EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1752474
Filing Year: 2022
Filename: 1752474_10-K_2022_0001564590-22-010868.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business.
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise specified or where the context requires otherwise, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “KLD” and “the Company” (i) for the periods prior to the completion of the business combination between Pivotal Acquisition Corp. and LD Topco, Inc., which closed on December 19, 2019, refer to Pivotal Acquisition Corp., the special purpose acquisition company, and (ii) for the periods after completion of the business combination, to KLDiscovery Inc., the combined company, and its consolidated subsidiaries. References to and the descriptions of the business included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K refer, prior to the business combination, to the business of LD Topco, Inc., and after the business combination, to the business of KLDiscovery Inc. This Annual Report on Form 10-K also refers to our websites, but information contained on those sites is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Mission
We solve complex legal, regulatory and data challenges for our clients around the world by leveraging our proprietary software and innovative technology-based solutions.
Our Company
The Company was incorporated by its founder, Pivotal Acquisition Holdings LLC, or Pivotal, under the name “Pivotal Acquisition Corp.” as a blank check company on August 2, 2018 under the laws of the State of Delaware for the purpose of entering into a merger, capital stock exchange, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. On February 4, 2019, the Company consummated its initial public offering, or the IPO, of units, with each unit consisting of one share of Class A common stock and one redeemable warrant entitling the holder to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, or the Public Warrants. On December 19, 2019, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated as of May 20, 2019, as amended, the Company and LD Topco, Inc., or LD Topco, consummated a business combination transaction, or the Business Combination, pursuant to which, among other things, a merger subsidiary was merged with and into LD Topco, with LD Topco surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse merger in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. Under this method of accounting, Pivotal Acquisition Corp. was treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes.
Overview
We are a leading global provider of eDiscovery, information governance and data recovery solutions to corporations, law firms, insurance companies and individuals in 19 countries around the world. With our long- standing history and transformative acquisition in 2016 of Kroll Ontrack, a storied eDiscovery platform with history dating back more than 36 years, we have decades of experience designing, building, and developing innovative technology solutions that evolve with the needs of our clients. Our integrated, proprietary technology solutions enable clients to efficiently and accurately collect, process, transmit, review and recover complex and large-scale enterprise data. In conjunction with our proprietary technology, we provide immediate expert consultation and 24/7/365 support worldwide, empowering us to be a “first-call” partner for mission-critical, time-sensitive, and nuanced eDiscovery and data recovery challenges. We leverage our proprietary technology solutions and extensive industry expertise to provide a more reliable, secure and seamless experience for our clients when tackling “big data” volume, velocity, and veracity challenges.
A key example of our purpose-built innovation is Nebula, our flagship, end-to-end AI / ML powered solution that serves as a singular platform of engagement for legal and other types of data. We also offer clients the optionality they desire-KLDiscovery-developed or externally-developed software and cloud-based or a number of different on-premise data storage options. We processed 7,823 and 7,598 Legal Technology matters for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 respectively, and currently averaging over 40,000 data recoveries annually from all types of storage media. We believe our scale, expertise, proprietary technology and optionality, and global presence uniquely positions us to be the go-to partner for our clients and solve the world’s largest and most complicated data challenges.
Since January 1, 2020, we have provided services to a highly diverse base of more than over 5,400 Legal Technology clients. Our Legal Technology clients include both law firms and corporations serving many industry sectors including finance and banking, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, technology, insurance, and real estate. Our data recovery clients include corporations and individuals that need to recover and access data. Our loyal client base includes 97% of the highest-grossing law firms in the United States as ranked by American Lawyer, known as the AM Law 100, as well as 61% of Fortune 500 companies, as of December 31, 2021. We have longstanding relationships with many of our clients. For example, the average length of our relationships with our top 25 clients based on revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 is approximately 13 years. We actively collect and review feedback from our clients to ensure we are investing in the features and services that address their ever-evolving needs. We believe our commitment to being a “first-call” provider for our clients’ largest and most complex cases has helped drive significant revenues from larger and more complex matters, with Legal Technology matters generating over $100,000 and $500,000 in revenue representing 77% and 47%, respectively, of our Legal Technology revenue during the year ended December 31, 2021.
The legal technology industry is fragmented and bifurcated into dozens of software providers, which concentrate on technology solutions, and service providers, which license software and focus on client support to assist with managing the third-party technology. Software providers have increasingly prioritized DIY solutions and generally lack full-service support to address complex data challenges, while service providers have relied on multiple, disparate third-party tools and systems that are limited in the client use cases they can address. We bridged this gap by establishing KLDiscovery as a leading legal technology provider with scale that merges state of the art proprietary software and white-glove services. This combination allows us to manage incidents from an organization’s smallest concerns to its most complex legal reviews, as well as time and strategically sensitive legal matters.
As the first provider to license Relativity, a ubiquitous document review tool, we set a new standard in eDiscovery workflow, being the first provider to reach over one million records on the platform. Since then, we have developed KLD AI and review automation proprietary tools to augment the Relativity offering. For those clients who may choose to use third-party tools like Relativity for data hosting, we complement and enhance their experience via our proprietary toolkit to maximize the hosting platform’s functionality.
In response to an increasing number of clients seeking an end-to-end, fully integrated offering, we launched our proprietary cloud-native Nebula ecosystem in 2018. Nebula is a differentiated, comprehensive platform that addresses the full lifecycle of the EDRM. Nebula is designed for enterprise adoption and can be seamlessly applied to address a multitude of use cases for the global legal and corporate communities. Clients who utilize our all-in-one platform benefit from a scalable, singular repository for their legal workflow processes, while reducing costs, and reducing data security risks inherent when processing and transferring data across multiple disparate systems and service providers. Nebula also offers clients flexibility in data delivery methods - in the public cloud, in our secure data centers, behind the client’s firewall in an enterprise server-rack and at a client’s location via Nebula Portable-optionality no other provider’s proprietary platform can offer. Regardless of data storage location, clients can seamlessly manage their data through the integrated Nebula platform. Demonstrating Nebula’s potential, we have experienced strong growth in Nebula revenues-for the year ended December 31, 2021, Nebula revenue was $25.9 million, a 38.0% increase from the prior year. Our diversified and deep-rooted client relationships provide a large and loyal user base to further accelerate the adoption and growth of Nebula.
As Nebula’s capabilities continue to offer additional upstream use cases beyond eDiscovery, our clients are able to leverage our technology throughout their respective eDiscovery lifecycles. For example, we offer clients Nebula Big Data, which captures data across numerous platforms and provides a secure, searchable copy of data under preservation, as well as Nebula Legal Hold, which allows clients to ingest and manage hold data from any source. We believe the breadth of Nebula presents an attractive entry point for us to engage with clients early and bring them onto our platform.
Additionally, we are a global leader of data recovery services, currently averaging over 40,000 data recoveries annually from all types of storage media. With our in-lab, remote, and on-site capabilities, we recover data at an over 75% success rate from almost any device, storage manufacturer, operating system, database, and back up format. We expect to continue to benefit from our deep data recovery competencies, given the increasing relevance of data privacy and cybersecurity issues at the institutional, governmental, and international levels.
We believe we have a strong runway to capture a greater percentage of our large and growing market opportunity. Our unique combination of proprietary software and technology-enabled services, coupled with our full stack, scalable platform that covers the full EDRM life cycle, best positions us to tackle our clients’ “big data” challenges. Moreover, we believe our proprietary Nebula offering, unlike other existing solutions, offers broad flexibility in deployment methods, cost efficiency with customizable pricing models, and optimized accuracy with its underlying AI / ML technology. We see further opportunity to grow our sales among new and existing clients, scale internationally, and extend our technology leadership. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we generated:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)
Revenues
$
320.5
$
289.5
Net loss
(60.5
)
(49.9
)
Adjusted EBITDA (1)
65.2
63.3
(1)
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures.”
The following table sets forth the number of clients for Legal Technology and Nebula, respectively, as of the dates indicated. The number of Legal Technology clients includes the number of Nebula clients. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Key Business Metrics” for additional information regarding number of clients and matters.
December 31,
Legal Technology clients
5,482
5,216
Nebula clients
1,200
We define Legal Technology clients as each primary law firm and corporation to which we provided services in a litigation matter that we billed during the past two years. We define Nebula clients, each of which is included in the number of Legal Technology clients, as the total number of primary law firm, corporation, insurance company and service provider clients to which we provided legal technology solutions for a matter that we billed for use of our Nebula solution during the two years prior to the applicable date.
The following table sets forth the number of matters for Legal Technology and Nebula, respectively, as of the dates indicated. The number of Legal Technology matters includes the number of Nebula matters. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Key Business Metrics” for additional information regarding number of clients and matters.
December 31,
Legal Technology matters
7,823
7,598
Nebula matters
We define Legal Technology matters as the total number of matters on which our Legal Technology solutions were used in the twelve months preceding the applicable date. Matters refer to a range of activities that include collecting, tracking, analyzing, and exchanging relevant data. Legal Technology solutions currently drive the majority of our revenue and provide the foundation for additional adoption of our proprietary technology solutions and other offerings. We define Nebula matters, which are included in the number of Legal Technology matters, as the total number of matters on which our Nebula solution was used in the twelve months preceding the applicable date. Nebula is our ecosystem of proprietary technology solutions that enables clients to collect, process, store, analyze, and govern their data on a single platform. Nebula comprises a steadily growing component of our revenue and we expect Nebula adoption to increase, and the number of Nebula matters to grow in the long term as we continue to introduce new product capabilities and cross-sell Nebula to our existing clients.
Industry background
The rule of law is integral to society-it is the foundation for systems of justice, underpins government functions, and upholds fair economic transactions and social development. From multi-national corporations and governments to local businesses and individual citizens, millions rely on legal services to navigate complex matters and uphold the law in an ever-changing world. According to Statista, legal services represent one of the largest sectors in the global economy, with worldwide spend estimated to increase from $767 billion in 2021 to $846 billion in 2023. As technology continues to revolutionize the legal services industry, there is a significant existing market opportunity for legal technology solutions that should continue to grow.
While the legal technology industry is vast and diverse, most organizations in the industry fall into one of four categories:
•
Corporations and other entities-Ultimately the “end buyers” of technology and services, they hire law firms and providers to help them navigate legal, regulatory, and cyber matters
•
Law firms-Often seen as an intermediary between providers and corporations/government entities, law firms often make provider decisions on behalf of their clients. Law firms are also consumers of legal technology and solutions themselves, both for in-house matters and as an extension of their litigation technology teams. As a result, law firms not only become direct sources of revenue for service and software providers, but also an important source of referrals to corporations that providers can leverage to build direct relationships
•
Service providers-License and package technology and provide services to corporations and government entities and the law firms they work with. Most service providers of any scale have some proprietary technology, but very few have material portfolios and instead rely largely on licensing third party tools
•
Software providers-Create technology solutions that service providers rely on, but often take a “hands-off” approach with respect to substantive matter support or client service. They typically offer only software without domain expertise and support that goes beyond the software itself. This DIY approach is not equipped to handle large engagements. Moreover, most software providers focus their technology to a particular segment of the EDRM and/or a specific delivery vehicle, forcing buyers to maintain multiple relationships to ensure all their needs are satisfied
Despite the clear distinctions among these categories, there is often overlap between their needs. Service providers commonly license and repackage technology with their services to law firms and corporations, who typically lack the full requisite of resources and domain expertise. Additionally, each organization has specific needs and requirements relating to where data can be hosted, ranging from entirely cloud to entirely behind their firewall, or somewhere in between. While each organization’s technology and service needs are unique, software providers can nevertheless market their solutions to all of those organizations, due to the overlap in needs.
These dynamics underscore the market potential for software providers and highlight the opportunity that exists today for a solution that has broad functionality, around-the-clock client service, and optionality in delivery vehicles to meet all of a buyer’s data needs.
Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM)
eDiscovery
eDiscovery is a critical component of the legal industry: parties preserve, collect, review, and exchange information electronically for the purpose of using it as evidence in a civil, criminal or investigative legal case or regulatory action. Electronically Stored Information or, ESI, in eDiscovery can range from simple data sources such as emails, word documents, and databases, to increasingly modern and complex data sources such as social media messages, cell phone data, and mobile applications, such as internal digital chat data, and audio / visual calls. The volume and complexity of eDiscovery varies significantly from case-to-case, ranging from small matters comprising little data to highly complex matters with vast amounts of enterprise data where support from technology and legal experts is essential. According to the IDC the worldwide eDiscovery software and services market is forecasted to be $14.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to increase to $16.9 billion by 2024 due to the proliferation of data and legal challenges, thereby underscoring eDiscovery’s growing significance and use cases.
The eDiscovery market is highly fragmented, resulting in low penetration divided amongst many vendors. Further, within the eDiscovery industry, there is a significant disconnect between software providers and service providers. Most service providers of any scale have some proprietary technology, but very few have material portfolios and instead rely largely on licensing third party tools. These vendors lack fundamental control over the products they resell, which weakens the user experience and diminishes lifetime value.
Information governance
Information governance is a rapidly maturing discipline, the objective of which is to enable enterprises to manage their huge and growing data estates, taking into account the many demands placed upon that data. These demands include everything from ready access to data for business utility and continuity, to data protection against ransomware and other cyber-attacks, to complying with proliferating privacy and other regulatory requirements, to responding to regulatory investigations and civil litigation. Radicati estimates the information governance market to be $6.5 billion in 2021 and expects it to grow to approximately $8.9 billion in 2024.
Vendors that offer versatile solutions can help minimize costly and duplicative workflows arising from using separate systems to address multiple needs. Information governance products also serve as attractive entry points for
new eDiscovery business opportunities. We expect increases in legal and regulatory demands, and burgeoning data volumes, as well as strategic needs to protect data from cyber-attacks, to drive the growing adoption of information governance solutions.
Data recovery
Data recovery technology providers help clients, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual consumers, recover data that would otherwise be lost for a myriad of reasons, such as system failures, accidental deletion, physical damage, natural disasters, ransomware or user error. Data recovery companies use software tools and physical inspection to diagnose and determine the condition of the media and what data may be recovered. Then, they make an image of the data and perform a logical reconstruction of it. In the case of physical damage, large- scale facilities are required as the device may need to be disassembled in a clean room lab and spare parts used to facilitate the recovery. According to the IDC, the worldwide data protection market, which consists of data recovery, archives, and backup spending, is projected to be $8.9 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $18.4 billion in 2025.
Many of the vendors in this fragmented industry are small electronics repair shops using off-the-shelf data recovery software tools. Many smaller data recovery vendors can recover data from hard disk or external drives, while some have the capability to assist with more complex data recovery from servers, storage systems, and networks. Very few global data recovery providers support large-scale operations such as clean room labs and physical data recovery capabilities. Data recovery also complements eDiscovery and information governance by minimizing the amount of data that cannot be recovered from lost or deleted files.
Industry trends
Growing significance of legal services worldwide
In an ever-evolving digital world, businesses are exposed to growing amounts of legal liability and greater risks related to their brand, reputation, and performance. As businesses expand their presence into new jurisdictions, they are also subject to increasingly complex disputes and legal matters. According to global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright’s litigation trends survey, 74% of companies in the United States faced at least one lawsuit in 2020. In order to safeguard their operations and minimize business disruptions, businesses must modernize their approach to legal matters through technology and are increasingly looking for comprehensive legal technology solutions to do so.
Technological transformation within the legal industry
Many believe that the legal industry has lagged behind other sectors in digital transformation. The lack of legal digital infrastructure is driven by the traditional bill-by-the-hour service model and legacy pure-play service providers who are unable to keep pace with evolving technology needs. As demand for legal services continues to grow, clients seek more technology-based solutions such as software applications to improve productivity and efficiency and drive greater certainty of legal outcomes. This profound transformation is increasingly powered by advancements of capabilities such as AI / ML and serviced by providers with domain expertise in both the legal and technology sectors. The COVID-19 pandemic and work-from-home orders further accelerated these trends and ushered in a new digitized environment where businesses and governments must adopt more legal technology solutions. With greater adoption of legal technology, lawyers and other legal service professionals increasingly require technical expertise and support from trusted providers to fully utilize and reap the benefits of these applications.
The proliferation of enterprise data
The volume and variety of enterprise data is growing at an exponential rate, with increased adoption of mobile devices, accessibility of hosted systems, and increased reliance on electronic data storage. According to the IDC, the amount of electronic data created and replicated will nearly triple from 64 zettabytes in 2020 to 180 zettabytes by 2025. With such rapid growth, traditional methods of manually collecting and reviewing data for documentary evidence have failed, having proven to be highly cumbersome and inefficient. Enterprises are increasingly seeking
advanced technological solutions to review large datasets quickly, accurately, and securely, and to have data stored in a manner that facilitates access and the review process.
Increased focus on flexibility of solution delivery
With diverse business operations and locations and varying degree of adoption of cloud-based applications, clients need flexible legal technology solutions to suit their unique needs. There has been an ongoing industry shift towards cloud-based delivery methods, which we expect to become even more pervasive; however, many clients still rely on traditional, on-premise hosting licensed from third-party vendors. At the same time, others require more deployment optionality such as cloud, at a provider’s data center, or even portable solutions that can be brought on-site and air-gapped to address particularly sensitive data sets. Many factors drive these decisions, chief among them are the perceived benefits of enhanced data privacy and security, as well as a desire to have greater control over the company’s data. As such, clients need a flexible approach to how legal technology solutions are delivered to adequately meet the diverse and complex needs of the legal industry. As the industry continues to move away from a one-size fits all approach, there is a greater emphasis on customized legal technology offerings that feature seamless workflows from start to finish across multiple delivery options.
