Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 7 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Certain operating leases for office and warehouse space maintained by us in Fiscal 2010 and 2009 resulted in rent expense of $11,000 and $44,000, respectively. We did not incur rent expense in Fiscal 2011. We have approximate future obligations over the next five years as follows (in thousands):

 

Year   Employment
Contracts
    Purchase
Commitments
    Total  
2012   $ 1,106     $ 1,377     $ 2,483  
2013     1,025       -       1,025  
2014     1,025       -       1,025  
2015     556       -       556  
2016     -       -       -  
Total   $ 3,712     $ 1,377     $ 5,089  

 

In August, 2009, we entered into a standard form of indemnity agreement with each member of our Board of Directors, Mr. Ted Karkus, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Robert V. Cuddihy, Jr., our Chief Operating Officer. These agreements provide, among other things, that we will indemnify each director, Mr. Karkus and Mr. Cuddihy in the event that they become a party or otherwise a participant in any action or proceeding on account of their service as a director or officer of the Company (or service for another corporation or entity in any capacity at the request of the Company) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Under the indemnity agreement, we will pay, in advance of the final disposition of any such action or proceeding, expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by our directors or officers in defending or otherwise responding to such action or proceeding upon receipt of a written undertaking from the directors or officers to repay the amount advanced consistent with applicable law in the event that a court shall ultimately determine that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses. The contractual rights to indemnification provided by the indemnity agreements are subject to the limitations and conditions specified in the agreements, and are in addition to any other rights each director and officer may have under our Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws, each as amended from time to time, and applicable law.

 

On November 8, 2011, we entered into new employment agreements, effective as of January 1, 2012, with each of Mr. Ted Karkus and Mr. Cuddihy (the “Employment Agreements”). The Employment Agreements supersede the employment agreements of Mr. Karkus and Mr. Cuddihy, dated August 19, 2009, that had been scheduled to terminate on July 15, 2012. The scheduled termination dates of the Employment Agreements is July 15, 2015, which is three years following the scheduled expiration date set forth in the executives’ former employment agreements.

 

Under his new employment agreement with the Company, Mr. Karkus agreed to an annual base salary of $675,000 as Chief Executive Officer. Under the terms of his former employment agreement with the Company, as amended, Mr. Karkus was entitled to annual base compensation of $750,000, consisting of a $600,000 base salary and $150,000 in stock based compensation. He is eligible to receive an annual increase in base salary and may be awarded a bonus in the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee and also will receive regular benefits routinely provided to other senior executives of the Company.

 

Under his new employment agreement with the Company, Mr. Cuddihy agreed to an annual base salary of $350,000 as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Under the terms of his former employment agreement with the Company as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Cuddihy was entitled to annual base compensation of $325,000, consisting of a $275,000 base salary and $50,000 in stock based compensation. Mr. Cuddihy is eligible to receive an annual increase in base salary and may be awarded a bonus in the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee and also will receive regular benefits routinely provided to other senior executives of the Company.

 

Each executive is subject to non-competition restrictions for up to a period of either six (6) months or eighteen (18) months following termination of employment depending on the nature of the termination. Each executive is also eligible for a gross up payment in the event that any amounts payable under the agreements (or any other plan, program, policy or arrangement with the Company) become subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The Employment Agreements also provide for payments upon certain terminations and change in control benefits to ensure that they work to secure the best outcome for stockholders in the event of a possible change in control, even if it means that they lose their jobs as a result. Under the Employment Agreements, in the event of the termination by the Company of the employment of Mr. Karkus or Mr. Cuddihy without cause or due to a voluntary resignation by either executive with Good Reason (as defined in the agreements), each executive will be paid a lump sum severance payment in cash equal to the greater of (A) the amount equal to eighteen (18) months base salary or (B) the amount equal to the his base salary for the remainder of the term as if the agreement had not been terminated. Additionally, each executive is entitled to receive a lump sum severance payment in cash equal to the greater of A or B, if he, within twenty four (24) months of a Change in Control (as defined in the agreements) of the Company, is terminated without cause or due to a voluntary resignation by him with Good Reason (as defined in the agreements). Each executive may also participate at Company expense in all medical and dental plans for the remainder of the term of his employment agreement in the event the Company terminates the employment agreement for any reason, except for the Company’s termination for Cause (as defined in the agreements) or a voluntary resignation by him without Good Reason (as defined in the agreements).

 

THE QUIGLEY CORPORATION (currently PROPHASE LABS, INC.) VS. JOHN C. GODFREY, ET AL.

