We review lawsuits and other legal and regulatory matters (collectively "legal proceedings") on an ongoing basis when making accrual and disclosure decisions. When assessing reasonably possible and probable outcomes, management bases its decision on its assessment of the ultimate outcome assuming all appeals have been exhausted. For legal proceedings where it has been determined that a loss is both probable and reasonably estimable, a liability based on known facts and which represents our best estimate has been recorded. Actual losses may materially differ from the amounts recorded and the ultimate outcome of our pending cases is generally not yet determinable. While some of these matters could be material to our operating results or cash flows for any particular period if an unfavorable outcome results, at present we do not believe the ultimate resolution of currently pending legal proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
PennyMac Litigation
On November 5, 2019, Black Knight Servicing Technologies, LLC (“BKST”), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Black Knight, filed a Complaint and Demand for Jury Trial (the “Black Knight Complaint”) against PennyMac Loan Services, LLC (“PennyMac”) in the Circuit Court for the Fourth Judicial Circuit in and for Duval County, Florida. The Black Knight Complaint includes causes of action for breach of contract and misappropriation of MSP® System trade secrets in order to develop an imitation mortgage processing system intended to replace the MSP® System. The Black Knight Complaint seeks damages for breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets, injunctive relief under the Florida Uniform Trade Secrets Act and declaratory judgment that BKST owns all intellectual property and software developed by or on behalf of PennyMac as a result of its wrongful use of and access to the MSP® System and related trade secret and confidential information. PennyMac filed a motion to compel arbitration of the action, and the court granted the motion on April 6, 2020. After the court denied BKST's motion for reconsideration of the court’s order compelling arbitration, BKST filed a notice of appeal with the Florida First District Court of Appeal on May 6, 2020. On January 6, 2021, the appellate court affirmed the trial court's ruling.
On October 21, 2020, PennyMac submitted a dispute regarding a Black Knight Origination Technologies, LLC LendingSpace® software audit request to the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") for arbitration. Black Knight moved to consolidate the LendingSpace® arbitration with the existing trade secret/antitrust arbitrations and, on December 21, 2020, the arbitrator granted Black Knight’s motion to consolidate the arbitrations. On December 8, 2020, Black Knight and PennyMac filed motions for summary judgment concerning the LendingSpace® audit, and responses to the competing motions for summary judgment were filed by both parties on January 7, 2021. On February 16, 2021, the arbitrator granted Black Knight’s motion for summary judgment and ordered that Black Knight may conduct an audit of PennyMac’s use of Black Knight’s LendingSpace® software.
Shortly after the filing of the Black Knight Complaint, on November 6, 2019, PennyMac filed an Antitrust Complaint (the “PennyMac Complaint”) against Black Knight in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The PennyMac Complaint included causes of action for alleged monopolization and attempted monopolization under Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, violation of California’s Cartwright Act, violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law and common law unfair competition under California law. The PennyMac Complaint sought equitable remedies, damages and other monetary relief, including treble and punitive damages. Generally, PennyMac alleged that Black Knight relies on various anticompetitive, unfair, and discriminatory practices to maintain and to enhance its dominance in the mortgage servicing platform market and in an attempt to monopolize the platform software applications market. Black Knight moved to dismiss the PennyMac Complaint or have the action transferred to Florida based upon a forum selection clause in the agreement with BKST. On February 13, 2020, the judge granted Black Knight's motion to transfer the case to Florida and denied as moot the motion to dismiss. On April 17, 2020, PennyMac filed a notice of dismissal of this action without prejudice and indicated that they intended to bring the claims raised in the dismissed PennyMac Complaint as defenses, third party claims and/or counterclaims in arbitration. On April 23, 2020, the court entered an order dismissing the action without prejudice and directing that the clerk close the case. On April 28, 2020, PennyMac submitted this matter to the AAA for arbitration. On May 27, 2020, Black Knight filed its answering statement with the AAA. The arbitrator was confirmed by the AAA on July 21, 2020.
The arbitrator set Black Knight's trade secret case for a 10-day final hearing beginning on October 24, 2022, and set PennyMac's antitrust case for a 5-day final hearing beginning on November 14, 2022.
On June 26, 2020, Black Knight filed a complaint against PennyMac in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida seeking a declaratory judgment that PennyMac waived its right to arbitrate federal antitrust and related state law claims against Black Knight because PennyMac previously filed and litigated those claims in a court of law (the “BKI Declaratory Action”). The parties filed cross-