Users involved in complex cases require strong project management and client service
Complex cases, such as second requests from antitrust regulatory authorities such as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission or U.S. Department of Justice investigating possible anticompetitive consequences of a proposed M&A transaction and joint defense cases in which parties sharing similar legal interests are able to exchange information, require a significant amount of support-typically around the clock-from a team with diverse skill sets that can expertly navigate and execute work across many phases of the EDRM. Given the high stakes typically associated with these matters, law firms and corporations require a collaborative and consultative relationship with their technology solutions providers. Providers or platforms that favor a more “hands-off” approach may limit the types of engagements they will be considered for, as clients would need to engage third parties for support, and working with multiple providers introduces additional cost and risk at a critical juncture. With increasingly complex and nuanced cases, the provision of client service resources remains imperative for clients to realize the full benefits of the software in use.
Strategic relevance of privacy and security protocols
Clients are placing a greater emphasis on legal technology tools that not only increase productivity and accuracy, but also ensure data security and protection at industry-leading standards. This new and rapidly growing demand is driven by increased data privacy laws and regulations such as GDPR and the litany of state laws being enacted or considered for enactment in the United States. The rise of cybersecurity issues such as data breaches, ransomware and phishing attacks and other incidents is also driving demand. As a result, businesses and law firms have placed greater focus on secure record and access systems.
Limitations of existing offerings
Lack of providers offering both software and technology-enabled services
Historically, the legal technology industry has been characterized by a separation of software and service providers with industry participants falling in one of two major categories: software providers that create technology solutions and service providers that typically license and resell software and assist with managing the technology while offering client support and legal expertise.
Software providers do not offer critical client service resources
The relationship between software and services providers has been increasingly disrupted as the industry evolves. With the maturation of cloud and AI / ML technologies, certain software providers are prioritizing or limiting delivery of their software solution to the cloud while charging license fees. In turn, they rely solely on those licensing their software or third-party service providers charging clients usage-based fees to provide substantive client support. Furthermore, emerging software providers that typically offer DIY solutions, are in the early stages of expanding into the services space in order to expand their market opportunity, but they cannot support more
complex and larger legal cases in the same way we can with our solutions. Despite this shift, these players continue to heavily prioritize self-help and “DIY” support models over full-service support, which is typically required for large and complex engagements.
Service providers rely almost exclusively on third-party technology
In contrast to software providers, service providers typically have very little proprietary technology and rely almost exclusively on third-party tools. These tools are expensive and often fail to individually address all of the various use-cases and needs of their buyers. This lack of technological independence either results in gaps in what a provider can offer or requires service providers to license multiple disparate systems in a manner that is neither seamless nor cost effective. Across the industry, service providers rely on licensing add-on technology tools for Relativity, or separate third-party apps such as Brainspace, often leading to a disjointed user experience resulting from the lack of any integration between separate technology platforms. There remains a gap - and industry need-for an integrated platform to provide users with flexibility across their technology stack, and a scalable solution that can address any type of legal case.
Lack of comprehensive solutions
Legacy point solutions fail to cover the full lifecycle of information governance, eDiscovery, and data recovery, and require legal teams and service providers to coordinate data and applications across numerous products and providers. The lack of a comprehensive and well-integrated offering results in inefficiency within workflow processes, as existing providers are often not interoperable. For example, a corporate client engaged in a large- scale defense case that is collecting digital evidence from various servers and needs assistance managing several case records typically requires multiple solutions with differing capabilities from different providers to meet its needs. However, using multiple solutions from multiple providers almost always results in additional license costs, inefficiencies and increases the risk of error and security breaches while transferring data between solutions. As legal matters become increasingly complex and costly with disparate solutions, an integrated and comprehensive platform becomes critical to deliver efficient and cost-effective performance as well as to provide a seamless user experience across offerings.
Limited flexibility and scalability of offerings
Many of the technology solutions within eDiscovery lack the flexibility and scalability to adapt to multiple delivery options. Most competing platforms have only one delivery model - either locally installed by the client or delivered as a SaaS platform by the provider. While cloud-based offerings are generally more cost-efficient, they sometimes lack the same degree of functionality and scalability as traditional offerings. This rigid bifurcation forces clients to decide between delivery methods - cloud or on-premise. Examples of this include eDiscovery providers looking to maximize margins by forcing clients to the cloud, to law firms looking to have “in-house” capabilities, to global corporations with smaller satellite offices in jurisdictions with strict data residency requirements and poor cloud provider coverage. There is a whitespace for a software solution with the flexibility to operate efficiently in both the cloud and on commodity hardware, to allow clients to benefit from optionality over the long term.
Lack of scalable, end-to-end technology solutions and expertise to handle complex cases
With the proliferation of enterprise data and the growing number of intricate cases, there remains a gap in offerings that are well-equipped to address the ever-evolving complexities within the legal landscape. The depth and breadth of eDiscovery cases vary greatly, ranging from internal investigations to highly complex legal cases, including second requests and joint defense cases.
Furthermore, as technologies such as ML advance and become increasingly accessible, it is now more important than ever for solutions to provide enrichment and automation wherever possible. This is especially critical for larger and more complex data sets where a “brute force” document-by-document approach is neither practical nor cost-effective.
Existing DIY solutions typically offer a one-size fits all approach, and lack the technology, functionality, expertise, and technical and project support required to help clients successfully navigate the complexity and nuances of large-scale projects. Revenue opportunities of any size, scale, or sustainability require a tight-knit client support matrix
with a deep bench of talent with a high level of availability and experience. Any provider or solution lacking in this area will be unable to compete successfully.
Our solutions
We are a legal technology pioneer with a long-standing presence developing proprietary technology solutions. We provide an expansive suite of technology offerings including our end-to-end fully integrated solution, Nebula, which comprehensively addresses information governance, eDiscovery and data recovery needs. Our solutions have been developed in-house by capitalizing on our more than 15 years of technology expertise and legal process management experience. As the first provider to license Relativity, we have developed an entire suite of proprietary technology solutions that creates a bespoke and enhanced experience within the platform.
We introduced Nebula, our proprietary platform, in 2018 after years of learning from our many client relationships and the engagements on which we support them. Our vast experience taught us that our clients needed one comprehensive and integrated platform that can be used to complete all steps of the information governance and EDRM process, and we believe Nebula fills this critical need. Complemented by our world-class client service, Nebula empowers our clients with flexible, scalable, and innovative tools. As a result, unlike other providers who cannot update the third-party software they sell in real-time or technology companies who are unable to provide after-sale support, we fully control our proprietary technology-along with the user experience-enabling us to serve as a unified one-stop shop.
eDiscovery
We are a leader in eDiscovery with a broad suite of unique offerings that make us a provider of choice for our clients. Our core products include Nebula, EDR, and Relativity. Nebula offers end-to-end eDiscovery management in a single tool, enabling clients to efficiently analyze, process, review, and manage large data sets. EDR and Relativity are two platforms for hosted review, the former facilitates the eDiscovery search and review process in a single tool and the latter serves as a licensed platform focused on document review that provides our clients additional optionality for data hosting solutions. Whether our clients use our proprietary platforms, Nebula and EDR, or third-party licensed platforms, such as Relativity, we offer many complementary proprietary solutions that we have developed using cutting-edge AI / ML algorithms to enhance workflow efficiency and user experience.
Nebula
Nebula is our premier end-to-end information governance and eDiscovery platform, which facilitates the identification, preservation, collection, processing, review, and exchange of ESI.
Developed in-house with our proprietary technology, we believe Nebula is one of the few comprehensive platforms in the marketplace that supports the entire lifecycle of EDRM. From initial identification to final production, Nebula covers all phases of eDiscovery within a single, easy to use platform, including, big data management, legal hold, ingestion and processing, early case assessment, or ECA, review, and production- infusing AI / ML and other advanced technologies every step of the way.
Using innovative technology, Nebula offers users maximum flexibility by supporting delivery in all environments, including in the public cloud, in our secure centers, behind the client’s firewall in an enterprise server-rack via Nebula Enterprise and at a client’s location via Nebula Portable. Nebula empowers users to make critical strategic decisions using the most relevant data with minimal human effort, disrupting traditional approaches to legal work and empowering adopters to do more with less.
As we continue to enhance Nebula, we remain focused on our strategy to attract more clients currently relying on third-party software onto our Nebula platform. Unlike many other providers who gather and resell technology tools created by others, our unified owned and operated platform offers greater flexibility and enables us to deliver greater lifetime value to our clients. We believe that these clients will not only benefit from Nebula’s cutting-edge technology and unique full array of delivery options but also the broader ecosystem we have created with proprietary tools to enhance legal departments’ productivity, efficiency, and quality of outcomes.
Nebula Big Data
Nebula extends our reach well beyond eDiscovery to include applications for cost-effective information governance solutions. Not only can it reliably capture data across dozens of platforms, it also meets ongoing legal hold requirements by providing a secure, defensible, and searchable copy of data under preservation. Nebula Big Data highlights the capabilities of our ecosystem to deliver both eDiscovery and information governance strategies. Nebula Big Data acts as an enterprise information archive, allowing organizations to cost- effectively use a single copy of data to satisfy multiple competing objectives in a unified platform that minimizes management overhead compared to managing data in source systems.
eDiscovery.com Review (EDR)
EDR is our proprietary solution tailored for technologists, such as a large law firm with sophisticated in-house technology expertise, who want a larger measure of control over their complex eDiscovery review and production. From eDiscovery investigations to document review and production, EDR integrates the eDiscovery process into one robust tool and includes analytics and matter management features that take extra time or create manual work in other applications. Not only does the intuitive interface allow users to easily search and review documents, but the automated routing and distribution of documents also helps users streamline reviews and maximize accuracy. With tried-and-true scalability and powered by next-generation technology, we have now reached over 100 million documents in a single EDR database. Over the past decade, our clients have produced approximately 6 billion pages to requesting parties using EDR. Unlike Nebula, which broadly addresses the full EDRM process, EDR was intentionally designed to focus specifically on large-scale review, analysis, and production.
Relativity
We are a leading licensee of Relativity, a ubiquitous document review tool that helps our clients analyze data for eDiscovery, litigation, investigations, and other legal matters. We license software from Relativity primarily on a fixed-fee basis with relatively minimal variable costs. Our current Relativity agreement expires on June 30, 2024.
We are the longest tenured licensee of Relativity, with a partnership reaching back to 2006. Shortly after beginning the partnership, we hosted the first case to reach one million records on the Relativity platform, and we have a long and well-documented track record of innovation within the platform.
Our Relativity offering is differentiated by our own suite of exclusive and proprietary tools that affect every part of the project. As we augmented the Relativity offering with our proprietary supplemental products, we built a bespoke and proprietary user experience and broadened our competitive edge. In addition, our KLD AI and review automation tools help deliver efficient and reliable document review and allow users to maximize their Relativity experience. We currently host Relativity in six countries worldwide.
KLD AI and review automation
Developed in-house through a collaboration among our data scientists, engineers, and legal professionals, KLD
AI and review automation is one of the most advanced toolkits on the market. It offers a full range of technology- enabled review features to complement our extensive offerings including Nebula and Relativity. When our clients opt to use third-party tools like Relativity for data hosting, they adopt our toolkit to maximize their functionality, underscoring the efficacy of the proprietary technology that underpins KLDiscovery and the bespoke, full-suite solution we offer. Our toolkit includes:
•
Machine Learning-Our supervised machine learning, known as Predictive Coding in the legal industry, supports multiple workflows and methodologies and helps prioritize essential documents for review.
•
Automated Workflow-Automates the routing and distribution of documents to streamline document review and maximize accuracy and defensibility-a key component of our bespoke document review offering.
•
Workflow Reporting Suite-Provides dynamic, on-demand information on the progress, productivity, and tagging trends for document review projects run within the Workflow system.
•
Natural Language Processing-Our powerful language-based AI enables users to gain meaningful insights into their data.
•
Audio Transcription-Transcribes audio recordings into text.
•
Foreign Language Translation-Translates foreign languages into a client-readable format.
Processing
KLDiscovery’s proprietary software stack ingests, normalizes, and prepares data for review, analysis, and production. Enterprise data is typically voluminous and routinely consists of a wide variety of data types coming from many disparate sources, meaning the quality, scalability, and reliability of the processing platform are critical. Most organizations license third party processing technologies, which are not integrated with their information governance, collection, review, or production platforms, creating an inefficient and costly workflow.
While our processing solution is integrated into Nebula, it can also be used with other third-party solutions. It supports dynamic resource management, allowing us to easily add technology resources (i.e., virtual machines) to provide high-powered scalability and performance. This powerful tool allows us to process significant amounts of data in a fraction of the time required with other applications.
This offering is well suited for service providers, law firms, and corporations who have a need to process data. Licensing our Nebula platform addresses various needs and requirements, which can range from a complete end-to-end solution to those that may require only a point solution for simple processing or early case assessment, or ECA.
Regardless of the circumstances, clients reap the benefits of a mature processing technology that can not only be used at any scale and for any data set, but is also fully integrated into a larger, interconnected ecosystem.
Technology-enabled services
We deliver technology-enabled services to complement and maximize the power of our software portfolio. As part of our solutions, we engage with clients at every stage of their eDiscovery journey and personalize solutions focused on their individual needs. This process often serves as a starting point for new business opportunities as clients may use any combination of our technology solutions and services as their data and legal needs continue to evolve.
With the help of our team of experts, we aim to be our clients’ most trusted partner by providing support for all aspects of eDiscovery and data management. We also offer DIY tools such as RCMgr a comprehensive self- collection suite where end users and IT professionals alike can effortlessly and defensibly perform forensically sound collections of hard drives, loose files, and email servers. Leveraging decades of experience at the intersection of the legal, regulatory, and technology sectors, we provide technology-enabled managed review, digital forensics, informational archiving, and other advisory solutions 24/7/365 to users worldwide.
Data recovery
Business and private users routinely store business-critical data on servers, laptops, mobile devices, and phones. As a result, data loss events can be devastating. The cost to an enterprise can amount to millions of dollars if they are unable to access important data for business operations. To address those data loss events when they occur, we provide data recovery solutions worldwide.
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Ontrack Data Recovery-When other data protection efforts fail, Ontrack can often recover our clients’ data, documents, and critical systems. We performed over 35,000 data recoveries for our clients in more than 80 countries in 2021.
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Ontrack PowerControls-Enables email and backup administrators and database administrators to restore individual mailboxes and messages, without having to restore the entire database. Ontrack PowerControls provides a more powerful and faster search tool than native tools, and, most importantly for legal and compliance use cases, without altering the metadata, making it forensically sound.
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Ransomware recovery-As cybersecurity incidents become more prevalent, we help our clients safeguard and recover their valuable data in the event of an attack. We track more than 280 different types of ransomware in order to monitor the developments and changes in these threats real time. This provides us with knowledge and experience, leading to a higher probability that we will recover lost data. We also offer a specialized collection of proprietary tools to recover data encrypted by ransomware, as well as consultation and advisory services to prevent potential data loss in the future.
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Email extraction-We offer professional email recovery solutions ranging from individual files to entire databases. We provide the technology and expertise to support practically any use case regardless of storage location and file types.
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Tape solutions-We provide a range of tape services to solve the problems associated with legacy backup tapes and regularly support our clients’ efforts to backup and recover data.
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Data destruction-We support our clients throughout the whole data destruction process by offering solutions in our labs or onsite, as well as DIY products.
KLDiscovery value proposition
Highly differentiated combination of proprietary software and human capital
We believe our position as the differentiated legal technology provider with proprietary, state of the art, EDRM software combined with our white-glove services will help drive retention and support client growth. We have spent over 15 years investing in, delivering, and perfecting data-centric technology, including our flagship eDiscovery solution, Nebula. At the same time, we built a successful track record of solving some of the most challenging legal data problems through a combination of our proprietary technology and service-oriented culture. As the relationship between software and service providers shifts within the legal industry, we are well- positioned to disrupt the space as a singular, end-to-end and trusted provider of both software and services.
Full stack, scalable technology offerings covering the full spectrum of the EDRM
Through our proprietary technology offerings, we provide full stack, scalable AI-powered software solutions for corporate legal functions allowing clients to collect, process, transmit, store, analyze, and govern all of their data on a single platform in a timely and efficient manner. Nebula, our singular, end-to-end platform, allows us to provide a superior level of client service and minimize the risk of a data breach. Our solutions are designed for enterprise adoption and can be applied to a wide variety of enterprise use cases outside of litigation such as internal investigations, merger clearance, and legal holds.
Nebula is a highly differentiated and comprehensive technology platform
Our proprietary platform, Nebula, addresses virtually all potential eDiscovery and information governance use cases for the global legal and corporate communities. This end-to-end platform allows our clients to contract with a single solution provider and provides one, instantly scalable, secure repository for their legal data that avoids error-prone processes of moving data through different disparate systems. Our platform enables greater efficiency and optionality by offering our clients control over the location of their data and method of delivery. Regardless of data storage location or size, clients can seamlessly manage their data through the integrated Nebula platform with consistent user experience, performance, and features. In addition, Nebula, with its single- source platform and simple usage-based pricing model, addresses virtually all use cases, thus allowing our users to benefit from greater cost predictability and improved efficiency. With existing software solutions limited by any combination of expensive pricing models, limited features, and a lack of delivery options, we believe there is an underserved population of buyers, including eDiscovery service providers, law firms, corporations, and other organizations, that can immediately benefit from Nebula. By supporting a variety of deployment environments with increased cost-efficiency, we believe Nebula is the premier, unified solution that meets and will evolve with the needs of our clients.
State of the art AI / ML functionality
Our leading-edge AI / ML technology allows clients to review their legal data accurately and quickly. We have a strong, decades-long track record of developing award-winning workflow batching software, predictive coding, and AI / ML programs that maximize the efficiency and productivity of lawyers around the world. Developed through continuous use and refinement, our legal review technology has predictive capabilities that we believe are superior to our competitors, giving us an advantage as our clients use our solutions.
Simplified and flexible pricing to provide end-to-end optimization
Our pricing model, customized based on platform functionality and data volume, allows us to offer a wide variety of optionality for our clients. We employ different pricing structures across our large suite of offerings including usage-based subscriptions, transactional, à la carte, and alternative fee arrangements for software such as our proprietary Nebula platform and our technology-enabled services and data recovery engagements. We set transparent and attractive pricing, which allows us to deepen our relationships with our large, blue-chip client base. We believe the ease of our pricing structure and solutions, even for the largest and most complex organizations, provides critical
entry points for us to onboard additional products and expand beyond traditional use cases. As the strategic value of our technology solutions continues to grow, our pricing strategy will attract both existing and new clients deeper into our ecosystem.
