Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Legal Proceedings The Company is subject to, and may become a party to, a variety of litigation, other claims, suits, indemnity demands, regulatory actions, and government investigations and inquiries in the ordinary course of business. The assessment as to whether a loss is probable or reasonably possible, and as to whether such loss or a range of such loss is estimable, often involves significant judgment about future events, and the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. The Company accrues for matters when we believe that losses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. As of September 30, 2024, the Company accrued $0.6 million in Accrued liabilities for customer and supplier disputes. In addition, the Company accrued $17.1 million related to the resolution of the SEC investigation, of which $8.8 million is recorded in Accrued liabilities and $8.3 million in Accrued SEC settlement. As of December 31, 2023, the Company accrued $0.5 million in Accrued liabilities for a customer dispute. In addition, the Company accrued $25.0 million related to the resolution of the SEC investigation, of which $17.0 million is recorded in Accrued liabilities and $8.0 million in Accrued SEC settlement. Other than the SEC and Worthington matters described below, the outcome of individual matters is not predictable with assurance, the assessments are based on the Company’s knowledge and information available at the time; thus, the ultimate outcome of any matter could require payment substantially in excess of the amount being accrued and/or disclosed. The Company is party to current legal proceedings as discussed more fully below. Shareholder Securities and Derivative Litigation Three related putative securities class action lawsuits were filed between September 30, 2021 and November 15, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York against the Company, certain of the Company’s current and former officers and directors and certain former officers and directors of Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation (“DCRB”) (Kauffmann v. Hyzon Motors Inc., et al. (No. 21- cv-06612-CJS), Brennan v. Hyzon Motors Inc., et al. (No. 21-cv-06636-CJS), and Miller v. Hyzon Motors Inc. et al. (No. 21-cv-06695-CJS)), asserting violations of federal securities laws. The complaints generally allege that the Company and individual defendants made materially false and misleading statements relating to the nature of the Company’s customer contracts, vehicle orders, and sales and earnings projections, based on allegations in a report released on September 28, 2021, by Blue Orca Capital, an investment firm that indicated that it held a short position in the Company’s stock and which has made numerous allegations about the Company. These lawsuits were consolidated under the caption In re Hyzon Motors Inc. Securities Litigation (Case No. 6:21-cv-06612-CJS-MWP), and on March 21, 2022, the court-appointed lead plaintiff filed a consolidated amended complaint seeking monetary damages. The Company and individual defendants moved to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint on May 20, 2022, and the court-appointed lead plaintiff filed its opposition to the motion on July 19, 2022. The court-appointed lead plaintiff filed an amended complaint on March 21, 2022, and a second amended complaint on September 16, 2022. Briefing regarding the Company and individual defendants’ anticipated motion to dismiss the second amended complaint was stayed pending a non-binding mediation among the parties, which took place on May 9, 2023. The parties did not reach a settlement during the May 9, 2023 mediation. On June 20, 2023, the court granted the lead plaintiff leave to file a third amended complaint, which was filed on June 23, 2023. The third amended complaint added additional claims. The Company filed a motion to dismiss on September 13, 2023, and DCRB and former DCRB officers, directors, and its sponsor filed a motion to dismiss on the same day. The lead plaintiff filed oppositions to the motions to dismiss on October 25, 2023, and defendants filed a reply on November 22, 2023. The parties are awaiting a ruling from the court. Between December 16, 2021, and January 14, 2022, three related shareholder derivative lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York (Lee v. Anderson et al. (No. 21-cv-06744-CJS), Révész v. Anderson et al. (No. 22-cv-06012-CJS), and Shorab v. Anderson et al. (No. 22-cv-06023-CJS)). These three lawsuits have been consolidated under the caption In re Hyzon Motors Inc. Derivative Litigation (Case No. 6:21-cv-06744-CJS). On February 2, 2022, a similar stockholder derivative lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Yellets v. Gu et al. (No. 22-cv-00156)). On February 3, 2022, a similar shareholder derivative lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings County (Ruddiman v. Anderson et al. (No. 503402/2022)). On February 13, 2023, a similar stockholder derivative lawsuit was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery (Kelley v. Knight et al. (C.A. No. 2023-0173)). These lawsuits name as defendants certain of the Company’s current and former directors and certain former directors of DCRB, along with the Company as a nominal defendant, and generally allege that the individual defendants breached their fiduciary duties by making or failing to prevent the