This action was commenced by us in November 2004 in the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania against John C. Godfrey, Nancy Jane Godfrey, and Godfrey Science and Design, Inc. for injunctive relief regarding the Cold-EEZE® trademark; injunctive relief relating to the Cold-EEZE® formulations and manufacturing methods; injunctive relief for breach of the duty of loyalty, and declaratory judgment regarding various payments that the defendants assert are owing to them.  Our complaint is based in part upon certain contracts with defendants whereby we obtained the exclusive right to manufacture and distribute product pursuant to a basic patent and also obtained various consulting services (the "Agreements").  Subsequent to entering into the Agreements, the defendants took various actions that we believe were in breach of the Agreements. We instituted the action because of defendants' threats to deal with other parties and to use the Company’s Cold-EEZE® trademark and the trade secrets that we developed during our manufacture of Cold-EEZE®. Both because of their breaches and the expiration of the basic patent, we terminated the Agreements.  Defendants have answered the complaint and asserted counterclaims.  They seek monetary damages and counter injunctive and declaratory relief relative to the Company's trademark and other intellectual property.  The monetary relief sought by the defendants is based on their claim that they were not paid various amounts asserted to be due under the Agreements.  This claim is estimated to be in excess of $5.0 million.  We believe that the defendants' counterclaims are without merit and are vigorously defending those counterclaims and are prosecuting our action on the complaint. 

 

Pre-trial discovery is ongoing.  Defendants moved for partial summary judgment, and we filed a response and cross-motion for summary judgment.  On August 21, 2008, the court denied both motions for summary judgment.  The case has not been assigned to a trial calendar, although it is possible that the case will be listed for trial in 2012. 

 

         At this time no prediction as to the outcome of this action can be made.

 

THE QUIGLEY CORPORATION (currently PROPHASE LABS, INC.) VS. WACHOVIA INSURANCE SERVICES, INC. AND FIRST UNION INSURANCE SERVICES AGENCY, INC.

We instituted a Writ of Summons against Wachovia Insurance Services, Inc. and First Union Insurance Services Agency, Inc. on December 8, 2005 in the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this suit was to maintain an action and toll the statute of limitation against our insurance broker who failed to place excess limits coverage for us for the period from November 29, 2003 until April 6, 2004. As a result of the defendants’ failure to place insurance and to notify us thereof, certain pending actions covered by our underlying insurance, which are currently being defended by insurance counsel and the underlying insurance carrier may cause an exhaustion of the underlying insurance for the policy periods ending November 29, 2004 and November 29, 2005. Any case in which an alleged action arose relating to the use of Cold-EEZE® Nasal Spray from November 29, 2003 to April 6, 2004 is not covered by excess insurance.

 

Our claim against Wachovia Insurance Services, Inc. and First Union Insurance Services Agency, Inc. is for negligence and for equitable insurance for these claims based on our undertaking of certain attorneys' fees and costs of settlement for claims that should have been covered by underlying insurance placed by Wachovia Insurance Services, Inc. At this time no prediction can be made as to the outcome of any action against Wachovia Insurance Services, Inc. and First Union Insurance Services Agency, Inc.

 

PROPHASE LABS, INC.(formerly THE QUIGLEY CORPORATION) vs. Guy Quigley, Gary Quigley, Scanda Systems Limited, Scanda Systems LTD, Chilesha Holdings LTD, Kevin Brogan, Innerlight Holdings, Inc., George Longo, Graham Brandon, Pacific Rim Pharmaceuticals LTD and John Doe Defendants

On August 23, 2010, we initiated an action in the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This action is against certain former officers and directors of the Company, including a shareholder that beneficially owns approximately 20.1% of our Common Stock, and against certain third parties (a “Complaint”). The Company has asserted claims arising from, among other things, a variety of transactions and payments previously made or entered into by the Company. All of the transactions and events that are the subject of the Complaint occurred prior to June 2009 and the installation of the current Board of Directors. Pre-trial discovery is on-going and at this time, no prediction as to the outcome of this action can be made.

 

GUY QUIGLEY VS. TED KARKUS, ROBERT V. CUDDIHY, JR., MARK BURNETT, MARK LEVENTHAL, MARK FRANK, LOUIS GLECKEL, MD, JAMES McCUBBIN AND PROPHASE LABS, INC. AS A NOMINAL DEFENDANT

The Company was named as a nominal defendant in a purported derivative complaint filed on February 2, 2012 by stockholder and former director and Chief Executive Officer Guy Quigley in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (No. 111200409). The complaint also names as a defendant each of our directors and executive officers. Among other things, the suit alleges various breaches of fiduciary and other duties, and seeks recovery of unspecified damages and other relief. Prior to filing this complaint, the plaintiff applied to the same court for permission to take pre-complaint discovery on the basis that the plaintiff required such discovery in order to assert claims. The court denied the plaintiff's request. The Company believes the lawsuit is without merit and intends to vigorously defend against it.

 

As noted above, the Company previously commenced litigation against the plaintiff, Guy Quigley, and other parties in August 2010 in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania (No. 2010-08227). The August 2010 action remains pending.