Our business model
We offer differentiated solutions to our clients via a flexible and scalable, usage-based business model, where, as an example, clients pay us on the basis of the amount of data processed, ingested, and/or reviewed on our platform, which drives future business opportunities. Our proprietary data and technology fuels referrals from our large global client base. As more clients begin to use our software and solutions, we have opportunities to cross- and up-sell to drive growth of our complementary features and add-ons. By continuously expanding our usage, we increase our global reach and create more value for clients and stakeholders.
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Pricing-We predominately employ a usage-based pricing model for our technology platforms, such as Nebula. For these solutions, our pricing is measured by the amount of data ingested, hosted, produced, and/or reviewed. Since no single structure works for every client, we also offer a subscription-based model, where clients commit to a set capacity of usage over a pre-defined term (typically one to three years) at a discount over the usage-based rates typically associated with project-by-project engagements. Our data recovery engagements are fixed fee arrangements.
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Client benefits-We offer simplicity and flexibility for our clients. Our usage-based model is designed to scale and adopt to our clients’ changing needs. With no user fees, Nebula pricing is transparent and allows clients to efficiently budget and support any legal, project, and technology demands.
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Network effect-As we continue to grow, we accumulate more data across our ecosystem, which strengthens our technology capabilities and enhances user experience, which attracts even more clients. We allow our clients to store and reuse data for future legal purposes which can serve as the starting point for new sales opportunities. Our AI / ML technology continuously processes more data and observes human usage to refine our platform for increased efficiency and relevancy.
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Partner Channel Subscriptions-Starting in 2022, we plan to offer multi-year agreements for Nebula based on usage tiers. With existing software solutions limited by any combination of expensive pricing models, limited features, and a lack of delivery options, we believe there is an underserviced population of buyers ranging from eDiscovery providers, law firms, corporations, to other organizations that can immediately benefit from Nebula.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, revenues arising from usage-based agreements comprised 90.7% and 89.3% of revenue, respectively, while subscription agreements comprised 9.3% and 10.7% of revenue, respectively.
Our clients
Our Legal Technology clients include both law firms and corporations serving many industry sectors including finance and banking, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, technology, insurance, and real estate. Our data recovery clients include corporations and individuals that need to recover and access data.
Our definition of a Legal Technology client includes each primary law firm and corporation to which we provided services in a litigation matter that we billed during the past two years. Since January 1, 2020, we provided services to over 5,400 Legal Technology clients. As of December 31, 2021, our clients include 97% of the AM Law 100 and 61% of Fortune 500 companies.
We have longstanding relationships with our clients; the average length of our client relationship with the top 25 clients for the year ended December 31, 2021 is 13 years. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, no single client accounted for more than 5% of our revenue.
Our key differentiators
A trusted partner for the most complex, mission critical legal matters and data needs
Through our decades of experience, we have built a reputation of technological excellence and “first-call” expertise for the most complex legal and data challenges worldwide. Our proven ability to perform the most difficult legal data reviews (such as antitrust second requests, joint defense, and large-scale M&A matters) and help our clients through their most challenging moments (such as mitigating and navigating a ransomware event) has made us a critical partner for our clients. Our proprietary technology capabilities and ability to evolve with the needs of our clients results in better outcomes for their organizations. By building a reputation as a trusted legal solution provider, we have created a loyal client base that will allow us to drive future business opportunities and expand the reach of our offerings including Nebula. Our comprehensive offerings distinctly position us to navigate our dedicated client base through the technological transformation of the legal industry while serving as a critical partner for all their legal technology needs.
Comprehensive technology solutions that expand beyond traditional eDiscovery use cases
As Nebula continues to expand further upstream within the EDRM, our technology is leveraged earlier in the data lifecycle, opening an attractive entry point for engaging our clients and moving them along the eDiscovery journey within our end-to-end Nebula platform. We believe our position as a one-stop platform that offers comprehensive solutions allows clients to contract with a single provider, avoiding frictions and risks in moving data and contracting multiple providers. Additionally, we are a global leader of data recovery services, supporting both small businesses and large enterprises with business server recoveries and backup tape restorations. Our proprietary incident response solutions enable our clients to recover from the deletion or destruction of data due to malicious or accidental incidents. The rapid proliferation of ransomware episodes faced by organizations worldwide validates the value of data today and how critical it is to retrieve.
Founder led, proven and experienced management team
Chris Weiler, our Chief Executive Officer, co-founded our Company in 2005 with a mission to support clients through their most complex and stressful legal and data challenges. As one of the longest-tenured CEOs in the global eDiscovery sector, he provides extensive industry expertise and relationships. Moreover we have a deep team of seasoned executives, including Dawn Wilson (Chief Financial Officer) and Danny Zambito (Chief Operating Officer), Daniel Balthaser (EVP of Engineering), Robert Hunter (EVP of Global IT and eDiscovery Operations), Krystina Jones (EVP of Global Sales and Marketing), Anthony DeJohn (SVP of Machine Learning), Oscar Vega (SVP of Global Sales), Peter Boehret (COO, Data Recovery) and Andy Southam (General Counsel), who have collectively spent over 180 years in the legal and technology industries. Furthermore, our sales and software development executives have worked together over the past 15+ years and developed a seamless feedback loop to improve our technology in response to the changing needs of our clients. Together, our experienced and passionate team is committed to delivering best-in-class solutions and a superior user experience to our clients worldwide.
Expansive global footprint
Our geographic presence spans 32 locations in 19 countries. Our broad reach provides us with the ability to act as a first responder when clients have urgent work requiring immediate attention. In addition, our familiarity with local laws and regulations allows us to effectively assist clients in navigating complex, cross-border situations.
Highly qualified and experienced sales force
Our sales management team recruits and retains highly qualified and experienced sales team members, focusing on expertise, knowledge and tenure, prioritizing the quality of team members over the quantity. Our top 15 sales team professionals by revenue average 15 plus years of experience in the eDiscovery industry and averaged more than $13.4 million in revenue per person for the year ended December 31, 2021, while our entire sales organization had a revenue per person average of over $6.7 million for the same period. We rely on a team of value-add sales professionals to act as consultants for their clients across a wide array of offerings. In 2020, we effectively integrated our data recovery and legal technology sales teams to better offer the full KLDiscovery portfolio of technology and solutions to a wider base of existing clients.
Established track-record with scale and financial flexibility to fund investments
Our size and scale provide us with the financial flexibility to self-fund the development of our Nebula platform as we continue to advance new product features and enhancements. We possess a unique combination of industry-leading scale, with our loyal client base of more than 5,400 Legal Technology clients and with offices in 19 different countries as of December 31, 2021, and financial flexibility. We have a strong track record of funding our growth expansion in a disciplined manner, and we believe our robust financial profile affords us the continued financial flexibility to do so. Our net loss was $(60.5) million and $(49.9) million, while our adjusted EBITDA was $65.2 million and $63.3 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. We plan to devote significant resources to our salesforce expansion and research and development to aid in the evolution of our technology offerings. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures.”
Our market opportunity
We operate within the legal services industry, one of the largest sectors in the global economy, which we believe is in the early stages of a major technological transformation. According to Statista, legal services represents one of the largest sectors in the global economy, with worldwide spend estimated to increase from $767 billion in 2021 to $846 billion in 2023. eDiscovery is an essential component of the legal industry, and the market remains highly fragmented. According to the IDC, the worldwide eDiscovery software and services market is forecasted to be $14.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to increase to $16.9 billion by 2024 due to the proliferation of data and legal challenges. Additionally, our information governance solutions are also part of the broader information governance market, which is expected to be $6.5 billion in 2021 and grow to approximately $8.9 billion in 2024, according to Radicati. Data recovery is another mission-critical offering that we provide, and the market is characterized by numerous small providers who rely on third-party data recovery software tools. As noted by the IDC, the worldwide data protection market, which consists of data recovery, archives, and backup spending, is projected to be $8.9 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $18.4 billion in 2025.
We believe our TAM will continue to grow over the long term, with the acceleration in the volume and variety of enterprise data that are critical to legal cases. Traditional methods of manual collection and review of data are being and will continue to be increasingly displaced by the use of technology solutions, and we believe the efficacy and functionality of our proprietary platform and our flagship ecosystem, Nebula, enable us to capture a greater percentage of this expanding TAM. With increased global scrutiny and added regulations within cybersecurity, businesses remain increasingly focused on adopting technology solutions whether within information governance or data recovery, that ensure comprehensive data security. These industry tailwinds, alongside the greater adoption of legal technology on an industry-wide basis and need for providers with both proprietary software and human capital, will organically broaden our TAM. We intend to continue to capitalize on opportunities to increase our share of the TAM by expanding the use cases for our solutions through our commitment to product innovation and platform expansion.
Our growth strategy
Building on the many strengths of our existing business and strategy, we are focused on continuing to enhance our proprietary solutions, expand our ecosystem, and extend our reach to capitalize on our large and growing market opportunity.
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Extend our technology leadership with continued innovation and platform expansion. We have successfully built a strong technology platform based on years of research and feedback from our clients and strive to further invest in research and development to maintain our track record of innovation. We plan to drive growth by expanding the functionality of our current platform, including the Nebula ecosystem, and broaden the range of products we offer. In addition, we will continue working to be an industry leader for ease of client experience through seamless integration with clients’ back-office functions. We will also seek to capitalize on our highly transparent pricing to capture mission-critical, high value, and long-term
revenue opportunities. As we continue to innovate and increase our value proposition and address clients’ challenges within eDiscovery, information governance, and data recovery, we believe we will strengthen the breadth of our premium product offerings, increase penetration of existing clients, and grow our addressable market.
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Continue to increase adoption of Nebula on a global scale. Our large and deep-rooted client relationships on a global basis provide a loyal base to expand adoption of Nebula, in addition to new service providers, law firms, and corporations. As we continue to innovate and improve Nebula’s offerings, we plan to gradually transition our clients who rely on third-party software onto our proprietary Nebula platform. For these clients who may use a different eDiscovery platform, we believe we can increase Nebula adoption by introducing and educating these clients to the advantages of our proprietary and differentiated platform. With the anticipated launch of many new functionalities in 2022 (such as granular permissions and multi-party support), we believe Nebula will further differentiate itself versus offerings from other providers, thus allowing us to capture a larger total addressable market within eDiscovery.
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Grow our client base and drive incremental penetration within existing clients. With the increased adoption of technological solutions within the legal industry and more organizations opting for functional solutions like those we offer, we see significant client growth potential for our business. We will continue to drive brand awareness on the robust functionalities, ease of use, and high degree of customizability of our offerings, in order to accelerate the growth of new clients. We believe that Nebula, our differentiated end-to-end offering that spans the eDiscovery lifecycle, positions us to up- and cross-sell additional products to existing clients seeking to reap the full benefits of our comprehensive product suite. We believe our release of new products, tools, add-ons, and features has increased the value we provide to our clients, and our growing product capabilities will continue to attract new and maintain existing clients.
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Build partner channels. In 2022, we began to build our partner channel by selling subscriptions for Nebula. These agreements will have a minimum of a one-year commitment and our goal is to have a two-year average commitment across our entire partner channel. We will leverage and broaden our partnerships with other eDiscovery providers, law firms, corporations, consulting firms and other organizations to drive growth and bring innovation to the global legal community. Nebula’s comprehensive capabilities and competitive pricing will allow us to target multiple partner market segments, spanning those seeking a single “one-stop-shop” solution to those who may require a point solution to process and triage small data volumes in-house for loading to other applications. The subscriptions will be based on usage tiers and offer all of our technology for the client’s use, with the option to pay extra for services. By building a partner channel for Nebula, we will be able to generate revenue opportunities from a brand-new population of buyers and further increase industry awareness and utilization of Nebula.
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Expand and strengthen sales force coverage. We continue to recruit, attract and retain top sales professionals to capture untapped clients and we intend to hire more sales professionals to drive growth. We pride ourselves in our high-quality and globally integrated salesforce and their ability to bring in significant revenue. They are cross trained across our product suite so they can sell our comprehensive offerings to new and existing clients. We continue to take advantage of our 2020 sales force integration to expand our existing client relationships by offering our entire suite of technology, products, and solutions.
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Further our presence in international markets. The eDiscovery market is global, and we continue to invest to increase our market share worldwide. We already have an established presence in 19 countries with qualified sales reps and client support. Internationally, our flexible delivery models (such as Microsoft Azure and Nebula Enterprise) enable us to more easily penetrate new markets and better adapt to the varied and unique data handling requirements and regulations that our clients face across different geographies.
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Pursue opportunistic strategic acquisitions. We continue to seek acquisitions that will expand the depth and breadth of our product offerings and make us the provider of choice for existing and new clients. With our strong leadership and demonstrated success of our platform, we believe we will be able to attract strong acquisition targets going forward. Our past acquisitions demonstrate our management’s ability to effectively source, execute, and integrate acquisitions into our existing and growing platform. We plan to continue to opportunistically pursue our acquisition strategy to continue to provide more comprehensive offerings for the highly fragmented eDiscovery and information governance industries.
Our products and technology
We have developed an array of integrated technologies and offerings that allows us to provide exceptional value to our clients.
eDiscovery
Nebula
Nebula epitomizes the modern, cloud-native application boasting the latest in AI / ML. Our award-winning software development and data science teams have incorporated best-of-breed technologies ranging from our own patented AI / ML technology to cutting-edge public cloud machine learning suites throughout Nebula to enhance efficiencies, streamline user experiences, and drive results.
Nebula can be delivered across numerous delivery vehicles, allowing the technology to be viable for virtually any use-case.
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Hosted in Microsoft Azure-Nebula maximizes the scalability, resiliency, and performance benefits of the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, delivering a powerful and fully optimized SaaS solution. Nebula is currently available via Azure with a wide regional diversity to address data sovereignty considerations across the globe. Clients with cloud-first strategies, or those with “in-region” mandates, will easily satisfy those requirements by utilizing the Nebula global cloud footprint. Further, we are always expanding Nebula’s global reach with multiple new regions added each year.
As with all Nebula deployments, security and compliance are top requirements. Microsoft Azure supports compliance with a broad set of industry-specific laws and meets comprehensive international standards. For example, Azure has ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 22301, ISO 9001 certifications, PCI DSS Level 1 validation, SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 attestations, HIPAA Business Associate Agreement, and HITRUST certification. Operated and maintained globally, Microsoft Azure is regularly and independently verified for compliance with industry and international standards and provides clients the foundation to achieve compliance for their applications.
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Hosted in Nebula data centers-Nebula is also hosted in our own data centers in six countries strategically positioned globally. We continually invest in our overall infrastructure. Running the same code as our other deployment models, our hosted SaaS deployments boast the same highly efficient, containerized, auto-scaling capabilities as do our cloud deployments. All our data center deployments are built for high availability, strong uptime, and robust disaster recovery and business continuity in the event of major disruptions. We maintain a global security governance program designed to meet current best-in-class security practices. Nebula’s infrastructure is regularly audited to maintain ISO 27001 certification. In addition, our data centers in North America are audited for SOC II compliance. Both audits assess the security standards, procedures, controls, and related practices deployed throughout our global operations. We believe Nebula provides the highest levels of performance, data protection, and fault tolerance, and unparalleled disaster recovery capabilities.
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Portable appliance-Nebula Portable is an encrypted device that is the size of a carry-on suitcase that functions as an entirely private and isolated Nebula instance. As with all our applications, security is of the utmost importance-providing clients with an elegant air-gapped solution for needs including data privacy, fraud investigations, cross-border litigation, and reviewing highly sensitive data.
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Enterprise appliance-Though Nebula, we are expanding availability of a rack-mounted solution to accommodate the geographic and data control needs of our clients. Nebula Enterprise brings the power, flexibility, and enhanced feature set of Nebula to clients’ data centers in a plug-and-play expandable appliance designed to address a myriad of security and compliance considerations. The capacity of our enterprise models ranges from a five terabyte model designed for corporations or law-firms seeking a small scale, low maintenance, in-house eDiscovery capability solution up to a 100 terabyte model for a large eDiscovery vendor’s entire technology stack.
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Reliability-Designed for long-term installation with minimal maintenance, Nebula Enterprise is self-healing, meaning the system can automatically restore normal operations in the event of hardware failure. Administrators are notified when an element requires replacement, and maintenance can be scheduled while maintaining functionality in the interim.
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Scalability-With different sizes available to meet client needs, this enterprise-grade hardware solution is offered as an annual subscription. In addition, Nebula Enterprise’s storage can be expanded to larger tiers as a client’s organization grows.
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Comprehensive dashboard-An integrated dashboard allows client’s IT staff to control and configure the system. In the event additional assistance is needed, secure remote support can be authorized through the dashboard.
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Scheduled Nebula updates-Nebula Enterprise subscribers receive complete Nebula upgrades, with the flexibility to schedule updates at a convenient time or manually initiate installations. Enterprise software is on the same release schedule as the other delivery models, so clients’ data is never stranded in any one delivery model.
Nebula includes an array of tools and features including:
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Email Threading-Determines the relationship between email messages and identifies the most content-inclusive messages to avoid redundant review.
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Near-Duplicate Detection-Identifies, groups, and highlights data with focus on subtle differences to enable quicker review.
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Language Identification-Automatically identifies the primary language of documents in a dataset.
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KLD Translations-Leverages advanced machine translation based on the current gold standard in translation AI, neural networks, to get accurate and reliable translations of documents written in many of the most common languages used across the globe. A fast and cost-saving alternative to human multi-lingual review.
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Native Spreadsheet Redaction-Allows reviewers to redact content from within Excel files without the need to convert to TIFF images. Options for redactions include removing cells, rows, columns, worksheets, formulas, images, and more. Pristine copies of the original file are always maintained.