misrepresentations alleged in the consolidated securities class action, and assert claims for violations of federal securities laws, breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, gross mismanagement, and/or waste of corporate assets. These lawsuits generally seek equitable relief and monetary damages. Each of the shareholder derivative actions has been stayed or the parties have jointly requested that it be stayed pending a decision regarding the anticipated motion to dismiss in the consolidated securities class action. On March 18, 2022, a putative class action complaint, Malork v. Anderson et al. (C.A. No. 2022-0260- KSJM) (“Malork”), was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery against certain officers and directors of DCRB, DCRB’s sponsor, and certain investors in DCRB’s sponsor, alleging that the director defendants and controlling stockholders of DCRB’s sponsor breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the merger between DCRB and Legacy Hyzon. The complaint seeks equitable relief and monetary damages. On May 26, 2022, the defendants in this case moved to dismiss the complaint. On August 2, 2022, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint on August 15, 2022. Briefing on the motion to dismiss is now complete, and oral argument occurred on April 21, 2023. On July 17, 2023, the Delaware Court of Chancery denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint. In August 2023, the plaintiff in Malork subpoenaed Hyzon for various documentation in connection with the litigation against the named defendants. In December 2023, the Company paid $1.5 million dollars in legal fees on behalf of the named individual defendants pursuant to an indemnity agreement between DCRB and the named individual defendants. The Company does not expect to incur further legal fees in connection with the indemnity agreement. On August 5, 2024, Hyzon was served by the plaintiff in Malork with a Second Amended Complaint naming the Company and its former CEO, Craig Knight, as additional defendants (individually and collectively, the “Legacy Hyzon Defendants”). The Second Amended Complaint alleges new claims that the Legacy Hyzon Defendants aided and abetted the breaches of fiduciary duty alleged against the originally named Malork defendants. The Company will defend itself in this litigation. The Company is obligated to defend and indemnify or assume the defense of Craig Knight in this litigation given his role as a former officer and director of the Company. On July 31, 2024, the plaintiff and the originally named defendants reached a tentative mediated settlement. The Legacy Hyzon Defendants are not parties to this settlement and remain as defendants. Between January 26, 2022 and August 22, 2022, Hyzon received demands for books and records pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law from four stockholders who state they are investigating whether to file similar derivative or stockholder lawsuits, among other purposes. On May 31, 2022, one of these four stockholders represented that he had concluded his investigation and did not intend to file a complaint. On November 18, 2022, a second of the four stockholders filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery (Abu Ghazaleh v. Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Sponsor, LLC et al. (C.A. No. 2022-1050)), which was voluntarily dismissed shortly thereafter on December 1, 2022. On February 13, 2023, a third of these four stockholders filed a derivative lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery (Kelley v. Knight et al. (C.A. No. 2023-0173)). The complaint asserts claims for breach of fiduciary duty and generally alleges that the individual defendants breached their fiduciary duties by making or failing to prevent misrepresentations including those alleged in the consolidated securities class action and the report released by Blue Orca Capital. As with the previously filed stockholder derivative lawsuits, the complaint seeks equitable relief and monetary damages. On April 17, 2023, the Court entered an order staying this action pending a decision on the anticipated motion to dismiss in the consolidated securities class action. On April 18, 2023, the Company received a demand for books and records pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law from a stockholder seeking to investigate possible breaches of fiduciary duty or other misconduct or wrongdoing by the Company's controlling stockholder, Hymas Pte. Ltd. (“Hymas”), Hyzon's Board of Directors (the "Board") and/or certain members of Hyzon's senior management team in connection with the Company's entrance into (i) an equity transfer agreement (the “Equity Transfer”) with certain entities affiliated with the Company, and (ii) the share buyback agreement with the Hymas (the “Share Buyback” and, together with the Equity Transfer, the “Transactions”) as reported by the Company in its Form 8-K filed on December 28, 2022. No further developments have occurred since the shareholder’s demand. Litigation Involving Former Officers and Directors On June 14, 2024, the Company received a complaint and demand for arbitration from counsel for Craig Knight, the Company’s former CEO. Mr. Knight asserts that the Company breached his employment agreement by failing to pay him severance, a bonus, and a long term (equity) incentive. The Company’s Board of Directors ultimately determined in January 2023 