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Contingencies
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3 Months Ended |
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Oct. 31, 2011
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| Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] |
Note 13 - Contingencies On or about September 22, 2010, Mayflower Partners, L.P. f/k/a Biomol International, L.P. (“Mayflower”) filed an action against Enzo Biochem, Inc. and Enzo Life Sciences, Inc. (together “Enzo”) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging breach of the stock and asset purchase agreement dated as of May 8, 2008 between Enzo and Mayflower (the “Agreement”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company acquired the assets of Mayflower, and agreed, among other things, to make certain contingent earn-out payments to Mayflower, accounted for as additional purchase price consideration, if certain performance thresholds were met for each of the two annual periods following the closing. Mayflower alleges that Enzo breached the Agreement by allegedly failing to operate the acquired business in good faith during the second earn-out period and engaging in conduct the primary purpose of which was to avoid making a second earn-out period payment under the Agreement. In addition, Mayflower claims that Enzo breached the Agreement by allegedly failing to provide the documentation appropriate to support the calculation of defined financial criteria for the second earn-out period as required under the Agreement. As part of the litigation, Mayflower moved by Order to Show cause to enjoin the accounting procedure specified under the Agreement. Mayflower’s motion was heard by a U.S. District Court Judge on September 27, 2010, who directed that the parties first go forward with the accounting procedure, as provided under the Agreement, before moving further with the litigation. The parties were unable to resolve the dispute through the accounting procedure. On January 27, 2011, Mayflower filed an amended complaint. On February 25, 2011, Enzo filed an answer to the amended complaint and on March 4, 2011 filed an amended counterclaim seeking fees and expense of the suit as provided under the Agreement. As provided under the Agreement, Mayflower’s maximum contingent earn-out was $2.5 million payable in either Enzo common stock or cash. On November 3, 2011, the Company and Mayflower entered into an Earn-Out Dispute Settlement Agreement in which the Company paid $1.15 million in cash in full settlement of the second and final earn-out under the Agreement. The settlement, which was accrued for at July 31, 2011, was recorded in Goodwill as additional purchase price consideration. The Company is party to other claims, legal actions, complaints, and contractual disputes that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company believes that any liability that may ultimately result from the resolution of these matters will not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its financial position or results of operations. |