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A/V Suite-Winner of Innovation Awards for Best Service Provider Solution and People’s Choice, A/V Suite simplifies the review of multimedia files. A/V suite allows users to visualize audio files and have total playback control in addition to providing the ability to quickly redact and produce audio files- something no other review platform can provide.
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Auto Redaction-Protect sensitive information and streamline the redaction process with an automated approach. Greatly reduce the burden of redacting documents by automatically finding and redacting personally identifiable information or any other category of sensitive information.
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PrivLog Builder-PrivLog Builder, or PLB, is an integrated suite of tools with advanced functionality to build privilege logs effectively and accurately. With automated privilege log features, name standardization and full compatibility with the most popular review platforms, PLB makes a daunting and costly process easier and significantly less expensive.
Nebula Big Data
Nebula Big Data provides a critical foundation to any information governance program. It captures data as it is created in dozens of platforms, such as Office 365, Slack, Box, and more. It provides the means to effectively classify and manage that data over the course of its lifecycle, including reliably preserving data subject to legal hold. It offers excellent data assurance against loss or alteration via a separate, secure copy of critical business data. It also enhances data with the ability to search and effectively retrieve targeted results, even from petabytes of source data.
Lastly, it reliably and defensibly disposes of data no longer required to be retained for any business or regulatory compliance purpose.
Nebula Big Data provides an alternative and/or enhancement to traditional backup solutions, particularly in the cloud era when many SaaS productivity platforms lack effective recovery means in response to inadvertent data loss, alteration, or ransomware attacks. Nebula Big Data offers a platform that is designed to satisfy strict retention and data assurance regulations, such as those of FINRA and the SEC governing broker-dealer communications. In addition, it is the foundation of a cost-effective eDiscovery strategy, permitting what we believe is unprecedented insight into data very early in a case and a highly effective means of selecting the most relevant data for quick and easy promotion within the Nebula platform.
KLD AI and review automation
To support our review platforms, we offer cutting-edge tools for our users that enhances productivity and efficiency for eDiscovery.
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Machine Learning-Our supervised machine learning, known as Predictive Coding in the legal industry, supports multiple workflows and methodologies and helps prioritize essential documents for review. As a result, we can automate the classification of electronic data, drastically reducing the time required for legal review and creating significant cost savings. Our predictive coding technology gets smarter with every document reviewed and supports proven statistical methodologies to create defensible workflows. In addition, we offer Predictive Coding in multiple ways including TAR 1.0 or Simple Active Learning and TAR 2.0 or Continuous Active Learning, which provides flexibility and optionality for our clients.
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Automated Workflow-Our workflow engine automates the routing and distribution of documents to streamline document review and maximize accuracy and defensibility-a key component of our bespoke document review offering. Workflow eliminates the need to maintain static batch sets and manually transition records to different review teams. Instead, documents flow automatically through completely customizable paths based on an endless number of potential criteria: foreign-language documents to native speakers; privileged documents to senior attorneys; random samples of reviewed documents to quality control teams; and so on. Since documents cannot move on without meeting defined criteria, an additional layer of quality control is built in. Workflow works hand-in-hand with Predictive Coding to make the review even more efficient.
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Workflow Reporting Suite-For large, complex document review projects, monitoring reviewer productivity and accuracy is paramount to achieving cost efficiency and accuracy. Workflow reporting suite is exclusively available in Nebula and provides dynamic, on-demand information on the progress, productivity, and tagging trends for document review projects run within the Workflow system.
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Natural Language Processing-Also exclusive to Nebula, powerful language-based AI enables users to gain meaningful insights into their data. For example, it can visually locate and search for documents about named entities, such as locations, events, and key people, with the added ability to filter for documents containing critical language by analyzing the author’s sentiment.
Nebula’s entity extraction engine is trained to recognize eight distinct categories of real-world entities, then visually cluster documents referencing the same entities. This approach, based on semantic understanding rather than simple word frequency, provides enhanced insight into the data, allowing users to isolate and retrieve relevant information or filter non-relevant material quickly. Nebula can also uncover topics that might otherwise go unnoticed, giving legal teams an advantage.
Nebula’s sentiment analysis tools analyze tone at both the document and sentence levels. At its core, sentiment analysis applies Natural Language Processing techniques and computational linguistics to derive emotional attributes from text content. By leveraging sentiment analysis, users can better understand how communications are perceived and help discern the author’s tone and intent. This gives Nebula users an edge in contexts where more than just the words themselves matter, as in, for example, matters related to workplace harassment. Companies can use this feature to learn the tone of their employees to help determine if communications are positive, negative, or neutral, and help
understand the behaviors and communication styles of employees and clients to identify trends and identify bad actors.
Processing
Our proprietary technology is purpose-built to address large and complex matters as easily and efficiently as it does the small and simple ones. With full integration in the Nebula ecosystem, our Processing technology allows us to address diverse needs on a massive, global scale.
We believe Nebula Processing allows us to process data with a higher degree of quality and, due to the lack of third-party licensing costs, at a lower cost point, as compared to providers relying exclusively on licensed technology. For organizations licensing Nebula for their eDiscovery needs-providers, law firms, and corporations alike-they reap the benefits of a mature processing technology that can not only be used at any scale and for any data set, but is also fully integrated and does not require any of the wrappers or clunky export/ import processes that come with licensing disparate third-party solutions.
Professional services
Leveraging our industry expertise and focus on delivering differentiated user experience, we complement our offerings with a suite of technology-enabled services.
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Technology Enabled Managed Review Services-We can provide staffing and expertise necessary to review large and complex data sets with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency to suit any and all cases. Our Managed Review Solutions are powered by our suite of proprietary technology, led by our AI and workflow accelerators that lead to a faster, more accurate, and most cost-effective review.
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Digital Forensics Services-Specializes in computer forensics, including collections and analysis, through in-person and remote locations.
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Information Archiving Services-Offers information preservation for long-term access and enhancing access to large volumes of information through scalable, enterprise-grade storage solutions.
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Advisory Services-Our team of experts provides unique perspectives and insights derived from extensive legal and regulatory knowledge, deep technical expertise, and real-world experience. Spanning all aspects of discovery and data management, our professional guidance is a complementary service to existing KLD solutions and critical for us in winning very large mandates that require astute client-focused expertise. Solutions offered encompass: eDiscovery readiness and response solutions, including eDiscovery expert witness, custodian interviews, preservation and collection strategy, legal hold solution; information governance solutions comprising Office 365 health check and legal hold process improvement; and data privacy solutions, including privacy compliance assessment and data breach risk mitigation.
Data recovery
Ontrack EasyRecovery
Developed through our partnership with one of the world’s leading data recovery software manufacturers, Ontrack EasyRecovery allows clients to perform precise file recovery of data lost through deletion, reformatting, and a number of other data loss scenarios. The product recovers data from solid-state drives and conventional hard drives, memory cards, USB hard drives, flash drives, and optical media. The product functions on both Windows and Mac operating systems and comes in several different versions, covering needs ranging from a small, one-time recovery to the most complex projects. There is a “free” version that is capable of recovering up to 1 GB of data, a “Home” version for straightforward recoveries, a “Professional” version suitable for small to medium businesses, and a “Technician” version that includes the tools needed to successfully perform data recoveries on all types of computer storage devices and rebuild broken RAID volumes.
Ontrack PowerControls
We believe Ontrack PowerControls is a market leading granular restore software product, developed from Ontrack’s expertise in data recovery. Ontrack PowerControls is used to find and export email, SharePoint items and structured query language tables for eDiscovery, litigation, investigations, compliance, selective migration, develop and test, and general restore use cases for IT.
We believe Ontrack PowerControls provides a more powerful and faster search tool than native tools, and, most importantly for legal and compliance use cases, it does not alter the metadata, making it forensically sound. Most enterprise backup platforms do not have granular restore capabilities, so they collaborate with Ontrack and integrate Ontrack PowerControls with their products.
We are currently licensing Ontrack PowerControls to more than 300 organizations globally.
Ransomware recovery
Ransomware is a form of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or certain data or publishes a victim’s data online. The attacker demands a ransom from the victim, promising-not always truthfully-to restore access to the data upon payment. When organizations are struck with ransomware, and crucial data cannot be accessed, it can be an extremely stressful time for all involved. Getting access to that critical data as quickly as possible is vital to ensure downtime is minimized and the organization can get back to normal.
The last decade has seen an increase of various ransomware Trojans surface, but the real opportunity for attackers has increased since the introduction of Bitcoin. This and other cryptocurrencies allow attackers to easily collect money from their victims without going through traditional channels.
No vertical is safe from the effects of ransomware. Unfortunately, some are more susceptible to successful attacks than others. There are various reasons for this: the technology they deploy, the security they have in place; identity governance and privilege maturity, and their overall cybersecurity protocols. And human error will always pose its own risks.
We continually track over 280 different types of ransomware, a population that is always evolving and growing. Ransomware changes and develops all of the time, so we want to make sure we are watching and studying the latest changes and advancements. Studying ransomware and its ever-changing forms provides additional knowledge and experience, leading to a higher probability that we will recover data that has been lost as a result of an attack.
Email extraction
We offer professional email recovery solutions for consumers and businesses alike. From individual files to entire databases, we maintain the expertise and technology to support practically any use case. The success of email recovery depends on where the email is stored. Email software, such as Microsoft Outlook, commonly stores email on hardware like a laptop, desktop, mobile phone, tablet, or server. We can easily recover email from both functioning and non-functioning hardware. Additionally, our recovery engineers are experienced in recovering enterprise email no matter how it is stored on a client’s server, whether it is inside a database, a Microsoft Exchange Information Store or individual messages in separate files, such as .pst containers.
Tape Solutions
We provide a range of tape services to solve the problems associated with legacy backup tapes and regularly support our clients to solve the following challenges:
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backup infrastructure migration and consolidation;
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legacy tape and data remediation;
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recovery from physically-damaged tapes; and
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recovery from quickly-erased or partially-overwritten tapes.
Data destruction solutions
Permanently deleting data is not as straightforward as pressing the delete button-it takes time and proper resources. Data that is not completely expunged before the media is disposed of is vulnerable to exposure. To increase the security of data, a secure, verified data destruction process is required. Based on their knowledge, our data experts seek to select and execute the most appropriate data destruction method for the client’s media. Once the data has been destroyed, we provide a certificate of destruction and disposal.
We support our clients throughout the whole data destruction process by offering data destruction solutions in our labs or onsite using Blancco Erasing Software or our Ontrack Degausser. For clients who want to handle the data destruction process themselves, we sell these products to the client and advise them how to best use them.
Sales
We operate with a global sales team that was integrated in 2020 across our offerings to address the specialized needs of our client base and cultivate strategic partnerships with key clients in our industry. As of December 31, 2021, our sales organization comprised of 67 professionals and is led by our sales executives and regional managers. Our business development managers have developed “first-call” relationships with several of our largest clients while providing significant expertise in the technical nature of the services.
Our global sales structure is tailored to deliver quick responses on pricing, account ownership requests, and general assistance with client requests and training. This structure is built on our foundational values of teamwork and responsiveness. Our global sales force pursues opportunities in a wide range of geographies and is not confined by the traditional territorial structure that competitors offer. This allows us to maximize relationships and revenue.
Sales leadership encourages representatives around the world to collaborate. A global sales strategy initiative has been implemented to facilitate communication between teams on shared major accounts, which includes the coordination of regular calls and information sharing on key accounts. Most law firms have multiple buyers, and this model maximizes our ability to increase penetration.
Sales executives are encouraged to act as their own entrepreneurs, backed by the support of seasoned sales leadership and a global sales operations team. The sales operations team assists the sales team with all client requests including conflict checks, SalesForce data entry, estimate creation, and generation of client agreements and work orders. This global support team allows the sales representatives to focus on what they do best- generating new business and maintaining existing client relationships. Our global sales structure and sales operations teams deliver quick responses to representatives and clients, flexible pricing models, and simplified matter initiation, giving us a competitive advantage in a fast-paced industry.
Marketing
We focus on connecting with our clients through our marketing team. Our marketing campaigns are developed internally and are focused on our mantra “KLD Difference. One KLD.” and our “Proprietary Powerhouse” technology. We advertise in a wide variety of trade publications and at sports and entertainment events. We also sponsor a variety of events, seminars, and conferences around the world. We operate approximately 35 global websites, which highlight our leadership, products, services, technology, industry experience, press clippings, and our community contributions. Holding true to our values, we are heavily focused on charitable donations and community work, which are highlighted on our “KLD Community” website page. We also have several video advertising campaigns which are shared via YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Additionally, we own the
“ediscovery.com” domain and believe that KLDiscovery will capture significant internet search results on eDiscovery matters, due to this highly valuable and unique domain name.
Research and Development
Our research and development organization is responsible for the design, development, testing, and scaling of our proprietary technology infrastructure. We believe that our continued investment in research and development, including hiring top engineering talent, is critical for us to provide a leading and differentiated ecosystem that can tackle the industry’s most complex data problems. Additionally, our application development process is informed by the continuous feedback we receive from our own service providers, as well as long-term clients who are looking for a better and more secure solution.
Our research and development team is based across the United States and European Union, primarily in Minnesota and Poland, with an expanding presence in Greece. As of December 31, 2021, we had 180 employees in our research and development department.
Our competition
We believe the eDiscovery and information governance market is bifurcated, highly fragmented, competitive, and evolving. We encounter competition from different software and service providers with various business model and product offerings that overlap with parts of our solutions, including:
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Software providers
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Legacy on-premise software-Providers such as Nuix, Open Text, Relativity, RELX and Thomson Reuters, as well as many other smaller software companies.
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Cloud software-Providers such as Everlaw, Logikcull, Relativity through its RelativityOne product offering, and Reveal Data Corporation, as well as many other smaller software companies. CS DISCO, another cloud-native software provider, is also offering a mix of software and human professional services.
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Service providers
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Legal services-Providers such as Consilio, Epiq Systems, FTI Consulting, the legal services divisions of large professional services firms such as Deloitte, Ernst and Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers, as well as an array of smaller regional and local legal services providers. Certain law firms also provide in-house eDiscovery solutions and legal document review services to their clients that may compete with our solutions.
We believe the principal competitive factors in this industry include:
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breadth of offering;
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client service and support;
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level of client satisfaction
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solution features and capabilities;
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flexibility of solution deployment;
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ease of access, deployment, implementation, and use;
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breadth of geographic coverage;
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accuracy, quality and depth of services offered;
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quality and use of technology;
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cost and predictability of costs;
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security; and
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client relationships and brand loyalty.
There are many small regional eDiscovery providers which may have a few captive relationships but lack the resources or scale to compete for meaningful work. Likewise, most of the global and national providers lack a comprehensive proprietary platform to complement their scale and resources. We believe we are distinctly positioned with an ideal complement of global reach, scale of resources, and proprietary technology to address almost any client need.
Additionally, we serve the data recovery market, which is highly fragmented and generally competitive. Clients choose vendors based on brand awareness and reputation, speed, price, and security. Our competitors in the data recovery market include Drivesavers, Gillware Data Recovery, Stellar Data Recovery, Disk Doctors, Digital Data Recovery DDC, and Myung Information Technologies.
We also compete in the legal hold market with companies such as Exterro, OpenText, ZApproved, and Zylab.
Intellectual property
We own a range of issued, registered and applied for intellectual property rights across the world, primarily trademarks and patents.
As of December 31, 2021, we owned 140 trademark registrations globally and had 36 trademark applications at various stages in the application process. Our material trademarks are either registered or are the subject of pending applications for registrations in the U.S. Patent and Trademark office and various non-U.S. jurisdictions (but with a focus on the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, China, Singapore and Hong Kong). We use “KLDiscovery”, “Ontrack”, and “Ibas” as our primary corporate trademarks. The trademark “KLDiscovery” has proceeded to registration in Australia, China, Brazil, the European Union, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, we have applied to register “Nebula,” the brand name for our proprietary eDiscovery platform, in our key markets and, to date, applications have proceeded to registration in the United States, Japan, the European Union, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Brazil.
We use “Kroll Ontrack” and “KrolLDiscovery” subject to a license from Kroll, LLC. In the third quarter of 2021, we negotiated the termination of our license for the Kroll Ontrack and KrolLDiscovery tradenames and executed the final agreements relating to the termination in October 2021. Under these agreements, our rights to use the trade names will expire on October 29, 2023. Part of the terms of the amended license are that the licensed marks will be withdrawn and/or cancelled upon our instructions and Kroll, LLC will be prevented from using and/or registering the same or similar marks. This agreement was a triggering event which resulted in an evaluation of impairment of our Kroll Ontrack and KrolLDiscovery tradenames capitalized as part of our 2016 Kroll Ontrack acquisition. See Note 1-Organization, business and summary of significant accounting policies to our audited consolidated financial statements.
We are the registered owner of over 500 domain names including our key domains used to promote our activities, namely: kldiscovery.com, ontrack.com, and ibas.com (along with many local variants of these main domain names). We are also the registered owner of ediscovery.com, which we believe will capture significant internet traffic in the future. Information contained on these websites or linked therein or otherwise connected thereto does not constitute part of nor is it incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the inclusion of these website addresses is an inactive textual reference only.
We own the copyright of many of our business software and tools as they have been created by employees in the course of their employment. These include the Nebula and EDR platforms, the PMDB Database (internal job tracking tool), Service Cloud (data recovery portal), PowerControls, and the various Relativity applications to enhance the license of standard Relativity platform services.
We have more than 20 patent registrations, including recently granted patents for our Nebula offering.
Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2021, we had 2,855 employees. This total includes 1,220 regular employees and 1,635 temporary contingent employees who are employed on a project basis to work on active managed review matters. Our employees are not represented by a labor union, and we have not experienced any work stoppages. We believe employee relations are good.
The skills, experience, and industry knowledge of our employees significantly benefit our operations and performance. We continuously evaluate, modify, and enhance our internal processes and technologies to increase employee engagement, productivity, and efficiency.
