Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Contingencies

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Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2020
Contingencies  
Contingencies

Note 9: Contingencies

Certain conditions may exist as of the date the financial statements are issued, which may result in a loss to the Company, but which will be resolved only when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. The Company’s management, in consultation with its legal counsel as appropriate, assesses such contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment.

During the ordinary course of business, the Company is subject to various claims and litigation. Management believes that the outcome of such claims or litigation will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flow.

Kadima Litigation

The Company is in a dispute with its former software developer, Kadima Ventures (“Kadima”), over incomplete but paid for software development work. In May 2016, the Company entered into a contract with Kadima for the development and deployment of user features that were proposed by Kadima for an original build cost of $2.2 million to complete. This proposal was later revised upward to approximately $7.2 million to add certain features to the original proposal. As of the date of this Quarterly Report, the Company has paid approximately $11 million to Kadima, but has never been provided access to the majority of the promised software. Kadima refused to continue development work, denied access to developed software, and refuses to surrender to the Company any software that it has developed unless the Company pays an additional $12.0 million above the $11.0 million already paid. In addition to the non-delivery of the paid for user features, Kadima asserts that it is owed additional funds to turn over the work completed. In April 2019, Kadima filed a complaint against the Company in the Superior Court of the State of Arizona, Maricopa County, alleging claims for breach of contract, promissory estoppel and unjust enrichment, and seeking damages in excess of $11.0 million. The Company vigorously disputes and denies each of Kadima’s claims, including that it owes any sums to Kadima, and further believes that it is entitled, at a minimum, to a refund of a substantial portion of the sums that it has already paid, along with the release of the software modules currently being withheld. In June 2020 the Company engaged in a mediation with Kadima in an attempt to resolve the matter, which was unsuccessful. On July 14, 2020 the  Company filed an answer to Kadima’s complaint, which denied Kadima’s claims and asserted counter-claims for breach of contract and fraud. Discovery is underway, and a trial date has not been set.

Splond Litigation

On April 8, 2019, claimant, Corey Splond, filed a class action lawsuit, on behalf of himself and other similarly situated individuals, in the Eighth Judicial District Court for the State of Nevada, Clark County, naming the Company and its client as defendants, and alleging violations of certain wage and hour laws. This lawsuit is in the initial stages, and the Company denies any liability. Even if the plaintiff ultimately prevails, the potential damages recoverable will depend substantially upon whether the Court determines in the future that this lawsuit may appropriately be maintained as a class action. Further, in the event that the Court ultimately enters a judgment in favor of plaintiff, the Company believes that it would be contractually entitled to be indemnified by its client against at least a portion of any damage award.

Radaro Litigation

On July 9, 2020, we were served with a complaint filed by one of our former software vendors, Radaro Inc., in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleging damages arising from claims sounding in breach of contract and fraud. By Order filed October 21, 2020, the Court dismissed plaintiff’s claims for fraud and for punitive damages, with leave to replead. On January 4, 2021, plaintiff filed its Second Amended Complaint, in which it abandoned its claims for fraud and punitive damages. The Company denies plaintiff’s remaining claims and is defending the lawsuit vigorously. Discovery is underway, and the Court has set a trial date of March 1, 2022.

Diamond Litigation

On September 8, 2020, a former financial advisor to the Company filed a Complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York naming the Company and one of its officers as defendants. The Complaint asserts multiple causes of action, all of which stem from plaintiff’s claim that he is entitled to compensation from the Company, in the form of warrants to purchase ShiftPixy common stock, based upon a prior agreement to provide financial advisory services to the Company in connection with a prior transaction. The Company and the named officer deny the plaintiff’s allegations, and have moved to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint in its entirety.