Whistleblower Complaint by Francisco Perez Gundin
On May 18, 2016, the Company’s former Director and Chief Operating Officer, Francisco Perez Gundin (“Mr. Perez”), filed a complaint against the Company, TerraForm Global, Inc. (“TerraForm Global”) and certain individuals, with the United States Department of Labor. The complaint alleged that the defendants engaged in a retaliatory termination of Mr. Perez’s employment after he allegedly voiced concerns to SunEdison’s Board of Directors about public representations made by SunEdison officers regarding SunEdison’s liquidity position, and after he allegedly voiced his opposition to transactions that he alleged were self-interested and which he alleged SunEdison forced on the Company. He alleged that the Company participated in SunEdison’s retaliatory termination by constructively terminating his position as Chief Operating Officer of the Company in connection with SunEdison’s constructive termination of his employment. He sought lost wages, bonuses, benefits, and other money that he alleged he would have received if he had not been subjected to the allegedly retaliatory termination. The Company’s Position Statement in response to the complaint was filed in October 2016.
On February 21, 2017, Mr. Perez filed Gundin v. TerraForm Global, Inc. et al. against TerraForm Power, TerraForm Global and certain individuals as defendants in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, which was subsequently transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (“SDNY”). The complaint asserted claims for retaliation, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and promissory estoppel based on the same allegation in Mr. Perez’s Department of Labor complaint. On March 8, 2018, Mr. Perez voluntarily dismissed the federal action without prejudice. On December 27, 2018, the proceeding before the Department of Labor was dismissed, which Mr. Perez appealed on January 25, 2019. On August 27, 2019, pursuant to Mr. Perez’s offer to settle the dispute, a definitive settlement agreement was executed between the Company and Mr. Perez. The settlement with Mr. Perez was paid entirely from insurance proceeds.
Whistleblower Complaint by Carlos Domenech Zornoza
On May 10, 2016, the Company’s former Director and Chief Executive Officer, Carlos Domenech Zornoza (“Mr. Domenech”), filed a complaint against the Company, TerraForm Global and certain individuals, with the United States Department of Labor. The complaint alleges that the defendants engaged in a retaliatory termination of Mr. Domenech’s employment on November 20, 2015, after he allegedly voiced concerns to SunEdison’s Board of Directors about public representations made by SunEdison officers regarding SunEdison’s liquidity position, and after he allegedly voiced his opposition to transactions that he alleges were self-interested and which he alleges SunEdison forced on the Company. He alleges that the Company participated in SunEdison’s retaliatory termination by terminating his position as Chief Executive Officer of the Company in connection with SunEdison’s termination of his employment. He seeks lost wages, bonuses, benefits, and other money that he alleges that he would have received if he had not been subjected to the allegedly retaliatory termination. The Company’s Position Statement in response to the complaint was filed in October 2016.
On February 21, 2017, Mr. Domenech filed Domenech Zornoza v. TerraForm Global, Inc. et. al against TerraForm Power, TerraForm Global and certain individuals as defendants in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. The complaint asserted claims for retaliation, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and promissory estoppel based on the same allegations in Mr. Domenech’s Department of Labor complaint. On March 15, 2017, the Company filed notice with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to transfer this action to the SDNY where other cases not involving the Company relating to the SunEdison bankruptcy are being tried. The plaintiff opposed the transfer. However, the transfer was approved by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. On November 6, 2017, TerraForm Power and the other defendants filed a motion to dismiss Mr. Domenech’s complaint, and Mr. Domenech filed a response on December 21, 2017. On March 8, 2018, Mr. Domenech voluntarily dismissed the federal action without prejudice, which would permit the action to be refiled.
On August 16, 2018, Mr. Domenech filed a second complaint with the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, with substantially the same allegations. On October 17, 2018, the Company filed notice with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to transfer this action to the SDNY. The Plaintiff opposed the transfer. However, the transfer was approved by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. On March 15, 2019, the Company, TerraForm Global, and several individual defendants filed a joint motion to dismiss Mr. Domenech’s complaint. Mr. Domenech filed a response on April 15, 2019, and the Company, TerraForm Global, and the individual defendants filed a reply on April 25, 2019. On December 9, 2019, the Court dismissed two of his three claims against the Company and TerraForm Global. On January 22, 2020, the Company filed an answer to Mr. Domenech’s remaining, narrowed claim of retaliatory termination.
The Company reserved for its estimated loss related to this complaint in 2016, which was not considered material to the Company’s consolidated results of operations, and this amount remains accrued as of December 31, 2019. However, the Company is unable to predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of these proceedings.
Derivative Class Action
On September 19, 2019, lead plaintiff Martin Rosson filed a derivative and class action lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery on behalf of the Company, himself, and other minority stockholders of the Company against Brookfield and certain of its affiliates (including the Company as a nominal defendant). The complaint alleges that the defendant controlling stockholders breached their fiduciary duty to minority stockholders because the Company undertook a private placement of the Company’s stock on terms that the complaint alleges are unfair, instead of pursuing a public offering. The proceeds of the
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