We strive to hire employees who adhere to the following cultural values:
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Team-We beat with one heart and succeed by working together
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Humility-No one person is above the team. Our company, clients, and teammates come before personal agenda
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Availability and connectivity-Responsiveness and efficient communication are key
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Frugality-Smart spending leads to greater return on investment
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Creativity-We think outside the box and always try to improve process
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Urgency and Productivity-Every day is an opportunity to work smarter, faster, and harder
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Vigilance (courage / honesty)-Management must value and be responsive to employee and client feedback, competitive information, and well-designed process improvement
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Singular Focus-Laser focus on performing your job to the best of your ability
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Recruiting-We hire smart, hungry and humble employees
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Client focus-Clients are our lifeline, and their satisfaction is our #1 priority
Annual employee training is used to reinforce these values across our global employee base. These trainings cover topics related to ethics, environment, health and safety, cyber-security, and emergency responses.
We believe that an inclusive culture where all employees feel valued and engaged makes KLDiscovery a desirable place to work, helps us to attract key talent and retain employees as they grow in their careers and fosters an environment that enhances each individual’s productivity and professional satisfaction.
As of December 31, 2021, not including employees who were employed temporarily to work on active managed review matters, our employees, including those employed by region, were located as follows:
Region
Percentage
North America
66%
Europe, Middle East, and Africa
30%
Asia Pacific
4%
In order to comply with local employee-related laws, we do not require our employees to disclose their race and ethnicity. As of December 31, 2021, based on self-reported information of approximately 65% of our U.S. based employees, our gender and ethnicity demographics were as follows:
Gender
Employee Percentage
Female
29%
Male
71%
Ethnicity
Employee Percentage
Asian
7.7%
Black / African American
7.5%
Hispanic / Latin
5.9%
Multiracial, Native American and Pacific Islander
3.2%
White
75.7%
Government regulation
We collect, store, transmit, use, disclose and otherwise process, which we refer to herein as “Process” or “Processing,” data that was collected from and about persons or their devices, including personal information, which is defined broadly by relevant privacy and cybersecurity laws, and other regulated or confidential client data. In addition to terms in our contractual arrangements with clients, there are numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations and directives regarding privacy and the Processing and protection of such personal information and client data, the scope of which is continually evolving and subject to differing interpretations. We and our clients must comply with such laws, regulations and directives and we and our clients may be subject to significant consequences, including penalties and fines, for our failure to comply.
For example, on May 25, 2018, GDPR replaced the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC with respect to the Processing of personal information in the European Union. The GDPR imposes several stringent requirements for controllers and processors of personal information (including non-E.U. processors who Process personal data on behalf of E.U. controllers), including, for example, more robust internal accountability controls, a strengthened individual data rights regime, shortened timelines for mandatory data breach notifications, limitations on retention and secondary use of information and additional obligations when we contract with third parties in connection with the Processing of personal information. Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and the applicable national data protection laws of the E.U. member states may result in fines of up to €20 million or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher, and other administrative penalties. Complying with the GDPR has required us to implement additional internal processes to seek to ensure that we Process personal information in a compliant way and we have regularly re-drafted all our standard contracts to meet specific articles within the GDPR and new interpretations of the GDPR. As we continue to operate under the GDPR, compliance may become onerous and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, following Brexit (the process by which the United Kingdom left the European Union), the United Kingdom enacted the Data Protection Act 2018, which implemented legislation similar to the GDPR, referred to as the UK GDPR, which provides for fines of up to the greater of £17.5 million (sterling) or 4% of global turnover.
Furthermore, recent legal developments in Europe have created complexity and compliance uncertainty regarding certain transfers of information from the EEA to the United States. For example, on July 16, 2020, the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which allowed for the transfer of personal data from the US to the EU, was invalidated by the European Court of Justice, or CJEU, and this was followed on September 8, 2020 by the invalidation of the equivalent Swiss-US Privacy Shield Framework. Three of our group companies were accredited under the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework to legitimize the transfer of personal data from the EEA to the United States. Although the CJEU upheld the adequacy of the standard contractual clauses (a standard form of contract approved by the European Commission as an adequate personal information transfer mechanism) upon which we rely for intra group transfers of personal information (and which is the most widely used transfer mechanism by our clients), it made
clear that use of the standard contractual clauses must now be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the legal regime applicable in the destination country, in particular applicable surveillance laws and rights of individuals. Additionally, the European Data Protection Board (assigned by the European Commission to oversee data privacy in the EU) has issued guidance concerning data transfers following these CJEU decisions which places a higher burden on compliance for data transfers. The European Union has recently re-issued the standard contractual clauses which must be used for all new personal data transfers after September 27, 2021 (a sunset date for existing personal data transfers on December 27, 2022 means that any existing personal data transfers must be subject to the new standard contractual clauses by this date). The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union has also imposed different requirements on personal data transfers which are currently subject to consultation by the United Kingdom’s Data Protection Authority. Given these legal developments and potential court cases concerning their validity, the long-term future of the standard contractual clauses remains uncertain, and we could be impacted by changes in law, including any future review of transfer mechanisms by the European courts or any supervisory authorities, which could require us to undertake substantial additional review of agreements on a going forward basis. If further legal bases for transferring personal information from Europe to the United States are invalidated, or if we are unable to transfer personal information between and among countries and regions in which we operate, it could affect the manner in which we provide our solutions or could adversely affect our financial results.
The California Consumer Protection Act, or CCPA, which became effective on January 1, 2020, introduced the most stringent data privacy laws in the United States to date, though several other states have passed or are in the process of passing laws and regulations governing privacy of their residents. Among other things, the CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California residents and affords such residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information and certain opt-out rights for sales of personal information. The CCPA includes a private right of action for certain data breaches, with potential for severe statutory damages. In November 2020, California voters passed the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, or the CPRA. The CPRA further expands the CCPA, imposing additional data privacy compliance requirements that may impact our business, and establishing a regulatory agency dedicated to enforcing those requirements. In addition, Virginia enacted the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, creating the second comprehensive U.S. state privacy law, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, and Colorado enacted the Colorado Privacy Act, which will go into effect partially on July 1, 2023; both laws are substantively similar to the CCPA and the CPRA in many respects, but also include their own unique compliance requirements. Certain aspects of the interpretation and enforcement of these laws remain uncertain as regulating bodies in these jurisdictions continue to work out applicability and scope of the laws and regulations. Comprehensive privacy laws have also been proposed in several other states and at the federal level. The effects of such laws could be significant and may require us to modify our data Processing practices and policies and incur substantial compliance-related costs and expenses. Additionally, many laws and regulations relating to privacy and the Processing and protection of certain types of data are subject to varying degrees of enforcement and new and changing interpretations by courts. Companies like ours that operate on a national and international scale are responsible for monitoring and complying with the patchwork of state requirements in the United States as well as other jurisdictions worldwide.
Furthermore, any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with or make effective modifications to our policies, or to comply with any federal, state or international privacy, data-retention or data-protection-related laws, regulations, orders or industry self-regulatory principles could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others (including clients), a loss of client confidence, damage to our brand and reputation or a loss of clients, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, various federal, state, and foreign legislative or regulatory bodies may enact new or additional laws and regulations concerning privacy, data-retention and data-protection issues, including laws or regulations mandating disclosure to domestic or international law enforcement bodies, which could adversely impact our business, our brand or our reputation with clients. For example, some countries have adopted laws mandating that personal information regarding clients in their country be maintained solely in their country. Having to maintain local data centers and redesign product, service, and business operations to limit personal information Processing to within individual countries could increase our operating costs significantly and require that we establish a physical presence in a country or region where we otherwise may not have opened any facilities.
Additionally, in connection with some of our product initiatives, we expect that our clients may increasingly use our cloud services to Process personal information and other regulated data. While we include privacy or information security obligations in our contracts, new jurisdictional legal requirements, in particular those from the E.U., may make it so that we will be unable to do business without more stringent obligations. Any failure by us to timely
amend client contracts to conform to changing data protection laws, or to comply with our posted privacy policies, other federal, state or international privacy-related or data protection laws and regulations, or the privacy or information security commitments contained in our contracts could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities or others, including individual rights of action, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the increased attention focused upon any liability we may have as a result of lawsuits or regulatory actions could also harm our reputation or otherwise impact the growth of our business. Furthermore, although we market and sell products to our clients to help them comply with federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations and directives, including the GDPR, our clients are responsible for ensuring they are in compliance with such laws, regulations and directives. Any failure by our clients to comply could result in significant consequences to them, including penalties and fines, and despite the existence of contractual exclusions and marketing disclaimers which make their responsibility for their own compliance clear, our clients may file claims or seek indemnification from us, which may result in reputational harm and require us to expend time, effort and costs to defend such claims or respond to indemnification requests. Our standard terms of business include caps on liability, where legally permitted, but these may be challenged by clients and disapplied by a court in any judgment against the Company.
In addition to government regulation, privacy advocacy and industry groups or other third parties may propose new and different self-regulatory standards that either legally or contractually apply to our clients or us. Any significant change to applicable laws, regulations, directives or industry practices regarding the Processing of our clients’ data, or regarding the manner in which the legal basis for Processing, such as express or implied consent of clients for the Processing of such data, is obtained, could require us to modify our solutions and features, possibly in a material manner, and may limit our ability to develop new solutions and features that make use of the data that our clients voluntarily share with us. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our privacy policies, our privacy-related obligations to clients or other third parties or our privacy-related legal obligations or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized access to, use, release or transfer of personal information or other client data, may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation, negative media attention or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others and could cause our clients to lose trust in us, which would have an adverse effect on our reputation and business. Our clients may also accidentally disclose their passwords or store them on a mobile device that may be lost or stolen, resulting in unauthorized access to their data and creating the perception that our systems are not secure against third-party access. Additionally, if employees or third parties that we work with, such as contractors, vendors or developers, violate applicable laws or our policies, such violations may also put our clients’ information at risk and could in turn have an adverse effect on our business.
We have expanded our involvement in the delivery and provision of cloud computing through business alliances with various providers of cloud computing services and software and expect to continue to do so in the future. The application of U.S. and international data privacy laws to cloud computing vendors is uncertain, and our existing contractual provisions may prove to be inadequate to protect us from claims for data loss or regulatory noncompliance made against us resulting from the failures of cloud computing providers which we may partner with. While we do seek to limit our liability for such claims in our contractual agreements with clients, the failure to comply with data protection laws and regulations by our business partners who provide cloud computing services could have a material adverse effect on our business. Cloud computing providers typically do not offer terms that match the commercial terms sought by our clients. We will need to modify our procurement processes in response to changing client and regulatory demands.
Corporate information
The mailing address of our principal executive office is 8201 Greensboro Dr., Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102 and the telephone number is (703) 288-3380. Our website address is www.kldiscovery.com. Information contained on our website or linked therein or otherwise connected thereto does not constitute part of nor is it incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Available Information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Our SEC filings are also available free of charge on our website at www.kldiscovery.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Implications of being an emerging growth company and smaller reporting company
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined under Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Securities Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These include:
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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements;
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exemption from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments; and
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exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period set forth in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period and, as a result, we are not subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that comply with new or revised standards on a non-delayed basis.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (i) December 31, 2024 (the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the IPO), (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, (iii) the last day of the fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is greater than $700.0 million as of the last business day of our second quarter of that fiscal year, and (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in nonconvertible debt during the prior three-year period.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a smaller reporting company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies. These include:
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presenting only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our annual reports on Form 10-K and registration statements; and
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reduced narrative disclosure obligations, particularly with respect to executive compensation, in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements.
Further, if we are a smaller reporting company with less than $100 million in annual revenue, we would be exempt from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting, similar to emerging growth companies. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last business day of the second fiscal quarter of a fiscal year on which either (i) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is $250 million or more as of such date, or (ii) both our annual revenue was $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is $700 million or more as of such date. However, we may continue relying on the reduced reporting requirements of smaller reporting companies through the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year in which we no longer qualify as a smaller reporting company. Therefore, we may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company.
We have elected to take advantage of certain of these reduced disclosure obligations in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and expect to take advantage of reduced disclosure obligations in future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, while we remain an emerging growth company or smaller reporting company, as applicable. If we do, the information that we provide stockholders may be different than what you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you may have equity interests. See “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock.”

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities carries a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with the financial and other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes, before you make an investment decision regarding our securities. Any one of these risks and uncertainties has the potential to cause material adverse effects on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results which could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements expressed by us and a significant decrease in the value of our securities. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic may amplify many of the risks discussed below to which we are subject and, given the unpredictable, unprecedented and fluid nature of the pandemic, it may materially and adversely affect us in ways that are not anticipated by or known to us or that we do not currently consider to present significant risk. Therefore, we are unable to estimate the extent to which the pandemic and its related impacts will adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward- Looking Statements.”
We may not be successful in preventing the material adverse effects that any of the following risks and uncertainties may cause. These potential risks and uncertainties may not be a complete list of the risks and uncertainties facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties that we are presently unaware of, or presently consider immaterial, that may become material in the future and have a material adverse effect on us. You could lose all or a significant portion of your investment due to any of these risks and uncertainties.
Privacy and Cybersecurity Risks
We collect, store, transmit, use, disclose and otherwise process personal and other regulated or confidential data, primarily on behalf of our clients, which subjects us to laws, governmental regulation and other legal and contractual obligations related to privacy and information security, and our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could adversely affect our business and reputation.
We collect, store, transmit, use, disclose and otherwise process, which we refer to herein as “Process” or “Processing,” data that was collected from and about persons or their devices, including personal information, which is as defined broadly by relevant privacy and cybersecurity laws, and other regulated or confidential client data. In addition to terms in our contractual arrangements with clients, there are numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations and directives regarding privacy and the Processing and protection of such personal information and client data, the scope of which is continually evolving and subject to differing interpretations. We and our clients must comply with such laws, regulations and directives and we and our clients may be subject to significant consequences, including penalties and fines, for our failure to comply.
For example, on May 25, 2018, the GDPR replaced the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC with respect to the Processing of personal information in the European Union. The GDPR imposes several stringent requirements for controllers and processors of personal information (including non-E.U. processors who Process personal data on behalf of E.U. controllers), including, for example, more robust internal accountability controls, a strengthened individual data rights regime, shortened timelines for mandatory data breach notifications, limitations on retention and secondary use of information and additional obligations when we contract with third parties in connection with the Processing of personal information. Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and the applicable national data protection laws of the E.U. member states may result in fines of up to €20 million or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher, and other administrative penalties. Complying with the GDPR has required us to implement additional internal processes to seek to ensure that we Process personal information in a compliant way and we have regularly re-drafted all our standard contracts to meet specific articles within the GDPR and new interpretations of the GDPR. As we continue to operate under the GDPR, compliance may become onerous and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, following Brexit (the process by which the United Kingdom left the European Union), the United Kingdom enacted the Data Protection Act 2018, which implemented legislation similar to the GDPR, referred to as the UK GDPR, which provides for fines of up to the greater of £17.5 million (sterling) or 4% of global turnover.
Furthermore, recent legal developments in Europe have created complexity and compliance uncertainty regarding certain transfers of information from the EEA to the United States. For example, on July 16, 2020, the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which allowed for the transfer of personal data from the US to the EU, was invalidated by the European Court of Justice, or CJEU, and this was followed on September 8, 2020 by the invalidation of the equivalent Swiss-US Privacy Shield Framework. Three of our group companies were accredited under the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework to legitimize the transfer of personal data from the EEA to the United States. Although the CJEU upheld the adequacy of the standard contractual clauses (a standard form of contract approved by the European Commission as an adequate personal information transfer mechanism) upon which we rely for intra group transfers of personal information (and which is the most widely used transfer mechanism by our clients), it made clear that use of the standard contractual clauses must now be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the legal regime applicable in the destination country, in particular applicable surveillance laws and rights of individuals. Additionally, the European Data Protection Board (assigned by the European Commission to oversee data privacy in the EU) has issued guidance concerning data transfers following these CJEU decisions which places a higher burden on compliance for data transfers. The European Union has recently re-issued the standard contractual clauses which must be used for all new personal data transfers after September 27, 2021 (a sunset date for existing personal data transfers on December 27, 2022 means that any existing personal data transfers must be subject to the new standard contractual clauses by this date). The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union has also imposed different requirements on personal data transfers which are currently subject to consultation by the United Kingdom’s Data Protection Authority. Given these legal developments and potential court cases concerning their validity, the long-term future of the standard contractual clauses remains uncertain, and we could be impacted by changes in law, including any future review of transfer mechanisms by the European courts or any supervisory authorities, which could require us to undertake substantial additional review of agreements on a going forward basis. If further legal bases for transferring personal information from Europe to the United States are invalidated, or if we are unable to transfer personal information between and among countries and regions in which we operate, it could affect the manner in which we provide our solutions or could adversely affect our financial results.
The California Consumer Protection Act, or CCPA, which became effective on January 1, 2020, introduced the most stringent data privacy laws in the United States to date, though several other states have passed or are in the process of passing laws and regulations governing privacy of their residents. Among other things, the CCPA requires covered companies to provide new disclosures to California residents and affords such residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information and certain opt-out rights for sales of personal information. The CCPA includes a private right of action for certain data breaches, with potential for severe statutory damages. In November 2020, California voters passed the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, or the CPRA. The CPRA further expands the CCPA, imposing additional data privacy compliance requirements that may impact our business, and establishing a regulatory agency dedicated to enforcing those requirements. In addition, Virginia enacted the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, creating the second comprehensive U.S. state privacy law, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, and Colorado enacted the Colorado Privacy Act, which will go into effect partially on July 1, 2023; both laws are substantively similar to the CCPA and the CPRA in many respects, but also include their own unique compliance requirements. Certain aspects of the interpretation and enforcement of these laws remain uncertain as regulating bodies in these jurisdictions continue to work out applicability and scope of the laws and regulations. Comprehensive privacy laws have also been proposed in several other states and at the federal level. The effects of such laws could be significant and may require us to modify our data Processing practices and policies and incur substantial compliance-related costs and expenses. Additionally, many laws and regulations relating to privacy and the Processing and protection of certain types of data are subject to varying degrees of enforcement and new and changing interpretations by courts. Companies like ours that operate on a national and international scale are responsible for monitoring and complying with the patchwork of state requirements in the United States as well as other jurisdictions worldwide.
