mutual General Release and Settlement Agreement (the “2022 Note Holder Settlement Agreement”) settling all claims between the Parties with respect to the 2022 SPA. In consideration for the 2022 Note Holder Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to issue the Parties an aggregate amount of 12,500 shares of common stock (the “Settlement Payment”). The Company accrued the fair value of the Settlement Payment as of December 31, 2023 (based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2023) resulting in a settlement expense of $760,000 which was included in general and administrative expense in the condensed consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company issued the 12,500 shares of common stock on March 19, 2024, which were valued at $74.00 per share (the closing price of the Company’s common stock on March 19, 2024), or $924,000, resulting in additional noncash settlement expense of $164,000, which was included in the general and administrative expense in the condensed consolidated statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2024.