Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.23.1
Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Operating Leases
As of March 31, 2023, the Company had operating lease agreements for its facilities in various locations throughout the United States, as well as around the world.
The following table reconciles the undiscounted cash flows for future maturities of the Company's operating lease liabilities to the consolidated balance sheets (in thousands):
March 31, 2023
2023 $ 2,382 
2024 814 
2025 369 
2026 329 
2027 44 
Thereafter — 
Total lease payments 3,938 
Less: interest expense (338)
Present value of lease liabilities $ 3,600 
Purchase Commitments
The Company has commitments related to vehicles, software, hosting services, and other items in the ordinary course of business with varying expirations through 2026. These amounts are determined based on the non-cancelable quantities or termination amounts to which the Company is contractually obligated. The Company did not enter into any material new purchase commitments during the three months ending March 31, 2023.
Notes Payable
The Company has commitments related to the Vehicle Financing Facility and Convertible Senior Secured Notes. As of March 31, 2023, the Company has future minimum payments of $19.5 million due in the next 12 months and $23.1 million due thereafter. See Note 8 — Notes Payable for further discussion.
Litigation and Indemnification
The Company is from time to time involved in legal proceedings, claims, and regulatory matters, indirect tax examinations or government inquiries and investigations that may arise in the ordinary course of business. Certain of these matters include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. The Company records a liability when the Company believes that it is both probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If the Company determines that a loss is reasonably possible and the loss or range of loss can be estimated, the Company discloses the possible loss in the consolidated financial statements.

The Company reviews the developments in contingencies that could affect the amount of the provisions that have been previously recorded. The Company adjusts provisions and changes to disclosures accordingly to reflect the impact of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and updated information. Significant judgment is required to determine both the probability and the estimated amount of loss.

The Company is not a party to any outstanding material litigation and management is not currently aware of any legal proceedings that, individually or in the aggregate, are deemed to be material to the Company’s financial condition or results of operations other than certain consolidated proceedings alleging that individuals who previously provided services as mechanics and chargers were misclassified as independent contractors in violation of the California Labor Code and wage laws. We are also subject to, and defending, proceedings alleging that individuals who previously provided services as Fleet Managers were misclassified as independent contractors in violation of the California Labor Code and wage laws. We intend to vigorously defend these claims.
In addition, on November 17, 2022, shortly after we announced we would be restating our (i) audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and for the years then ended, and quarterly periods within those years, included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 15, 2022; (ii) condensed consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2022, and for the three months then ended, included in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 16, 2022; and (iii) condensed consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2022, and for the three and six months then ended, included in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 15, 2022, a purported stockholder of the Company filed a putative class action lawsuit in the Central District of California against us and a director and prior officer, entitled MARIO ARIAS, Individually and on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated v. Bird Global, Inc. F/K/A Switchback II Corporation, Travis VanderZanden, and Yibo Ling (the “ARIAS Action”). On December 19, 2022, another purported stockholder of the Company filed a similar putative class action lawsuit in the Central District of California against us and a director and prior officer, entitled KAREN CAIN, Individually and on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated v. Bird Global, Inc. F/K/A Switchback II Corporation, Travis
VanderZanden, and Yibo Ling (the “CAIN Action”). The ARIAS and CAIN Actions, are substantially similar, and the complaints in both actions allege that all defendants violated Sections 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the SEC, and that the individual defendants violated Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. The lawsuits seek, among other things, damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and such other relief as may be deemed just and proper by the court. On March 17, 2023, another purported stockholder of the Company filed a related putative derivative action in the Central District of California against sixteen current and former officers and directors of the Company and Switchback II Corporation with the Company named as a nominal defendant. The action is entitled ASHKAN FARAZMAND, derivatively on behalf of Bird Global, Inc. v. Travis VanderZanden, Yibo Ling, Roelof F. Botha, Daniel Friedland, Nathaniel Justin Kan, Robert Komin, James Mutrie, Racquel Russell, David Sacks, Scott McNeill, Chris Carter, Scott Gieselman, Sam Stoutner, Philip J. Deutch, Ray Kubis, and Precious Williams Owodunni. The complaint alleges a violation of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment, among other claims, and seeks monetary damages and restitution on behalf of the Company, among other remedies. The Company intends to vigorously defend against these claims. Although we believe we have meritorious defenses to the claims of the plaintiffs and members of the classes, and intend to vigorously defend against these claims, there is no guarantee that we will prevail. We are currently unable to determine the ultimate outcome of these actions or to determine the amount or range of potential losses associated with the actions.
We have received a document request from the SEC in connection with an investigation wherein the SEC requested, among other things, materials concerning the restatement of our financial statements (as described above) , as well as certain other financial and operational data, investor materials, and corporate policies and procedures. We are fully cooperating with the investigation and are not currently able to predict the outcome of the investigation or the timing of its conclusion. Accordingly, we are not able to estimate the loss or range of loss. Further, the outcome of legal proceedings, claims, and regulatory matters, indirect tax examinations and governmental inquiries and investigations are inherently uncertain. Therefore, if one or more of these matters were resolved against the Company for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, including in a reporting period in which any such outcome becomes probable and estimable, could be materially adversely affected.