NOTE 4.      CONTINGENCIES

In the normal course of business, certain of the Company’s subsidiaries are defendants in a number of lawsuits, claims or arbitrations which allege that the subsidiaries’ services caused damage.  In addition, the Company defends employment related cases and claims from time to time. We are involved in certain environmental matters primarily arising in the normal course of business. We are actively contesting each of these matters. 

Presently, the Company and a subsidiary, The Industrial Fumigant Company, LLC, are named defendants in Severn Peanut Co. and Meherrin Agriculture & Chemical Co. v. Industrial Fumigant Co., et al.  The Severn lawsuit, a matter related to a fumigation service, has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.  The court dismissed plaintiffs’ claim for breach of contract on March 15, 2014, and it dismissed plaintiffs’ only remaining claim (negligence) on December 15, 2014. Plaintiffs have appealed the rulings.

On April 29, 2014, Foster Poultry Farms sued Orkin, LLC and Orkin Services of California, Inc., for breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and negligence.  The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The parties have settled the lawsuit, and we expect the court to dismiss it with prejudice within the next two months.

On December 2, 2014, Plaintiff Killian Pest Control sued Rollins, Inc., and its subsidiary HomeTeam Pest Defense, and alleged that HomeTeam’s exclusive use of its “tubes in the walls” system violates the federal Sherman Antitrust Act, and California’s Cartwright Act and Business and Professions Code. Plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the alleged misconduct violates the Sherman and Cartwright Acts, and the Business and Professions Code; a permanent injunction against continuing alleged violations; and monetary damages. The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court, Northern District of California. The Company cannot currently estimate the reasonably possible loss, if any, because the lawsuit is at an early stage and involves unresolved issues of law and fact. The Company intends to defend this matter vigorously.

On December 2, 2014, Plaintiff Jose Luis Garnica, on behalf of himself and a class of similarly situated customers, sued Rollins, Inc., its subsidiary HomeTeam Pest Defense, and alleged that HomeTeam’s exclusive use of its “tubes in the walls” system violates the federal Sherman Antitrust Act. The Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment that the alleged misconduct violates the Sherman Act; a permanent injunction against continuing violations; and monetary damages. The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court, Northern District of California. The Company cannot currently estimate the reasonably possible loss, if any, because the lawsuit is at an early stage and involves unresolved issues of law and fact. The Company intends to defend this matter vigorously.

Management does not believe that any pending claim, proceeding or litigation, either alone or in the aggregate will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity; however, it is possible that an unfavorable outcome of some or all of the matters, however unlikely, could result in a charge that might be material to the results of an individual quarter or year.