Furthermore, any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with or make effective modifications to our policies, or to comply with any federal, state or international privacy, data-retention or data-protection-related laws, regulations, orders or industry self-regulatory principles could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others (including clients), a loss of client confidence, damage to our brand and reputation or a loss of clients, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, various federal, state and foreign legislative or regulatory bodies may enact new or additional laws and regulations concerning privacy, data-retention and data-protection issues, including laws or regulations mandating disclosure to domestic or international law enforcement bodies, which could adversely impact our business, our brand or our reputation with clients. For example, some countries have adopted laws mandating that personal information regarding clients in their country be maintained solely in their country. Having to maintain local data centers and redesign product, service and business operations to limit personal information Processing to within individual countries could increase our operating costs significantly and require that we establish a physical presence in a country or region where we otherwise may not have opened any facilities.
Additionally, in connection with some of our product initiatives, we expect that our clients may increasingly use our cloud services to Process personal information and other regulated data. While we include privacy or information security obligations in our contracts, new jurisdictional legal requirements, in particular those from the E.U., may make it so that we will be unable to do business without more stringent obligations. Any failure by us to timely amend client contracts to conform to changing data protection laws, or to comply with our posted privacy policies, other federal, state or international privacy-related or data protection laws and regulations, or the privacy or information security commitments contained in our contracts could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities or others, including individual rights of action, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the increased attention focused upon any liability we may have as a result of lawsuits or regulatory actions could also harm our reputation or otherwise impact the growth of our business. Furthermore, although we market and sell products to our clients to help them comply with federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations and directives, including the GDPR, our clients are responsible for ensuring they are in compliance with such laws, regulations and directives. Any failure by our clients to comply could result in significant consequences to them, including penalties and fines, and despite the existence of contractual exclusions and marketing disclaimers which make their responsibility for their own compliance clear, our clients may file claims or seek indemnification from us, which may result in reputational harm and require us to expend time, effort and costs to defend such claims or respond to indemnification requests. Our standard terms of business include caps on liability, where legally permitted, but these may be challenged by clients and disapplied by a court in any judgment against the Company.
In addition to government regulation, privacy advocacy and industry groups or other third parties may propose new and different self-regulatory standards that either legally or contractually apply to our clients or us. Any significant change to applicable laws, regulations, directives or industry practices regarding the Processing of our clients’ data, or regarding the manner in which the legal basis for Processing, such as express or implied consent of clients for the Processing of such data, is obtained, could require us to modify our solutions and features, possibly in a material manner, and may limit our ability to develop new solutions and features that make use of the data that our clients voluntarily share with us. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with our privacy policies, our privacy-related obligations to clients or other third parties or our privacy-related legal obligations or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized access to, use, release or transfer of personal information or other client data, may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation, negative media attention or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others and could cause our clients to lose trust in us, which would have an adverse effect on our reputation and business. Our clients may also accidentally disclose their passwords or store them on a mobile device that may be lost or stolen, resulting in unauthorized access to their data and creating the perception that our systems are not secure against third-party access. Additionally, if employees or third parties that we work with, such as contractors, vendors or developers, violate applicable laws or our policies, such violations may also put our clients’ information at risk and could in turn have an adverse effect on our business.
We have expanded our involvement in the delivery and provision of cloud computing through business alliances with various providers of cloud computing services and software and expect to continue to do so in the future. The application of U.S. and international data privacy laws to cloud computing vendors is uncertain, and our existing
contractual provisions may prove to be inadequate to protect us from claims for data loss or regulatory noncompliance made against us resulting from the failures of cloud computing providers which we may partner with. While we do seek to limit our liability for such claims in our contractual agreements with clients, the failure to comply with data protection laws and regulations by our business partners who provide cloud computing services could have a material adverse effect on our business. Cloud computing providers typically do not offer terms that match the commercial terms sought by our clients. We will need to modify our procurement processes in response to changing client and regulatory demands. If we fail to do so correctly, or in a timely manner, we may experience disruptions in client relationships, or receive regulatory inquiries or be the subject of government enforcement actions, which may in turn cause a material loss in revenues or damage our brand and reputation.
Any actual or perceived failure, or any allegations of failure to comply with governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy and information security could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our products, SaaS offerings, website and networks may be subject to intentional or accidental disruption, or unauthorized access, that could adversely affect our reputation and business.
Despite our precautions and significant ongoing investments to protect against security risks such as data breaches, cyber-attacks and other intentional or accidental disruptions of or unauthorized access to our products, offerings and networks, in light of our business and types and sensitivity of the information we store on behalf of clients, we have been and expect to continue to be an ongoing target of attacks specifically designed to breach or interrupt our networks and systems, which could harm our reputation and result in litigation, fines and penalties. Sophisticated actors may attempt to penetrate our network security or the security of our website and misappropriate proprietary or other information such as personal information or cause interruptions to our solutions. Our products may come under focused threats and attacks and we or our clients may suffer data loss or unauthorized access as a consequence of such attacks on our products. Such cyber-attacks threaten to misappropriate our or our clients’ proprietary or personal information and cause interruptions of our information technology solutions. Because the techniques used by unauthorized persons to access or sabotage networks change frequently and may not be recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate or detect these techniques. Further, if unauthorized access or sabotage remains undetected for an extended period of time, the effects of such breach could be exacerbated. In addition, sophisticated hardware and operating system software and applications that we produce or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of our systems and networks. We have experienced and defended against threats to our systems and security including malware, phishing attacks and Distributed Denial of Service attacks. For example, in 2020 a phishing attack resulted in certain client correspondence being made available to an unauthorized email account for a period of time. This incident was remediated and the investigation showed that the phishing attack did not affect any of our other computer systems, databases or networks, including those systems used to host or transfer client data, and that it was an isolated incident. While this incident and other unsuccessful attempts have not had a material adverse effect on our business to date, we may experience more serious incidents in the future. Our exposure to cybersecurity threats and negative consequences of cybersecurity breaches will likely increase as we store increasing amounts of our clients’ data in cloud-based environments.
We outsource a number of our internal business functions to third-party contractors, and some of our client facing business operations depend, in part, on the success of our contractors’ own cybersecurity measures. We also partner with cloud service providers for some client solutions. Similarly, particularly for the Data & Storage Technology business, we rely upon distributors, resellers, system vendors and systems integrators to sell our products and our sales operations depend, in part, on the reliability of their cybersecurity measures. Additionally, we depend upon our employees to appropriately handle confidential information and deploy our IT resources in a safe and secure fashion and in accordance with our policies so as not to expose our network systems to security breaches and the loss of or unauthorized access to data. Accordingly, if our cybersecurity systems, policies and procedures, and those of our contractors, partners and vendors fail to protect against unauthorized access, cyber- attacks or the mishandling or misappropriation of information by our employees, contractors, partners or vendors, our ability to conduct our business effectively could be damaged in a number of ways, including:
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sensitive data regarding our business, including intellectual property and other proprietary data, could be stolen or mishandled;
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our sensitive or proprietary data or the sensitive and proprietary data of our clients could be rendered unavailable through a ransomware or other cyberattack, resulting in potentially significant service disruptions, negative publicity, and loss of business;
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our electronic communications systems, including email and other methods, could be disrupted, and our ability to conduct our business operations could be seriously damaged until such systems can be restored and secured;
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our ability to process client orders and electronically deliver products and solutions could be lost or degraded, and our distribution channels could be disrupted, resulting in delays in revenue recognition;
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defects and security vulnerabilities could be exploited or introduced into our products or our cloud offerings, thereby damaging the reputation and perceived reliability and security of our products and solutions and potentially making the data systems of our clients vulnerable to further data loss and cyber incidents; and
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personal information, protected health information, or PHI or other confidential data of our clients, employees and business partners could be accessed without authorization, stolen or lost.
Should any of the above events occur, we could be subject to significant claims for liability from our clients, consumers and other third parties and regulatory actions from governmental agencies, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights could be compromised and our reputation and competitive position could be significantly harmed. The regulatory and contractual actions, litigations, investigations, fines, penalties and liabilities relating to data breaches that result in losses of personal information, PHI or credit card information of users of our solutions can be significant in terms of fines and reputational impact, and necessitate changes to our business operations that may be disruptive to us. Additionally, we could incur significant costs in order to upgrade our cybersecurity systems and remediate damages. Consequently, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could have an ongoing adverse effect on the Company’s business.
We are vulnerable to the general economic effects of disease outbreaks and similar public health threats. COVID-19 began to spread globally in late 2019 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and continues to impact worldwide economic activity. A public health pandemic, including COVID-19, poses the risk that we or our employees, contractors, suppliers, clients and other business partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time, including due to shutdowns that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities. KLDiscovery was eligible for federal government stimulus incentives, including U.S. payroll tax deferral and employee retention tax credits. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we deferred $4.0 million in payroll taxes, of which we repaid $2.0 million as of December 31, 2021 and $2.0 million of which will be paid by December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2021, we have claimed tax credits of $3.2 million, primarily related to the retention of our employees. We have received $1.8 million of these credits, which we do not have to repay, and have outstanding claims for additional tax credits of $1.4 million.
Our business has been adversely, and may be materially adversely affected, by the COVID-19 pandemic and the global response. Primarily due to the impact of COVID-19, our revenues decreased by $22.6 million, or 7.2%, to $289.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to $312.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 as many clients delayed new litigation and court systems closed for a period of time and have been slow to reopen. The COVID-19 pandemic has also adversely affected many industries as well as the economies and financial markets of many countries, in some countries causing a significant deceleration of economic activity. This slowdown at times reduced production, decreased demand for a broad variety of goods and services, diminished trade levels and led to corporate downsizing and increased unemployment. We also saw significant disruption of
and have continued to see extreme volatility in the global capital markets, which could increase the cost of, or entirely restrict access to, capital. The impact of the pandemic on the United States and world economies is uncertain and, unless the pandemic is eventually contained, these adverse impacts could continue or worsen, impacting all segments of the global economy, and could result in a significant recession or worse, any of which could impact our business.
Considerable uncertainty still surrounds the pandemic and the new strains identified globally as well as the extent and effectiveness of responses taken on a local, national, and global level, including the roll-out and long-term efficacy of vaccines. While we expect the pandemic and related events will have a negative effect on our business and could accelerate or magnify one or more of the risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the full extent and scope of the impact on our business and industry as well as on national, regional and global markets and economies is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Accordingly, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines previously done or presently planned could be adversely affected. Any of the foregoing risks, or other direct or indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that are not currently foreseeable, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We operate in highly competitive markets and our inability to effectively compete may adversely affect our business.
The markets for our products and solutions are highly competitive and are subject to rapid technological changes and evolving client demands and needs. We compete on the basis of various factors, including product functionality, product integration, platform coverage, quality of service interoperability with third-party technologies, ability to scale and price products and solutions, worldwide sales infrastructure, global technical support, name recognition and reputation.
Our competitors vary in size, scope and breadth of the products and solutions they offer and include software vendors that offer software products that directly compete with our product offerings. In our Data & Storage Technology business, we face growing competition from network equipment, computer hardware manufacturers, large operating system providers and other technology companies that increasingly develop and incorporate into their products storage, server management software and backup that compete at some levels with our product offerings. Our competitive position could be materially adversely affected if our clients perceive the functionality incorporated into these products as a replacement for our products. Many of our principal competitors are established companies that have substantial financial resources, recognized brands, technological expertise and market experience, and sometimes have more established positions in certain product lines and geographies than we do. We also compete with smaller and sometimes newer companies, some of which are specialized with a narrower focus than our company, and face competition from other eDiscovery and data management solutions providers. Our competitors invest significantly in research and development as well as sales and marketing. We also face competition from the backup solutions offered by cloud IT providers. It is also possible that certain of our clients have the resources to develop their own products or solutions that could be competitive with our offerings.
Our competitors may be able to more quickly adopt new or emerging technologies or address client requirements and new and emerging technologies may allow startup companies to more quickly enter the market than in the past. We may also face increased competition from companies that provide more in-depth offerings, adapting their products and solutions to meet the demands of their clients or combining with one of their competitors to enhance their products and solutions. A number of our principal competitors may continue to make acquisitions to improve the competitiveness of their offerings. Increased competition could cause, among other things, price reductions of our products, reduced profitability and loss of market share. To competitively serve the needs of our existing clients and to attract new clients, we must continue to:
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enhance and improve our existing products and solutions (such as by adding new content and functionalities);
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develop new products and solutions;
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invest in technology; and
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strategically acquire additional businesses and partner with other businesses in key sectors that will allow us to offer a broader array of products and solutions.
If we fail to effectively compete, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
Our continued growth depends in large part upon achieving significant market acceptance of Nebula or other new solutions we may develop in the future and we may not be successful in attaining such market acceptance.
Nebula is a relatively new offering and we have not derived a significant percentage of our Company’s historical revenue from its sales. The commercial success of Nebula or other new solutions we may offer will depend, in part, upon the degree of market acceptance by our existing and prospective client base. The degree of market acceptance of Nebula and any other solution we may develop in the future will depend on several factors, including the potential and perceived advantages of that solution as compared to other existing alternatives, our ability to offer the solution at competitive prices, the convenience and ease of use of the solution and the strength of our marketing and sales efforts. Any new or otherwise novel solution that we commercialize may not gain acceptance with one or more client groups, meaning we may not generate significant incremental revenue from Nebula. Efforts to educate our existing and prospective clients on the benefits of Nebula, or any other new offering we may develop as compared to other solutions we and our competitors offer, will require committing significant financial and other resources, including the time of our management, sales and marketing teams, and these efforts may not be successful. Further, even if Nebula or another new solution gains some market acceptance, it may nonetheless fail to gain sufficient traction to generate significant additional revenue. We may also over-estimate the size of the potential market for new products such as Nebula. Further, the means by which we make new solutions available to clients, such as the partner channel for Nebula, may not be successful. If Nebula does not achieve widespread acceptance, or in the future if there is a reduction in demand for Nebula caused by a lack of client acceptance, technological challenges, weakening economic conditions, security or privacy concerns, competing technologies and products, decreases in corporate spending, or otherwise, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our business depends on clients increasing their use of our solutions and services and any decline in their use of our solutions and services or failure to grow revenues with existing clients could adversely affect our business.
Our ability to grow and generate incremental revenue depends, in part, on our ability to maintain our relationships with existing clients and to grow their usage of our solutions and services. Most of our clients do not have long-term contractual financial commitments to us and, therefore, most of our clients, particularly those under usage-based or project-based arrangements, may reduce or cease their use of our solutions and services at any time, with little or no notice and without incurring any financial penalties. Clients on subscription-based arrangements may choose not to renew their agreement with us. Clients may reduce or terminate their use of our solutions and services or choose not to renew their agreement(s) with us for any number of reasons, including the settlement or other resolution of legal matters, reductions in the volume of major legal matters, budget constraints, dissatisfaction or negative perceptions regarding the reliability of our solutions and services, changes in our clients’ underlying businesses and financial conditions, changes in the type and size of our clients, pricing changes, legal industry trends from litigation toward alternative forms of dispute resolution, competitive conditions and general economic conditions. In addition, even if our clients expand their usage of our solutions and services, we cannot guarantee that they will maintain those usage levels for any meaningful period of time. Existing clients may also negotiate lower rates for their usage in exchange for an agreement to renew, enter into a subscription agreement, expand their usage in the future or adopt new solutions and services. As a result, the revenue we derive from consistent usage levels may decrease over time. If existing clients reduce their usage of or rates of payment for, or do not continue to use our solutions and services, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our future growth and financial performance also depends in part on our ability to expand our existing client relationships by increasing usage, increasing the number of clients on subscription-based agreements and selling
additional solutions and services to our existing clients. The rate at which our clients purchase solutions and services from us depends on a number of factors, including our ability to develop additional solutions and services and the quality of such applications, general economic conditions and pricing and services offered by our competitors. If our efforts to increase usage, increase the number of clients on subscription-based agreements and sell additional solutions and services to our clients are not successful, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
If we are unable to attract new clients, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.
We must attract new clients to continue to grow our business and our success in doing so will depend to a substantial extent on the widespread adoption of our solutions and services, including Nebula, by new clients. Achieving new client growth may require significant and costly sales efforts and will depend on the effectiveness of our sales organization. A number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, could impact our ability to acquire new clients, including, but not limited to, our competitors’ offerings, prospective new clients’ commitments to other providers, the real or perceived cost of switching to our solutions or services, our failure to develop and maintain relationships with prospective clients and our partner ecosystem, our failure to help clients successfully deploy our solutions and services, negative media or industry commentary regarding us or our offerings, the general level of litigation activity, and our failure to expand, retain and motivate our sales and marketing personnel. Any failure to grow our existing client base as a result of these or other factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may need to change our pricing models in order to compete successfully.
General economic and business conditions together with intense competition in the sales of our products and solutions place pressure on us to reduce prices for our software and solutions, and we frequently encounter aggressive price competition. If our competitors offer deep discounts on certain products or solutions or develop products that the marketplace considers more valuable than ours, we may need to lower our prices or offer other incentives in order to compete successfully. Any such changes may reduce margins and could adversely affect operating results or require that we offer our products or solutions at, or in certain cases, below our cost. Additionally, the increasing prevalence of cloud and SaaS delivery models offered by us and our competitors may unfavorably impact pricing of both our on-site software business and our cloud business, as well as overall demand for our on-site software product and solutions, which could reduce our revenues and profitability.
Industry pricing models are evolving, and we anticipate that clients may increasingly request alternative pricing models. These pricing models may exacerbate existing pricing pressures, require investments in different product solutions or place us at a competitive disadvantage relative to our competitors. Moreover, the use of evolving technology by our clients to develop more complex pricing models may lead to additional pricing pressures. If we are unable to adapt our operations to these evolving pricing models, our results of operations may be adversely affected or we may not be able to offer pricing that is attractive relative to our competitors.
