Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

10. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Lease Obligations - The Company leases office space, a corporate apartment, office furniture and equipment under various operating lease agreements.

 

We lease approximately 11,454 square feet of space for our headquarters in Chicago, Illinois under a lease that expires on June 30, 2020. We also lease approximately 1,800 square feet of office space in Minnetonka, Minnesota for our Events division under a month-to-month lease.

 

We lease approximately 20,000 square feet of office space in Garden City, New York, under a lease that expires on June 30, 2019, which is used by NAPW Network membership coordinators and executive and administrative staff.

 

We lease approximately 15,000 square feet of office space in Jericho, New York, under a lease that ends on June 30, 2018. We currently sub-lease that property to a tenant under a landlord-approved sublease that is coterminous with our prime lease.

 

We leased approximately 16,500 square feet of office space in Darien, Illinois, which served as the headquarters and sales center of Noble Voice. The lease expired on August 31, 2017 and we didn’t renew the Darien lease. We moved our Noble Voice operations to our Chicago office.

 

Beginning January 1, 2017, the Company leases approximately 7,970 square feet office space in Guangzhou, China under a non-cancelable lease arrangement that provides for payments on a graduated basis through December 31, 2019.

 

Beginning November 15, 2017, the Company leases approximately 1,950 square feet of office space in Jiangxi Province, China under a non-cancelable lease arrangement that expires on January 30, 2020.

 

Rent expense, amounting to $1,219,013 and $1,059,749 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, is included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Included in rent expense is sublease income of $384,000 and $363,000 for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

 

Future annual minimum payments net of sublease income due under the leases are summarized as follows:

 

Year ending December 31,      
2018   $ 983,053  
2019     675,773  
2020     105,846  
    $ 1,764,672  

 

Legal Proceedings 

 

The Company has previously disclosed that it and its wholly-owned subsidiary, NAPW, Inc., are parties to litigation captioned Gauri Ramnath, et al. v. Professional Diversity Network, Inc., et al., No. BC604153 (Los Angeles Superior Ct.), a putative class action filed in January 2016 alleging violations of various California Labor Code (wage & hour) sections. During the first quarter of 2016, the Company executed a settlement agreement, subject to later Court approval, in which the Company agreed in principle to pay $500,000 for a global settlement of the class action. During the first quarter of 2016, the Company also recorded a litigation settlement expense in the amount of $500,000. On November 28, 2016, the Court approved the proposed settlement. In December of 2016 the Company paid the settlement amount in the Court’s fund and the third-party administrator began distributing payments to class members. On August 2, 2017, the Court notified the parties that the case is “reported as complete without the need for a further status conference.” This matter is therefore concluded and will not be further reported.

 

The Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, NAPW, Inc., became parties during the year ended December 31, 2016 to an action captioned LinkedIn Corp. v. NAPW, Inc. and Professional Diversity Network, Inc., No. 16-CV-299784 (Santa Clara Superior Ct.). The complaint was filed on September 12, 2016. The plaintiff, LinkedIn Corp. (“LinkedIn”), sought payment of outstanding amounts it claimed were owed under a marketing agreement between LinkedIn and NAPW. The Company presented LinkedIn with a counter-claim and the matter was mediated. On December 20, 2016, the parties settled and released all claims against one another for the Company’s payment of $1,450,000, which the Company paid in full on January 10, 2017.

 

The Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, NAPW, Inc., are parties to a proceeding captioned In re Professional Diversity Network, Cases 31-CA-159810 and 31-CA-162904, filed with the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) in June 2015 and alleging violations of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) against the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, NAPW, Inc., where employee was allegedly terminated for asserting rights under Section 7 of the NLRA. While the Company disputes that any rights were impacted, the NLRB has issued its order requiring the Company to take certain remedial actions in the form of posting notices and revising certain policies, as well as to pay the claimant certain back pay and offer reinstatement. The Company has complied with the order by posting notices, revising certain policies and offering the claimant reinstatement. In March of 2018 the Company settled the remaining backpay portion of the case. Management does not expect the resolution of this case to have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition.

 

The Company is a party to a proceeding captioned Paul Sutcliffe v. Professional Diversity Network, Inc., No. 533-2016-00033 (EEOC), filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) in April 2016 and alleging violations of Title VII and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, where employee was allegedly terminated due to his race (Caucasian) and his age (over 40). The EEOC has not yet notified the Company that it has issued a right-to-sue letter, and the complainant has not yet filed a lawsuit.

 

In a letter dated October 12, 2017, White Winston Select Asset Funds (“White Winston”) threatened assertion of a claim against the Company. The letter alleges that White Winston suffered $2,241,958 in damages as a result of the Company’s alleged conduct that caused a delay in White Winston’s ability to sell shares in the Company during a period when the Company’s stock price was generally falling. The Company investigated the assertions in the letter and communicated to White Winston that the Company denies liability for any such claim.

 

NAPW is a named Respondent in a Nassau County District Court Landlord/Tenant Summary Proceeding, and is being sued by TL Franklin Avenue Plaza LLC. The Petitioner, TL Franklin Avenue Plaza LLC, is alleging that NAPW is in breach of its Lease Agreement, and the matter involves the payment of back rent owing to Petitioner. The case is on-going, and settlement discussions are underway.

 

NAPW and PDN are two of the named Respondents in a Nassau County District Court Landlord/Tenant Summary Proceeding, and they are being sued by Hoegh Autoliners Inc. The Petitioner in this matter, Hoegh Autoliners Inc., is alleging that both NAPW and PDN are in breach of its Lease Agreement, and the matter involves the payment of back rent owing to the Petitioner. In this matter, Intercontinental Capital Group, Inc., an Under-Subtenant of PDN, is also named in the action. The case is on-going, and settlement discussions are taking place in an effort to bring any rental obligations current.

 

The Company is a party to a proceeding captioned Gerbie, et al. v. Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (Cook County Cir. Ct.), a putative class action alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.  This matter is in a very early stage and the Company has not yet had any discovery to allow it to assess the quality of the plaintiff’s claims.  However, the Company generally believes that its practices and procedures are compliant with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

 

General Legal Matters

 

From time to time, the Company is involved in legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business. While the Company believes that such matters are currently not material, there can be no assurance that matters arising in the ordinary course of business for which the Company is, or could be, involved in litigation, will not have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations.