NOTE 11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Concentration of risk. We are exposed to risks associated with clients who represent a significant portion of total revenues. We do not believe the loss of any single customer would materially impact our operating results, as our licenses are within well-established markets. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, we had the following client revenue concentrations:

Legal proceedings. In the ordinary course of conducting our business, we are, from time to time, involved in various legal proceedings, administrative proceedings, regulatory government investigations and other matters, including those in which we are a plaintiff or defendant, that are complex in nature and have outcomes that are difficult to predict.

As discussed in Note 1, we redeemed the shares of our common stock held by Triangulum, an entity controlled by Robert B. Saucier, the Company’s founder, and, prior to the redemption, the holder of a majority of our outstanding common stock.

On May 6, 2019, the Company redeemed the shares of our common stock held by Triangulum. Also on May 6, 2019, the Company filed a lawsuit seeking: (i) a declaratory judgment that it acted lawfully and in full compliance with the Articles when it redeemed the Triangulum shares and (ii) certain remedies for breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract by Triangulum and its Managing Member, Mr. Saucier (the “Triangulum Lawsuit”). The suit alleges that the redemption and the other relief sought by the Company are appropriate and in accordance with the Articles.

The defendants to the Triangulum Lawsuit responded to the complaint, and Triangulum filed counterclaims. Triangulum also filed a Motion seeking a mandatory injunction requiring the Company to either reissue shares to Triangulum or reissue shares to be held in a constructive trust for Triangulum (the “Injunction Motion”). On July 11, 2019, the Nevada district court denied Triangulum’s Injunction Motion, finding, among other things, that the business judgment rule applies to the Board’s redemption decisions and the decisions were in the Company’s best interests. On September 6, 2019, Triangulum appealed the denial of the Injunction Motion to the Nevada Supreme Court. The Company submitted its brief in opposition, and Triangulum filed its reply brief. On January 13, 2021, the Nevada Supreme Court heard oral argument on Triangulum’s appeal. On March 26, 2021, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the District Court denying Triangulum’s Injunction Motion, the effect of which is to preclude the re-issuance of any shares of Galaxy stock to Triangulum.

On October 18, 2019, Saucier filed counterclaims against the Company and its Chairman of the Board, Mark Lipparelli, including a breach of contract claim alleging that the Company was obligated to pay Saucier his year-end bonus despite his resignation. The Company and Chairman Lipparelli filed an answer to the counterclaims.

Subsequent to its original counterclaims, Triangulum filed amended counterclaims, which the Company and its Directors moved to dismiss on a number of legal grounds (the “Motion to Dismiss”). The Court denied the Motion to Dismiss. The Company and its Directors filed a writ petition challenging the ruling, which the Nevada Supreme Court denied on January 23, 2020.

On May 6, 2020, Saucier made a demand of the Company under our Bylaws and an Indemnification Agreement between Saucier and the Company, for indemnity and advancement of funds seeking repayment of his attorneys’ fees and expenses he allegedly incurred in connection with the Company’s claims against him in the Triangulum Lawsuit. An independent counsel, selected per the terms of the Indemnification Agreement, concluded that Saucier was entitled to a small amount of indemnity funds related to the time he was employed by the Company, but denied an entitlement to indemnification thereafter.

On May 19, 2020, Saucier commenced a separate action in Nevada district court by filing a complaint he verified as true, seeking advancement of indemnification fees to which he claims an entitlement under the Bylaws and an Indemnification Agreement (the “Advancement Lawsuit”). The Company filed its opposition on June 4, 2020. Saucier’s Motion was denied in a hearing that occurred on June 24, 2020. Saucier filed a notice of his appeal of the Nevada district court’s decision in the Advancement Lawsuit to the Nevada Supreme Court on August 10, 2020. Saucier subsequently moved for attorneys' fees related to the filing of the Advancement Lawsuit, which the Nevada district court granted, and the Company filed a notice of appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court. The appeal of the denial of Advancement to Saucier is fully briefed by the parties and the parties await a hearing date from the Nevada Supreme Court. Galaxy’s appeal of the first request of the grant of lawyer’s fees in litigating the Advancement action, is fully briefed by the parties. The parties await a hearing date on both matters from the Nevada Supreme Court. Saucier filed a separate supplemental motion for attorneys’ fees, which was denied by the Nevada district court, finding the fees incurred to be unreasonable, among other things. Saucier also appealed this ruling of the Nevada district court. Briefing on this third related matter began June 6, 2021.

On July 22, 2020, in the Triangulum Lawsuit, the Company and its Directors filed a special motion to dismiss most of Triangulum and Saucier’s counterclaims under Nevada anti-SLAPP statute (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) because Triangulum and Saucier seek to impose liability on the Company and its Directors based upon their privileged communications with regulators. The Nevada district court denied the motion, and the Company and its Directors appealed the order to the Nevada Supreme Court.  Discovery in the Triangulum Lawsuit is stayed pending the outcome of this appeal. The appeal is currently being briefed by the parties.

The appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court by both Saucier and the Company in the Triangulum Lawsuit and the Advancement Lawsuit were referred to the Nevada Supreme Court’s mandatory Settlement Program. A consolidated settlement conference occurred on November 16, 2020, with no resolution of any of the issues on appeal or the lawsuit. The Nevada Supreme Court subsequently issued briefing schedules on the three appeals.

On November 24, 2020, Triangulum filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment in the Triangulum Lawsuit in the Nevada district court, seeking a ruling that the Company violated Nevada law and its Articles by issuing a promissory note as consideration for the redeemed shares and that the redemption was ineffective as a matter of law (the “Triangulum MPSJ”). The Company opposed Triangulum’s MPSJ and filed its own Countermotion for Summary Judgment (the “CMSJ”), seeking a ruling that as a matter of law the business judgement rule applies and prohibits any judicial review of the Board’s decisions related to the redemption.  During the January 20, 2021 hearing on both motions, the Nevada district court denied Triangulum’s MPSJ, finding that Nevada statutes allow for the payment of redemption consideration in the form of a promissory note and that the Company’s decisions to redeem and to issue a promissory note as consideration for the redemption are subject to the business judgment rule. The court further found again that the redeemed shares have been actually cancelled and cannot be placed in a constructive trust. The court also denied the Company’s CMSJ, without prejudice for the Company to refile after further discovery. On April 23, 2021, Triangulum appealed the District court’s denial of its MPSJ. Galaxy also appealed the denial of its CMSJ. Briefing on the appeals will begin in September 2021.

On December 18, 2020, Saucier filed a separate lawsuit in Nevada district court (which was served on January 21, 2021), alleging breach of contract related to his demand for indemnity from the Company (the “Indemnity Lawsuit”). Similar to the Company’s position in the Advancement Lawsuit discussed above, the Company denies that he is entitled to indemnity and moved to dismiss the action on February 16, 2021. The Company filed a Motion to Reassign the case to the Judge presiding over the Triangulum Lawsuit and the Advancement Lawsuit. On February 18, 2021, the Company’s Motion to Reassign was granted. On February 16, 2021, the Company filed a Motion to Dismiss the Indemnity Lawsuit. The Company’s Motion to Dismiss was denied on April 19, 2021. The Company filed its Answer to the Indemnity Lawsuit.

As mentioned above, discovery in the Triangulum Lawsuit has been stayed as a result of the Company’s appeal of the Anti-SLAPP motion decision to the Nevada Supreme Court. As such, the previously set April 2021 trial date cannot proceed until the discovery stay is lifted and after additional discovery proceeds.

On October 7, 2021, the Company announced that it had entered into a Settlement Agreement with Triangulum and Robert Saucier. The Settlement Agreement is contingent upon payment to Triangulum in the amount of $39,096,401, plus accrued and unpaid interest at a rate of two percent (2%) from May 6, 2021 until the date of payment. In connection with the Settlement Agreement, the parties submitted joint stipulations to stay all matters in the litigation, including appeals. The courts entered orders effectively staying the matters until the matters have been dismissed or until January 7, 2022, at which time the parties will file case status reports. The Company is in discussions with parties to raise the capital needed to pay the settlement amount by December 31, 2021. If the Company does not make the payment by December 31, 2021, the Settlement Agreement will expire unless extended by the consent of all parties.

In September 2018, we were served with a complaint by TableMax Corporation (“TMAX”) regarding an Operation and License Agreement executed between TMax and Galaxy in February 2011 (the “TMAX Agreement”). We filed an answer denying the allegations and filed a partial motion for summary judgment seeking dismissal of the plaintiff’s claims. The suit was dismissed, subject to the right of the plaintiff to file an amended complaint on or before March 20, 2019.  The plaintiff did not file an amended complaint within the time period set by the Judge. After that time, the Company considered the matter closed. TMAX filed a Motion for Leave to Amend their Complaint, which was granted by the Judge on May 11, 2020. On May 26, 2020, TMAX filed an Amended Complaint against the Company and other Co-Defendants. The Company filed a Motion To Enforce Settlement Or, In The Alternative, Motion To Dismiss And/Or For Summary Judgement and Request For Sanctions, on April 30, 2021. On June 22, 2021, the Company’s Motion to Dismiss was granted, with prejudice to the right of TMAX to file an amended complaint. The Company considers the matter closed.

An unexpected adverse judgment in any pending litigation could cause a material impact on our business operations, intellectual property, results of operations or financial position. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we believe costs associated with litigation will not have a material impact on our financial position or liquidity but may be material to the results of operations in any given period and accordingly, no provision for loss has been reflected in the accompanying financial statements related to these matters.

Royalty Agreements. Certain of the Company’s licensing contracts include an initial one-time payment and future royalty payments dependent upon future sales.