7. Commitments and Contingencies
Arbitration claims with former executives
In September 2023, the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") terminated the employment of Keith Valentine, John Bostjancic, and Patrick Keran, who had served respectively as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Legal Officer. The Board's decision followed an investigation conducted by independent outside legal counsel and directed and overseen by the Company's independent directors. As a result of the investigation, the Board determined that each of these executives engaged in repeated inappropriate and offensive conduct that violated multiple code of conduct requirements and was inconsistent with the Company's values and culture. The Company notified each of Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic, and Keran that their respective terminations were being made for "Cause," as defined in applicable employment-related agreements (including each executive's respective Change in Control and Severance Agreement, dated June 19, 2023). The Company also notified each of Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic, and Keran that it did not believe it was required to make any further payments to them, other than payment of salary through September 12, 2023. The Board also requested that Mr. Valentine resign as a director, which he did in October 2023.
In January 2024, the Company received written notices of arbitration claims from counsel to Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic, and Keran. Each of the arbitration claims asserts that the respective former executive was wrongfully terminated for "Cause" because the former executive's conduct did not meet the contractually applicable definition of "Cause." The claims seek relief for, among other things, alleged breach of contract, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, deceit, as well as indemnification and advancement for attorneys' fees. The three former executives seek severance payments, as well as the value of forfeited equity grants under applicable change in control and severance agreements and further damages as a result of purported defamatory statements. In addition, in September 2024, Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic and Keran filed an action in California State Court against former director and interim CEO Catherine Burzik and current director Wayne Burris, seeking relief for, among other things, alleged defamation, false light invasion of privacy, intentional misrepresentation, false promise, and tortious interference with contract.
The Company disagrees with the allegations contained in the arbitration demands and in the action against Ms. Burzik and Mr. Burris and is vigorously defending the asserted claims. Due in part to the preliminary nature of this matter, the Company currently cannot reasonably estimate a possible loss, or range of loss, that may arise from these claims.
Securities class action complaints
On August 21, 2024, a securities class action complaint captioned Bernal v. Orthofix Medical Inc., et al., Case No. 24-cv-00690, was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the "Bernal Complaint"). The plaintiff, a purported Company shareholder, alleges through the complaint violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act, and SEC Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, and names as defendants the Company and the following former Company directors and officers: Jon Serbousek (former director and former President and Chief Executive Officer), Keith Valentine (former director and former President and Chief Executive Officer), John Bostjancic (former Chief Financial Officer), and Patrick Keran (former Chief Legal Officer). The complaint alleges that the Company made, and the named former directors and officers caused the Company to make, materially false and misleading statements between October 11, 2022, and September 12, 2023, that, according to the complaint, falsely assured the market regarding Messrs. Valentine, Bostjancic, and Keran's respective commitments to, among other things, ethical and legal standards and corporate responsibility.
On September 6, 2024, a securities class action complaint captioned O'Hara v. Orthofix Medical Inc., et al., Case No. 24-cv-01593, was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California (the "O'Hara Complaint"). The plaintiff, a purported former shareholder of SeaSpine at the time of the SeaSpine Merger, alleges through the complaint violations of Sections 11, 12 and 15 of the Securities Act, and names most of the same defendants as the Bernal Complaint, as well as certain additional current and/or former Company directors and officers. The complaint makes similar assertions to the Bernal complaint, and alleges that the Company's registration statement on Form S-4 filed in 2022 in connection with the SeaSpine Merger, as well as related written and oral offering materials, contained untrue statements of material fact and material omissions, including, among other things, with respect to the effectiveness of the Company's internal controls. On November 26, 2024, the O'Hara Complaint was transferred to the Eastern District of Texas, and on December 11, 2024, the O'Hara Complaint was consolidated with the Bernal Complaint. On April 17, 2025, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in the consolidated action, captioned In re Orthofix Medical Inc. Securities Litigation, with substantially the same allegations contained in the Bernal Complaint and the O'Hara Complaint. The consolidated case is captioned In re Orthofix Medical Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 24-cv-00690 and is pending in the Eastern District of Texas. The Company and the individual defendants moved to dismiss the amended complaint on May 15, 2025.
On October 28, 2024, a derivative shareholder complaint was filed against certain of the Company's current and former officers and directors alleging derivative liability for the allegations made in the two complaints noted above. On December 18, 2024, a second