Loop Industries, Inc. - 10-Q filing on 2021-10-15

Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies
20. Commitments and Contingencies	20. Commitments and Contingencies Commercial Commitments On September 2, 2020, the Company entered into a know-how and engineering agreement (the “Chemtex Agreement”) with Chemtex Global Corporation (“Chemtex”) to license the PET plastic and polyester polymer for fiber manufacturing know-how of INVISTA’s technology and licensing group, INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT) (“INVISTA”). The total amount of the Chemtex Agreement is $4,300,000 and covers the know-how and design of two Infinite Loop™ facilities. Payment terms are based on the completion of certain milestones and total $2,150,000 for each facility. As at August 31, 2021, the cumulative amount paid was $900,000 and during the six-month period ended August 31, 2021, no additional amount was paid by the Company related to this agreement and included in research and development expenses. Contingencies On October 13, 2020, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Olivier Tremblay, Individually and on Behalf of All Other Similarly Situated v. Loop Industries, Inc., Daniel Solomita, and Nelson Gentiletti, Case No. 7:20-cv-0838 (“Tremblay Class Action”). The allegations in the complaint claim that the defendants allegedly violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by allegedly making materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as allegedly failing to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, which caused the Company’s securities to trade at artificially inflated prices. Plaintiff seeks unspecified damages on behalf of a class of purchasers of Loop’s securities between September 24, 2018 and October 12, 2020. On October 28, 2020, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a second proposed class-action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Michelle Bazzini, Individually and on Behalf of All Other Similarly Situated v. Loop Industries, Inc., Daniel Solomita, and Nelson Gentiletti, Case No. 7:20-cv-09031-UA. The allegations in this complaint are similar in nature to those made in the Tremblay Class Action. On January 4, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York rendered a stipulation and order granting the consolidation of the two class-action lawsuits filed in New York as In re Loop Industries, Inc. Securities Litigation, Master File No. 7:20-cv-08538. Sakari Johansson and John Jay Cappa have been appointed as Co-Lead Plaintiffs and Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP and Pomerantz LLP have been appointed as Co-Lead Counsel for the class. Plaintiffs served a consolidated amended complaint on February 18, 2021 which alleges defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by making materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as allegedly failing to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, which caused the Company’s securities to trade at artificially inflated prices. The consolidated amended complaint relies on the October 13, 2020 report published by a third party regarding the Company to support their allegations. Defendants served a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint on April 27, 2021. Plaintiffs’ opposition to the motion to dismiss was served on May 27, 2021 and Defendants’ reply in support of the motion to dismiss was served on June 11, 2021. On October 13, 2020, the Company, Loop Canada Inc. and certain of their officers and directors were named as defendants in a proposed securities class action filed in the Superior Court of Québec (District of Terrebonne, Province of Québec, Canada), in file no. 700-06-000012-205. The Application for authorization of a class action and for authorization to bring an action pursuant to section 225.4 of the Québec Securities Act (“the Application”) was filed by an individual shareholder on behalf of himself and a class of buyers who purchased our securities during the “Class Period” (not defined). Plaintiff alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants allegedly made false and/or misleading statements and allegedly failed to disclose material adverse facts concerning the Company’s technology, business model, operations and prospects, thus causing the Company’s stock price to be artificially inflated and thereby causing plaintiff to suffer damages. Plaintiff seeks unspecified damages stemming from losses he claims to have suffered as a result of the foregoing. On December 13, 2020, the Application was amended in order to add allegations regarding specific misrepresentations. Management believes that these cases lack merit and intends to defend them vigorously. No amounts have been provided for in the consolidated financial statements with respect to these claims. Management has not yet determined what effect these lawsuits may have on its financial position or results of operations as they are still in the preliminary stages.

Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2021

20. Commitments and Contingencies

Commercial Commitments

On September 2, 2020, the Company entered into a know-how and engineering agreement (the “Chemtex Agreement”) with Chemtex Global Corporation (“Chemtex”) to license the PET plastic and polyester polymer for fiber manufacturing know-how of INVISTA’s technology and licensing group, INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT) (“INVISTA”). The total amount of the Chemtex Agreement is $4,300,000 and covers the know-how and design of two Infinite Loop™ facilities. Payment terms are based on the completion of certain milestones and total $2,150,000 for each facility. As at August 31, 2021, the cumulative amount paid was $900,000 and during the six-month period ended August 31, 2021, no additional amount was paid by the Company related to this agreement and included in research and development expenses.

Contingencies

On October 13, 2020, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Olivier Tremblay, Individually and on Behalf of All Other Similarly Situated v. Loop Industries, Inc., Daniel Solomita, and Nelson Gentiletti, Case No. 7:20-cv-0838 (“Tremblay Class Action”). The allegations in the complaint claim that the defendants allegedly violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by allegedly making materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as allegedly failing to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, which caused the Company’s securities to trade at artificially inflated prices. Plaintiff seeks unspecified damages on behalf of a class of purchasers of Loop’s securities between September 24, 2018 and October 12, 2020.

On October 28, 2020, the Company and certain of its officers were named as defendants in a second proposed class-action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, captioned Michelle Bazzini, Individually and on Behalf of All Other Similarly Situated v. Loop Industries, Inc., Daniel Solomita, and Nelson Gentiletti, Case No. 7:20-cv-09031-UA. The allegations in this complaint are similar in nature to those made in the Tremblay Class Action.

On January 4, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York rendered a stipulation and order granting the consolidation of the two class-action lawsuits filed in New York as In re Loop Industries, Inc. Securities Litigation, Master File No. 7:20-cv-08538. Sakari Johansson and John Jay Cappa have been appointed as Co-Lead Plaintiffs and Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP and Pomerantz LLP have been appointed as Co-Lead Counsel for the class.

Plaintiffs served a consolidated amended complaint on February 18, 2021 which alleges defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by making materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as allegedly failing to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects, which caused the Company’s securities to trade at artificially inflated prices. The consolidated amended complaint relies on the October 13, 2020 report published by a third party regarding the Company to support their allegations. Defendants served a motion to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint on April 27, 2021. Plaintiffs’ opposition to the motion to dismiss was served on May 27, 2021 and Defendants’ reply in support of the motion to dismiss was served on June 11, 2021.

On October 13, 2020, the Company, Loop Canada Inc. and certain of their officers and directors were named as defendants in a proposed securities class action filed in the Superior Court of Québec (District of Terrebonne, Province of Québec, Canada), in file no. 700-06-000012-205. The Application for authorization of a class action and for authorization to bring an action pursuant to section 225.4 of the Québec Securities Act (“the Application”) was filed by an individual shareholder on behalf of himself and a class of buyers who purchased our securities during the “Class Period” (not defined). Plaintiff alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants allegedly made false and/or misleading statements and allegedly failed to disclose material adverse facts concerning the Company’s technology, business model, operations and prospects, thus causing the Company’s stock price to be artificially inflated and thereby causing plaintiff to suffer damages. Plaintiff seeks unspecified damages stemming from losses he claims to have suffered as a result of the foregoing. On December 13, 2020, the Application was amended in order to add allegations regarding specific misrepresentations.

Management believes that these cases lack merit and intends to defend them vigorously. No amounts have been provided for in the consolidated financial statements with respect to these claims. Management has not yet determined what effect these lawsuits may have on its financial position or results of operations as they are still in the preliminary stages.