Bioventus Inc

Bioventus shareholder litigation

On January 12, 2023, the Company and certain of its current and former directors and officers were named as defendants in a putative class action lawsuit filed in the Middle District of North Carolina (the “Court”), Ciarciello v. Bioventus, Inc., No. 1:23– CV – 00032-CCE-JEP (M.D.N.C. 2023). The complaint asserted violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and of Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act and generally alleges that the Company failed to disclose certain information regarding rebate practices, its business and financial prospects, and the sufficiency of internal controls regarding financial reporting. The complaint seeks damages in an unspecified amount. On April 12, 2023, the Court appointed Wayne County Employees’ Retirement System as lead plaintiff. The plaintiff’s amended consolidated complaint was filed with the Court on June 12, 2023. On July 17, 2023, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint raising a number of legal and factual deficiencies with the amended consolidated complaint. In response to the defendants’ motion to dismiss, the lead plaintiff filed a second amended complaint on July 31, 2023. The defendants moved to dismiss the second amended complaint on August 21, 2023, which the Court granted in part and denied in part on November 6, 2023. The Court dismissed the plaintiff’s Securities Act claims, but allowed the plaintiff’s Exchange Act claims to proceed into discovery.

On July 15, 2024, a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement (the “Settlement Agreement”) by and between the lead plaintiff and the defendants was filed with the Court. The Settlement Agreement, which is subject to Court approval, provides among other things for (i) the dismissal of all claims against the defendants, including the Company; (ii) a settlement amount of $15.3 million, together with interest earned thereon, to be paid by the defendants and/or the defendant’s insurers within 30 days after the later of (x) the date of entry by the Court of an order preliminarily approving the terms of the settlement or (y) receipt by the defendants from lead counsel of the information necessary to effectuate a transfer of the settlement funds; and (iii) no admission of liability or wrongdoing by any party. The Company incurred $12.5 million and $13.7 million of net shareholder litigation costs (including estimated settlement and reimbursement) during the three and six months ended June 29, 2024 under the Settlement Agreement, which were recorded in selling, general and administrative expense within the consolidated condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company expects to be reimbursed approximately $6.5 million of the fees incurred to date, which was recorded in other current assets within the June 29, 2024 consolidated condensed balance sheets.

On October 4, 2023, certain of the Company’s current and former directors and officers were named as defendants in a derivative shareholder lawsuit (in which the Company is a nominal defendant) filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, Grogan, on behalf of Bioventus Inc., v. Reali, et.al., No. 1:23-CV-01099-RGA (D. Del. 2023). The complaint asserts violations of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act, breaches of fiduciary duties and related state law claims, and a claim for contribution, and generally alleges the same purported misconduct as alleged in the Ciarciello case. On January 12, 2024, the Court agreed to stay this case pending resolution of the Ciarciello case. The Company may incur further legal costs until settlement is ultimately approved and executed by the Court.

On February 9, 2024, another plaintiff filed a derivative shareholder lawsuit against certain of the Company’s current and former directors and officers (in which the Company is a nominal defendant) filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, Sanderson, on behalf of Bioventus Inc., v. Reali, et.al., No. 1:24-cv-00180-RGA (D. Del. 2024). Like the Grogan case, this case asserts violations of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act, breaches of fiduciary duties and related state law claims, and a claim for contribution, and generally alleges the same purported misconduct as alleged in the Ciarciello case. On May 1, 2024, the parties filed a stipulation to consolidate the two derivative matters and stay them on terms similar to those entered in the Grogan case. On May 2, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware granted the stipulation and ordered the consolidation of the Sanderson and Grogan cases (as consolidated, the “Grogan Case”).

The Company believes the claims alleged in the Grogan Case lacks merit and intends to defend itself vigorously. The outcome of this matter is not presently determinable, and any loss is neither probable nor reasonably estimable.

Bioness stockholder litigation

On February 8, 2022, a minority shareholder of Bioness filed an action in the Delaware State Court of Chancery in connection with the Company’s acquisition of Bioness, Teuza, a Fairchild Technology Venture Ltd. v. Lindon, et. al., No. 2022-0130 -SG. This action names the former Bioness directors, the Alfred E. Mann Trust (“Trust”), which was the former majority shareholder of Bioness, the trustees of the Trust and Bioventus as defendants. The complaint alleges, among other things, that the individual directors, the Trust, and the trustees breached their fiduciary duty to the plaintiff in connection with their consideration and approval of the Company’s transaction. The complaint also alleges that the Company aided and abetted the other defendants in breaching their fiduciary duties to the plaintiff and that the Company breached the Merger Agreement by failing to pay the plaintiff its pro rata share of the merger consideration. The Company believes that it is indemnified under the indemnification provisions contained in the Bioness Merger Agreement for these claims. On July 20, 2022, the Company filed a motion to dismiss all claims made against it on various grounds, as did all the other named defendants in the suit. A hearing on Bioness’ and other the defendant’s motions was held before the Court of Chancery on January 19, 2023. On April 27, 2023, the Court issued an order which, among other things, dismissed Bioventus from the case.

Please refer to Item 1. Financial Statements—Notes to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements—Note 11. Commitments and contingencies of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional information pertaining to legal proceedings. In addition, we are party to legal proceedings incidental to our business. While our management currently believes the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties. Were an unfavorable ruling to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.