Claim relating to First Wind Acquisition
On May 27, 2016, D.E. Shaw Composite Holdings, L.L.C. and Madison Dearborn Capital Partners IV, L.P., as the representatives of the sellers (the “First Wind Sellers”) filed an amended complaint for declaratory judgment against TerraForm Power and Terra LLC in the Supreme Court of the State of New York alleging breach of contract with respect to the Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of November 17, 2014 (the “FW Purchase Agreement”) between, among others, SunEdison, Inc. (“SunEdison”), TerraForm Power, Terra LLC and the First Wind Sellers. The amended complaint alleges that Terra LLC and SunEdison became jointly obligated to make $231.0 million in earn-out payments in respect of certain development assets SunEdison acquired from the First Wind Sellers under the FW Purchase Agreement, when those payments were purportedly accelerated by SunEdison’s bankruptcy and by the resignations of two SunEdison employees. The amended complaint further alleges that TerraForm Power, as guarantor of certain Terra LLC obligations under the FW Purchase Agreement, is liable for this sum. In addition, the plaintiffs have claimed legal costs and expenses and, under applicable New York law, their claim accrues interest at a non-compounding rate of 9% per annum.
The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint on July 5, 2016, on the ground that, among other things, SunEdison is a necessary party to this action. On February 6, 2018, the court denied the Company’s motion to dismiss after which document discovery began. In April 2019, Terra LLC filed an amended answer to the amended complaint. As of the date of this Quarterly Report, the parties have filed their respective motions for summary judgment and supporting briefs and are waiting for the court’s ruling on these motions.
The Company cannot predict the impact on this litigation of any information that may become available through the course of these legal proceedings. The Company believes the First Wind Sellers’ allegations are without merit and will contest them vigorously. However, the Company cannot predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of any proceedings brought in connection with such a claim.
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. Mr. Domenech subsequently filed a federal lawsuit (addressed immediately below) that had the effect of discontinuing this matter.
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.
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