Any broad-based change to our prices and pricing policies could cause our revenues to decline or be delayed as our sales force implements, and our clients adjust to, such new pricing policies. Some of our competitors may bundle products for promotional purposes or as a long-term pricing strategy or provide guarantees of prices and product implementations. These practices could, over time, significantly constrain the prices that we can charge for certain of our products. If we do not adapt our pricing models to reflect changes in client use of our products or changes in client demand, our revenues could decrease. An increase in open source software distribution may also cause us to change our pricing models.
Any of the foregoing risks with respect to our pricing policies could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to expand our operations and maintain or increase our revenue is dependent on the quality of our client service and support services, and our failure to provide high level service could have an adverse effect on our business.
Our clients depend upon our client service and support staff to meet their eDiscovery needs and they demand high-quality support services. Failure to meet that demand could negatively affect our reputation in the marketplace and could adversely affect sales of our services and solutions. Further, we may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate short-term increases in client demand for support services. We also may be unable to modify the format of our support services to compete with changes in support services provided by competitors or successfully integrate support for our clients. Further client demand for these services could increase our costs and adversely affect our operating results. Any failure to respond to the foregoing or other related risks could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to develop new and enhanced products and solutions that achieve widespread market acceptance, or if we are unable to continually improve the performance, features and reliability of our existing products and solutions or adapt our business model to keep pace with industry trends, our business could be adversely affected.
The markets in which we compete are characterized by rapid technological change, frequent new product introductions, evolving industry standards and changing client needs. We believe that key competitive factors in the markets we serve include the breadth and quality of professional services, system and software solutions, product integration, platform coverage, the stability of our information systems, the features and capabilities of our product and solutions, the pricing of our products and solutions, and the potential for future product and solution enhancements. Our future success depends in part on our ability to keep pace with technological changes and to respond to the rapidly changing needs of our clients by developing or introducing new products, product upgrades and solutions on a timely and cost-effective basis. We have in the past incurred, and will continue to incur, significant research and development expenses as we strive to remain competitive. Clients may require features and capabilities that our current products and solutions do not have, such as remote collections from mobile phones. We need to successfully respond to significant market challenges to our existing product portfolio as well as invest in new growth areas based on our core technical capabilities. Our failure to develop products and solutions that satisfy client preferences in a timely and cost-effective manner may harm our ability to maintain relationships with existing clients, as well as our ability to create or increase demand for our products and solutions, and may materially adversely affect our operating results. As competition in the IT industry increases, it may become increasingly difficult for us to maintain a technological advantage and to leverage that advantage toward increased revenues and profits. New product development and introduction involve a significant commitment of time and resources and are subject to a number of risks and challenges including:
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managing the length of the development cycle for new products and product enhancements, including the continued development of Nebula, which can fluctuate as new features are developed;
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designing and marketing products and professional services solutions that will be adopted by our client base as well as attract new clients for our technology;
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managing clients’ transitions to new products and solutions;
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adapting to emerging and evolving industry standards and to technological developments by our competitors and clients;
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extending the operation of our products and solutions to new and evolving platforms, operating systems, operating environments and models, including support of new workloads and data management technologies, and hardware products;
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clients’ ability to upgrade to the most current versions of software to take advantage of new functionalities;
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reacting to trends and predicting which technologies will be successful and develop into industry standards;
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tailoring our business and pricing models appropriately as we enter new markets and respond to competitive pressures and technological changes;
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extending or creating technology alliances with other key technology players in our industry;
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managing new product and solutions for the markets in which we operate;
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addressing trade compliance issues affecting our ability to ship our products;
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developing or expanding efficient sales channels; and
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obtaining sufficient licenses to technology and technical access from proprietary software providers, open source software providers and operating system software vendors on reasonable terms to enable the development and deployment of interoperable products, including source code licenses for certain products with deep technical integration into operating systems.
If we are not successful in managing these risks and challenges, if our new products, product upgrades and solutions are not technologically competitive or do not achieve market acceptance, or if our efforts are more costly or resource-intensive than anticipated or fail to achieve the expected outcomes, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Technology and Intellectual Property Related Risks
Our inability to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity event could impair our ability to deliver our products and solutions and adversely affect our business.
We are heavily reliant on our technology and infrastructure to provide our products and solutions to our clients. For example, we provide solutions through computer hardware that is located in our 9 global data centers around the world as well as in cloud-based data centers offered through the Microsoft Azure Cloud. Our physical data centers are vulnerable to damage, interruption or performance problems from earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, terrorist attacks, telecommunications failures and similar events. They are also subject to break-ins, computer viruses, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism and similar misconduct. The occurrence of any of these events, a decision to close a data center, or other unanticipated problems could result in interruptions in the delivery of certain of our products and solutions.
Any errors, defects, disruptions or other performance problems with our systems, products and solutions could reduce our revenue, cause us to issue credits or pay penalties, cause clients to terminate their agreements with us, commence or threaten litigation against us, harm our reputation and damage our clients’ businesses. We have experienced and may in the future experience disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, natural disasters, power outages, human or software errors, capacity constraints due to an overwhelming number of users accessing our website simultaneously, fraud or security attacks. Further, use of our solutions typically requires network and internet connectivity and our clients may experience disruptions, outages and other performance problems with their network or internet access independent of whether our systems are operating normally, which could affect their ability to use our products and solutions. In some instances, we may not be able to identify the cause or causes of these performance problems within an acceptable period of time or at all. Interruptions in our products and solutions could cause clients to cease doing business with us and adversely affect our reputation. In addition, our business would be harmed if any events of this nature caused our clients and potential clients to believe our solutions are unreliable. Our operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our technology infrastructure against damage from business continuity events that could have a significant disruptive effect on our operations and any failure to do so could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Defects, disruptions, performance problems or risks related to the provision of our product offerings could impair our ability to deliver our solutions and could expose us to liability, damage our brand and reputation or otherwise negatively impact our business.
Certain of our products and solutions utilize software solutions developed by us or third parties for our clients’ needs, and new releases of software products are issued to our clients periodically. Complex software products, such as those we offer, may contain undetected errors or defects, especially when they are first introduced or new
versions are released. Despite testing, these undetected errors may be discovered only after a product has been installed and used either in our internal processing system or by our clients, and could result in unanticipated service interruptions or other performance problems and cause damage to our clients’ businesses. If that occurs, clients could elect not to renew with us, to delay or withhold payment to us, or to make warranty or other claims against us, and we could be obligated to provide service credits based on our failure to meet service level commitments, which could result in additional expense and risk of litigation.
We believe that our reputation and name recognition are critical factors in our ability to compete and generate additional sales. Promotion and enhancement of our name will depend largely on our success in continuing to provide effective products and solutions. The occurrence of errors in our products or solutions, the discovery of security vulnerabilities or the detection of bugs by our clients may damage our reputation in the market and our relationships with our existing clients, and as a result, we may be unable to attract or retain clients.
In addition, because our products and solutions are used to manage data that is often critical to our clients, they may have a greater sensitivity to defects in our products than to defects in other, less critical, applications. As a result, the licensing and support of our products and solutions involve the risk of product liability claims. Our license agreements with our clients typically contain provisions designed to limit our exposure to potential product liability claims. However, the limitation of liability provisions contained in our license agreements vary and may not be effective as a result of existing or future national, federal, state or local laws or ordinances or unfavorable judicial decisions. Although we have not experienced any material product liability claims to date, the sale and support of our products entail the risk of such claims, which could be substantial in light of the use of our products in enterprise-wide environments. In addition, our insurance against product liability may not be adequate to cover all potential claims.
Any of the foregoing risks or others related to defects, disruptions, or performance problems related to the provision of our product and solutions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our products and solutions use third-party open source software components, and the failure to comply with the terms of the underlying open source software licenses could restrict our ability to provide our products and services.
A large number of our proprietary software and applications are built on commonly used “open source” licenses, which carries its own unique risks. Some open source licenses contain terms that may, depending on how the licensed software is used or modified, require that we make available source code for modifications or derivative works we create based upon the licensed open source software, authorize further modification and redistribution of that source code, make that source code available at little or no cost, or grant other licenses to our intellectual property. If we combine, distribute, link or convey our proprietary software together with open source software in a certain manner, we could, under certain open source licenses, be required to release the source code of our proprietary software. These scenarios could enable our competitors to create similar offerings with lower development effort and time and ultimately could result in a loss of our competitive advantages. Alternatively, to avoid the release of the affected portions of our source code, we could be required to purchase additional licenses, expend substantial time and resources to re-engineer some or all of our software or cease use or distribution of some or all of our software until we can adequately address the concerns.
Use of open source software can also present additional security risks because the public availability of such software may make it easier for hackers and other third parties to determine how to compromise our systems. In addition, use and distribution of open source software may entail greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide support, warranties, indemnification, or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the code. Any of the foregoing or other risks related to the use of open source software could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The terms of many open source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. or foreign courts and there is a risk that these licenses could be construed in a way that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability
to provide or distribute our products and solutions. From time to time, there have been claims challenging the ownership of open source software against companies that incorporate open source software into their solutions. As a result, we could be subject to lawsuits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software. While we employ practices designed to monitor compliance with third-party open source software licenses and to protect our proprietary source code, we generally do not run a complete open source license review and may inadvertently use third-party open source software in a manner that exposes us to claims of non-compliance or breach of contract, If we are held to have breached or failed to fully comply with all the terms and conditions of an open source software license, we could face infringement or other liability, or be required to seek costly licenses from third parties to continue providing our platform on terms that are not economically feasible, to re-engineer our platform, to discontinue or delay the provision of our platform if re-engineering could not be accomplished on a timely basis, or to make generally available, in source code form, our proprietary code, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The unavailability of third-party technology could materially adversely affect our business.
We license certain eDiscovery-related software from third parties and incorporate or integrate such components into and with our solutions and products. For instance, we integrate third-party solutions licensed from certain providers such as Relativity, a key supplier of one of our eDiscovery platforms, with our eDiscovery solutions and products. While we have developed our own proprietary platforms, certain third-party software, such as that licensed from Relativity, has become central to the operation and delivery of our eDiscovery solutions and products.
Certain of our third-party software license contracts expire within the next one to three years and may be renewed only by mutual consent. For instance, our license agreement with Relativity expires on June 30, 2024. There is no assurance that we will be able to renew these contracts as they expire or that such renewals will be on the same or substantially similar terms or on conditions that are commercially reasonable to us. If we fail to renew these contracts as they expire, we may be unable to offer certain eDiscovery-related solutions and products to our clients. In addition, our third-party software licenses are non-exclusive. For example, all of our primary competitors in the eDiscovery business use Relativity in connection with their eDiscovery platforms (in addition to any proprietary platforms that they may own themselves).
If certain of our third-party licensors were to terminate our licenses, change their product offerings, cease actively supporting their existing technologies, fail to update and enhance their technologies to keep pace with changing industry standards, encounter technical difficulties in the continued development of their technologies, significantly increase prices, suffer significant capacity or supply chain constraints or suffer other disruptions, we would need to identify alternative suppliers and incur additional internal and/or external development costs to ensure continued performance of our eDiscovery-related solutions and products. Such alternatives may not be available on attractive terms, or at all, or may not be as widely accepted or as effective as the software provided by our existing suppliers. If the cost of licensing or maintaining this third-party technology significantly increases, our margins could significantly decrease. In addition, interruptions in the functionality of our solutions and products resulting from changes in or with our third-party licensors could adversely affect our commitments to clients, reputation, future sales of our services and products solutions, and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We utilize various web service providers, such as Microsoft Azure, for the delivery of our cloud-based products. These solutions are operated by third parties that we do not control and that could require significant time to replace. We expect this dependence on third parties to continue. These systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption and have experienced interruptions in the past. A prolonged web service disruption affecting our cloud-based offerings for any of the foregoing reasons would negatively impact our ability to serve our clients and could damage our reputation with current and potential clients, expose us to liability, cause us to lose clients or otherwise harm our business. We may also incur significant costs for using alternative equipment or taking other actions in preparation for, or in reaction to, events that damage the web services we use. Interruptions in these third party-services on which we rely could affect the security or availability of our products and cloud infrastructure and could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, these web services providers may generally terminate our agreements for convenience upon providing some nominal period of notice and may terminate our agreements for cause if a breach by us has not been cured within a short time period. In the event that our service agreements are
terminated, or there is a lapse of service, elimination of web services or features that we utilize, interruption of internet service provider connectivity or damage to such facilities, we could experience interruptions in access to our platforms as well as significant delays and additional expense in arranging or creating new facilities and services and/or re-architecting our solutions for deployment on a different cloud infrastructure service provider, any of which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we encounter difficulties as we implement our new consolidated business systems, our business may be adversely affected.
We are in the process of implementing new consolidated business systems across our global operations which we expect to complete in the second half of 2022. We rely on our IT to help us effectively manage our client relationships, sales information, order processing and support and marketing services, and we anticipate that the implementation of new consolidated business systems will improve our processes. However, implementations such as these are complex and time-consuming projects that require transformations of business and finance processes, and there is a risk that implementation of these new systems will not achieve these expected benefits as quickly as anticipated or at all. In addition, there can be no assurance that there will not be errors, delays or other related issues resulting from the transition to our new business systems and adjustments to associated business processes, or that we will be able to fix any error or issue. These risks include loss of information, the compromise of data integrity and control systems and the potential disruption to our normal business operations and financial reporting processes. Additionally, if the new system does not operate as intended, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could be adversely affected and our ability to assess those controls adequately could be delayed. Such errors, interruptions, delays or other issues may also result in unanticipated costs or expenditures and divert the attention of key senior management away from other aspects of our business, any of which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we do not protect our proprietary rights and information and prevent third parties from making unauthorized use of our products and technology, our business could be adversely affected.
Most of our products and underlying technology is proprietary. We seek to protect our proprietary rights through a combination of confidentiality agreements and procedures, and through copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret laws of the United States and international jurisdictions. In addition, we use licenses, non-disclosure agreements and other agreements to restrict the use of our products by our clients and other third parties. However, all of these measures afford only limited protection and may be challenged, invalidated, disregarded, declared unenforceable or circumvented by third parties, subject to government march-in or sovereign rights or compulsory licensing, sunshine laws or be subject to freedom of information requests or court-ordered public disclosure, and we may not have effective remedies to protect our proprietary rights. Third parties may copy, reverse engineer all or portions of our products and underlying technology or otherwise misappropriate, disparage, dilute, steal, otherwise improperly use, distribute or sell our proprietary technology without authorization. Moreover, we may not be able to obtain effective protection for the technology underlying our new products and solutions as they are developed. For example, any of our pending or future patent applications, whether or not being currently challenged, may not be issued with the scope of the protection we seek, if at all. Furthermore, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions can be difficult to enforce and, even if successfully enforced, may not have effective remedies available to ameliorate unauthorized use or disclosure of our intellectual property.
Third parties may also develop similar or superior technology by designing around our patents and the other intellectual property protections or independently developing technology that does not infringe, misappropriate or violate our intellectual property rights. Our intellectual property may also be replaced or rendered obsolete by new technologies to which we have no right of use or can only acquire such use at unreasonable or unsustainable costs. Furthermore, the laws of some foreign countries do not offer the same level of protection or enforcement of our proprietary rights as the laws of the United States, and we may not be able to prevent unauthorized use of our products in those countries. For example, for some of our products, we rely on “shrink-wrap” or “click-wrap” licenses, which may be unenforceable in whole or in part in some jurisdictions in which we operate. The unauthorized sale, distribution or use of our products or proprietary technology could result in reduced sales of our products, or diminish our brand and reputation. Any legal action to protect proprietary technology that we may bring
or be engaged in with a client, strategic partner or vendor could adversely affect our ability to access software, operating systems and/or hardware platforms of such client, partner or vendor, or cause such partner or vendor to choose not to offer our products to their clients. In addition, any legal action we engage in to protect our proprietary technology could be costly, may distract management from day-to-day operations and may lead to additional claims against us, and we may not succeed; any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Third party claims of intellectual property infringement could cause us to incur significant expenses and restrict or otherwise adversely affect our business.
The software and internet industries are characterized by frequent litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. We have received in the past, and may receive in the future, communications from third parties alleging infringement of their intellectual property rights, including claims regarding patents, copyrights, trade secrets and trademarks. We also incorporate technology from third parties into our software and systems and, as such, cannot be certain that these licensors are not infringing the intellectual property rights of others or that the suppliers and licensors have sufficient rights to the technology in all jurisdictions in which we may offer our products and solutions. Because of the constant technological change in the markets in which we compete and the extensive coverage of intellectual property protection for existing technologies, including software patents, it is possible that the number of these claims may grow. In addition, former employers of our former, current or future employees may assert claims that such employees have improperly disclosed to us the confidential or proprietary information of these former employers. Many potential litigants, including some of our competitors and patent-holding companies, have the ability to dedicate substantial resources to assert their intellectual property rights.