that Craig Knight’s termination was “for cause” as disclosed in its Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on February 1, 2023. The Company believes Mr. Knight’s claims are without merit and will vigorously defend itself against them. The above proceedings are subject to uncertainties inherent in the litigation process. The Company cannot predict the outcome of these matters or estimate the possible loss or range of possible loss, if any at this time. Government Investigations On September 26, 2023, the Company announced a final resolution, subject to court approval, of the SEC’s investigation. On that date, the SEC filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York naming the Company, Craig Knight, the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer and a former director, and Max C.B. Holthausen, a former managing director of the Company’s European subsidiary, Hyzon Europe, as defendants. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC’s complaint, the Company consented to the entry of a final judgment, subject to court approval, that would permanently restrain and enjoin the Company from violating certain sections of and rules under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act, and would require the Company to pay a civil penalty of $25.0 million as follows: $8.5 million within 30 days of entry of the final judgment; (2) $8.5 million by December 31, 2024; and (3) $8.0 million by January 15, 2026. Mr. Knight and Mr. Holthausen also separately consented to the entry of final judgments, subject to court approval, resolving the SEC’s allegations. On January 16, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York entered the final judgment as to the Company, and on January 17, 2024 entered the final judgments as to Mr. Knight and Mr. Holthausen, concluding this litigation. The Company paid the first tranche of $8.5 million in January 2024 and accrues interest on unpaid amounts due after 30 days of the entry of the final judgment at a rate equal to the weekly average 1-year constant maturity Treasury yield, as published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Customer and Supplier Disputes On July 28, 2023, Worthington Industries Poland SP.Z.O.O, a Hyzon Europe supplier (“Worthington”), filed a complaint in the Amsterdam District Court in the Netherlands, against Hyzon Europe for breach of contract and obtained an attachment covering Hyzon Europe’s bank accounts. Accordingly, $1.2 million included in those Hyzon Europe's bank accounts are recorded as restricted cash in the unaudited interim Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2024. The complaint sought damages from Hyzon Europe totaling approximately Euro €4.6 million (approximately $5.1 million in USD). On September 18, 2024, the parties agreed to settle this matter without admitting liability, with Worthington agreeing to dismiss its complaint and release its attachment, and with Hyzon agreeing to pay Worthington Euro €0.5 million (approximately $0.6 million in USD). In connection with the voluntary administration of Hyzon Australia, certain Hyzon Australia customers and its former landlord have filed or threatened actions seeking to enforce performance guarantees or have tendered demands on bank guarantees made by the Company or its subsidiary, Hyzon Motors USA Inc., the direct shareholder of Hyzon Australia. One such action is a lawsuit filed on September 12, 2024 in the Supreme Court of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, by Ark Energy H2 Pty Ltd.(“Ark Energy”) against our subsidiary, Hyzon Motors USA Inc., seeking damages of $2.3 million plus interest and costs pursuant to a parent guarantee dated September 23, 2021 that Hyzon Motors USA Inc. issued to Ark Energy in connection with a vehicle supply agreement entered into effective August 30, 2021 between Hyzon Australia and Ark Energy. Ark Energy’s lawsuit claims that Hyzon Australia breached this agreement. Hyzon Motors USA Inc. intends to vigorously defend against this lawsuit. Also in connection with Hyzon Australia’s voluntary liquidation, on or about September 11, 2024, RACV, Hyzon Australia’s landlord, tendered a demand for payment totaling $0.6 million under a bank guarantee made by Hyzon Motors USA Inc. to RACV, claiming that Hyzon Australia breached the terms of a lease agreement allegedly entered into by Hyzon Australia. RACV has collected under this bank guarantee. Hyzon denies RACV’s claims and is evaluating possible legal action to recover funds paid to RACV under this bank guarantee. The Company has also received a demand from a Hyzon Australia customer seeking to enforce the terms of a parent guarantee that the Company issued pursuant to a vehicle supply agreement between Hyzon Australia and the customer. The demand totals AUD A$0.3 million (approximately $0.2 million in USD). The Company is disputing this claim. Regardless of outcome, such proceedings or claims can have an adverse impact on the Company because of legal defense and settlement costs, the Company’s obligations to indemnify third parties, diversion of resources, and other factors, and there can be no assurances that favorable outcomes will be obtained. Other than the matters disclosed above, based on the nature of these cases, the Company cannot predict the outcome of these currently outstanding customer and supplier dispute matters or estimate the possible loss or range of possible loss, if any. |