Any such intellectual property claim, with or without merit, could result in costly litigation and distract management from day-to-day operations, and the outcomes of such claims are inherently uncertain. Also, because of the significant amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, we may risk compromising confidential or proprietary information if litigation ensued. If we are not successful in defending such claims, we may be subject to an injunction or other restrictions that could require us to stop selling, delay shipments of or redesign our products, stop offering (or temporarily stop offering) our solutions to others, pay royalties, fines or other monetary amounts as damages, enter into royalty or licensing arrangements or satisfy indemnification obligations that we have with some of our clients. There is no assurance that any royalty or licensing arrangements we may seek in such circumstances will be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. In addition, certain client agreements require us to indemnify our clients for third-party intellectual property infringement claims, which would increase the cost to us of an adverse ruling on such a claim. While our standard client agreements include contractual caps on liability, there is no guarantee that these would be upheld by a court. At times, even if we believe a suit is without merit, we may determine it is prudent to settle it in a way that restricts our use of the technology or requires us to pay monetary amounts. We have made and expect to continue making significant expenditures to preempt, investigate, defend and settle claims related to the use of technology and intellectual property rights, including trademarks, as part of our strategy to manage this risk. However, any alleged infringement or other violation of a third party’s intellectual property rights could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Other Business Risks
We have a history of losses and may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
We may not be able to increase the amount of revenues or cash flow we generate, and we might continue to incur net losses for some time as we continue to grow. We have experienced net losses for a number of years, including net losses of $(60.5) million and $(49.9) million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and we may incur net losses in the future. As of December 31, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $316.0 million. It is difficult for us to predict our future results of operations, and we expect our operating expenses to increase significantly over the next several years as we continue to grow our business, hire additional personnel, expand our operations and infrastructure and invest in research and development. If we fail to increase our revenue to offset the increases in our operating expenses, we may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
If we do not continue to attract, motivate and retain members of our senior management team and key employees, we may be unable to expand our products and solutions or effectively manage or grow our business.
Our future success depends upon the continued service and performance of our senior management team and key technical and sales personnel. If we lose any of our senior management team or key technical and sales personnel, we may be unable to effectively manage our current and future operations, including maintaining and growing existing, and developing new, client relationships.
Our success and future growth depend upon our ability to attract, train, motivate and retain highly qualified technical, managerial, and sales and marketing employees in order to implement our corporate development strategy and operations. In particular, we intend to increase our sales and marketing headcount by as much as 20% in the near term, and our ability to increase our client base and usage of our solutions, including Nebula, will significantly depend on our ability to successfully expand our sales and marketing teams and execute our sales strategy. Further, our top three sales representatives were responsible for approximately 24% of our sales for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2021. If any of our top sales personnel cease working for us, we may lose existing business from clients who had relationships with specific sales representatives and we may not be able to grow our business as quickly, or to the extent, we expect. We also intend to significantly increase our research and development headcount by as much as 70% to, among other things, continue to develop our Nebula offering. There is a limited pool of employees who have the requisite skills, training and education. We face intense competition for qualified individuals from numerous technology, software, startup and emerging growth companies, which are active in many of the technical areas and geographic regions in which we conduct product development. Attracting and retaining highly skilled employees will be costly as we offer competitive compensation packages to prospective and current employees. For example, we have agreed to provide payments to various current employees in connection with certain changes of control, and such payments may, in the aggregate, be material to us. If we are unable to continue to successfully recruit and retain the most skilled and capable senior managers and key technical and sales employees, particularly in connection with our current plan to significantly increase our sales and marketing and research and development teams, our ability to implement our business plan, growth strategy and develop and maintain our software and solutions, including Nebula, could be adversely affected, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to maintain, promote or expand our brand through effective marketing practices, our brand and business could be adversely affected.
We believe that maintaining and promoting our brand in a cost-effective manner is critical to retaining and expanding our client base. We have invested considerable money and resources in the establishment and maintenance of our brand, and we will continue to invest resources in brand marketing and other efforts to continue to preserve and enhance consumer awareness. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We utilize internet search engines such as Google, principally through the purchase of keywords, to generate additional traffic to our websites. The number of users we attract from search engines to our websites is due in large part to how links to our websites are displayed on search engine results pages. Search engines frequently update and change the algorithm that determines the placement and display of results of a user’s search, such that the purchased or algorithmic placement of links to our websites can be negatively affected. In addition, a significant amount of traffic is directed to our websites through our participation in pay-per-click and display advertising campaigns on search engines. If a major search engine changes its algorithms or results in a manner that negatively affects the search engine ranking, paid or unpaid, of our websites, our business, financial conditions and results of operations would be adversely affected.
We have acquired businesses in the past, and we may consider opportunities in the future to acquire other companies, assets or product lines that complement or expand our business. Risks related to acquisitions and the integration of businesses we may acquire could have an adverse effect on our business.
In the past we have grown through acquisition and we may continue to do so in the future. Achieving the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions depends on a number of factors, including whether we can identify and execute on suitable acquisition targets as well as integrate new businesses in an efficient and effective manner. The acquisition and integration of any acquired businesses involves a number of risks, including, but not limited to: the complexity, time and costs associated with the acquisition and integration process, the diversion of management’s time and
attention, the assumption of liabilities of the acquired businesses, including unknown liabilities and litigation related to the acquired business, the impairment of relationships with our existing clients and business partners or of those of the acquired business and the addition of acquisition-related debt as well as increased expenses and working capital requirements.
The successful acquisition and integration of any businesses or operations will depend on our ability to manage these operations, realize opportunities for revenue growth presented by strengthened product and solutions and expanded geographic market coverage, and eliminate redundant and excess costs to fully realize the expected synergies. Because of difficulties in combining operations and systems which may not be fully compatible and may be geographically distant, we may not be able to achieve the financial strength and growth and other benefits we anticipate from an acquisitions. Any failure to integrate acquired businesses and operations efficiently and effectively or fail to realize the benefits we anticipate could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our international business operations subject our business to additional risks.
We have significant international operations with 32 locations in 19 countries, including data centers in Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland and Japan. We may expand our international operations if we identify growth opportunities. Our international operations are subject to the following risks, among others:
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foreign certification, licensing and regulatory requirements, which may be substantially more complex or burdensome than our domestic requirements;
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risk associated with selecting or terminating partners for foreign expansion, including marketing agents, distributors or other strategic partners for particular markets;
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risk associated with local ownership and/or investment requirements, as well as difficulties in obtaining financing in foreign countries for local operations;
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reduced protection of confidential consumer information in some countries;
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political unrest, international hostilities, military actions, including, without limitation, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, terrorist or cyber-terrorist activities, other geopolitical events, natural disasters, pandemics, and infrastructure disruptions;
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differing economic cycles and adverse economic conditions;
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unexpected changes in and compliance with foreign regulatory requirements, including GDPR;
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regulations or restrictions on the use, import or export of technologies that could delay or prevent the acceptance and use of our products;
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differing business practices, which may require us to enter into agreements that include non-standard terms;
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varying tax regimes, including with respect to the imposition of withholding taxes on remittances and other payments by our partnerships or subsidiaries;
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differing labor regulations;
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foreign exchange controls and restrictions on repatriation of funds from our international subsidiaries;
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fluctuations in currency exchange rates, economic instability and inflationary conditions
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inability to collect payments or seek recourse under or comply with ambiguous or vague commercial or other laws;
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potential loss of proprietary or personal information due to misappropriation or laws that may be less protective of our intellectual property rights than U.S. laws or that may not be adequately enforced
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varying attitudes towards censorship and the treatment of information service providers by foreign governments, in particular in emerging markets
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difficulties in attracting and retaining qualified management and employees, or rationalizing our workforce;
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difficulties in staffing, managing and operating our international operations, including difficulties related to administering our stock plans in some foreign countries;
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difficulties in coordinating the activities of our geographically dispersed and culturally diverse operations;
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costs and delays associated with developing software and providing support in multiple languages; and
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difficulties in penetrating new markets due to entrenched competitors, lack of recognition of our brands or lack of local acceptance of our products and solutions.
Foreign operations bring increased complexity and the costs of managing or overseeing foreign operations, including adapting and localizing solutions or systems to specific regions and countries, can be material. Further, international operations carry inherent uncertainties regarding the effect of local or domestic actions, such as the unknown long-term impact of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union (Brexit), which could be material. Our overall success as a global business depends, in part, on our ability to anticipate and effectively manage these risks, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so without incurring unexpected costs. If we are not able to manage the risks related to our international operations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially affected.
We may need to recognize impairment charges related to goodwill, identified intangible assets and fixed assets.
We have substantial balances of goodwill and identified intangible assets. We are required to test goodwill and any other intangible assets with an indefinite life for possible impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently when circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. We are also required to evaluate amortizable intangible assets and fixed assets for impairment if there are indicators of a possible impairment.
Based on the results of the annual impairment test as of October 1, 2021 and the qualitative assessment performed as of December 31, 2021, we concluded that the fair value of our reporting unit exceeded the individual reporting unit’s carrying value, and goodwill was not impaired. There is significant judgment required in the analysis of a potential impairment of goodwill, identified intangible assets and fixed assets. If, as a result of a general economic slowdown, deterioration in one or more of the markets in which we operate or impairment in our financial performance and/or future outlook, the estimated fair value of our long-lived assets decreases, we may determine that one or more of our long-lived assets is impaired. An impairment charge would be recorded if the estimated fair value of the assets is lower than the carrying value and any such impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial position.
The insurance coverage that we purchase may prove to be inadequate or unavailable when we need the coverage.
We carry liability, property, directors and officers, business interruption, Cyber and other insurance policies to cover insurable risks to our company. We select the types of insurance, the limits and the deductibles based on our specific risk profile, the cost of the insurance coverage versus its perceived benefit and general industry standards. Our insurance policies contain industry standard exclusions for events such as war. Although we generally attempt to select reputable insurance carriers, any economic disruptions may prevent us from using our insurance if the counterparty does not have the capital necessary to meet the coverage. In addition, our agreements with clients also contain obligations to carry comprehensive general liability, property, workers’ compensation, and automobile liability insurance. Any of the limits of insurance that we purchase could prove to be inadequate, which could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our sales cycles with clients can be long and unpredictable and our sales efforts require significant time and expense.
The timing of our sales with our clients and related revenue recognition is difficult to predict due to the length and unpredictability of the sales cycle for our clients. In addition, the lengthy sales cycle for the evaluation and implementation of our solutions may also cause us to experience a delay between incurring expenses for such sales efforts and the generation of corresponding revenue. The length of our sales cycle can vary substantially from client
to client. Our sales efforts, include educating our clients about the use, technical capabilities and benefits of our solution. The clients we serve often undertake a prolonged evaluation process, which frequently involves not only our solution but also those of our competitors. In addition, the size of potential clients may lead to longer sales cycles. As the use of our solution can be dependent upon the timing of work in legal matters, our sales cycle can extend to even longer periods of time. During the sales cycle, we expend significant time and resources on sales and marketing and contract negotiation activities, which may not result in a completed sale. Additional factors that may influence the length and variability of our sales cycle include:
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economic conditions and other factors affecting client budgets;
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the regulatory environment in which our clients operate;
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the discretionary nature of clients’ purchasing decisions and budget cycles;
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the effectiveness of our sales force, particularly new salespeople, as we increase the size of our sales force and train our new salespeople;
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clients’ procurement processes, including their evaluation of competing products and services;
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evolving client demands; and
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competitive conditions.
Further, some of our potential clients may undertake a significant evaluation and negotiation process due to size, organizational structure and approval requirements, all of which can lengthen our sales cycle. We may also face unexpected deployment challenges or more complicated deployment of our solution. These clients may demand additional features, support services and pricing concessions or require additional security management or control features. We may spend substantial time, effort and money on sales efforts to our potential clients without any assurance that our efforts will produce any sales. As a result, it is difficult to predict exactly when, or even if, we will make a sale to a potential client or if we can increase sales to our existing clients. Any of the foregoing could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
Our failure to comply with the export controls and trade and economic sanctions laws and regulations of the United States and various international jurisdictions could result in legal liability and adversely affect our reputation and business.
Our business activities are subject to various export controls and trade and economic sanctions laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Export Administration Regulations, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control’s trade and economic sanctions programs, the United Nations Security Council, and other laws and regulations of a similar nature administered and enforced by relevant government authorities (collectively, “Trade Controls”). Such Trade Controls may prohibit or restrict our ability to, directly or indirectly, conduct activities or dealings in or with certain countries, as well as with individuals or entities that are the subject of Trade Controls-related prohibitions and restrictions. For example, our ability to procure items necessary for our business activities could be adversely impacted by the imposition of export or sanctions-related prohibitions or restrictions on our contractual counterparties. Similarly, our sales of certain commodities, software and technology, and our provision of solutions to persons located outside the United States may be subject to certain regulatory prohibitions, restrictions or other requirements, including certain licensing or reporting requirements. Similarly, our ability to procure such items necessary for our business activities could be adversely impacted by the imposition of export or sanctions-related prohibitions or restrictions on our contractual counterparties. Our failure to successfully comply with applicable Trade Controls may expose us to negative legal and business consequences, including civil or criminal penalties, government investigations, disgorgement of profits, injunctions and suspension or debarment from government contracts, other remedial measures, and reputational harm. Investigations of alleged violations can be expensive and disruptive.
Although we have implemented compliance policies and internal procedures reasonably designed to promote compliance with applicable Trade Controls, we cannot assure compliance by our employees or representatives for
which we may be held responsible, and any such violation could materially adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our failure to comply with the anti-corruption laws and regulations of the United States and various international jurisdictions could adversely affect our reputation and business.
Doing business on a worldwide basis requires us to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations imposed by governments around the world with jurisdiction over our operations, which may include the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, as well as the laws of the countries where we do business. These laws and regulations apply to companies, individual directors, officers, employees and agents, and may restrict our operations, trade practices, investment decisions and partnering activities. Where they apply, the FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act prohibit us and our officers, directors, employees and business partners acting on our behalf, including joint venture partners and agents, from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing or providing anything of value to “foreign officials” for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. The U.K. Bribery Act also prohibits non-governmental “commercial” bribery and accepting bribes. As part of our business, we may deal with governments and state-owned business enterprises, the employees and representatives of which may be considered “foreign officials” for purposes of the FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act. We also are subject to the jurisdiction of various governments and regulatory agencies around the world, which may bring our personnel and agents into contact with “foreign officials” responsible for issuing or renewing permits, licenses or approvals or for enforcing other governmental regulations. In addition, some of the international locations in which we operate lack a developed legal system and have elevated levels of corruption.
Our global operations expose us to the risk of violating, or being accused of violating, anti-corruption laws and regulations. Our failure to successfully comply with these laws and regulations may expose us to reputational harm as well as significant sanctions, including criminal fines, imprisonment, civil penalties, disgorgement of profits, injunctions and suspension or debarment from government contracts, as well as other remedial measures. Investigations of alleged violations can be expensive and disruptive. Despite our compliance efforts and activities, we cannot assure compliance by our employees or representatives for which we may be held responsible, and any such violation could materially adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
The legal industry is highly regulated and we are or may become subject to a wide range of foreign, federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and any failure to comply with these laws, rules and regulations may adversely affect our business.
The legal industry is and will continue to be subject to extensive and evolving U.S. federal, state and foreign laws, rules and regulations, including the rules and regulations of the organizations and other authorities governing the legal profession in the jurisdictions in which we or our clients operate. These laws, rules and regulations can vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, in the United States, each state has adopted laws, regulations and codes of ethics that provide for the licensure of attorneys, generally grant licensed attorneys the exclusive right to practice law in that state and place restrictions upon the activities of licensed attorneys. As a company, we are not authorized to practice law. In the United States, we may not provide legal advice to our clients, primarily because we do not meet the ethical and regulatory requirements, present in nearly every U.S. jurisdiction, of being exclusively owned by licensed attorneys. Although we believe that our operations are either compliant with, or not subject to, these and other regulatory requirements of the jurisdictions in which we or our clients operate, regulators or other authorities of such jurisdictions could disagree. In such circumstances, regulators may enjoin our operations, subject us to rules governing conflicts of interests, require registration, seek to impose punitive fines or sanctions or take other disciplinary actions against us, our employees or our clients, any of which may inhibit our ability to do business in those jurisdictions. In addition, we are subject to regulations and laws specifically governing the internet and the collection, storage, processing, transfer and other use of personal information and other client data. We are also subject to laws and regulations involving taxes, import/export, privacy and data security, anti-spam, content protection, electronic contracts and communications, mobile communications, unencumbered internet access to our products and solutions, the design and operation of websites and internet neutrality. Any failure to comply with these rules and regulations, or any allegations of our failure to comply whether or not we believe they have merit, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The foregoing description of laws, rules and regulations to which we are or may be subject is not exhaustive and the regulatory framework governing our operations is subject to evolving interpretations and continuous change. Moreover, if we expand into additional jurisdictions, we will be subject to additional laws and regulations.
Litigation and other legal and regulatory claims and proceedings could have an adverse effect on us.
From time to time we have been and may in the future be involved in litigation and other legal and regulatory claims or proceedings that arise in and outside the ordinary course of business, some of which could be material. We expect that the number, frequency and significance of these matters may increase as our business continues to expand, including entering new jurisdictions, and we grow as a company. In addition to the types of claims discussed in elsewhere in “-Legal and Regulatory Risks,” we have been, and may in the future be, subject to claims involving commercial disputes, intellectual property matters, labor and employment matters, such as complaints filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or claims brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and other matters. We may also be exposed to potential claims arising from the conduct of our employees for which we may be liable. In addition to more general litigation, because of the nature of our business and the fact that most client projects utilizing our offerings are legal matters, at times we are also a named party in these matters because of the use of our services and solutions, including with respect to billing matters.
Any legal or regulatory claims against us or investigation into our business, whether meritorious or not, can be time consuming, result in significant legal and other expenses, require significant amounts of management’s time and divert significant operational resources. Class action lawsuits are often particularly burdensome given the breadth of claims, large potential damages and significant defense costs. Claims and proceedings can also impact client confidence and the general public’s perception of our company, even if the underlying allegations are proven false.
While we from time to time establish legal reserves that we believe to be reasonable under the facts known, the outcomes of litigation and other legal and regulatory claims and proceedings are often hard to reliably predict, making the timing and amount of any reserves difficult to determine and, if a reserve is established, often subject to future revision. Although we carry general liability insurance coverage, our insurance may not cover all potential losses to which we may be subject as a result of litigation and other claims. Any claims or proceedings, particularly those in which we are unsuccessful or for which we did not establish adequate reserves or are not adequately insured, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the Code, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income and taxes may be limited. In general, an “ownership change” occurs if there is a cumulative change in our ownership by one or more “5% shareholders” (as defined under U.S. income tax laws) that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. Similar rules apply under state tax laws. We believe it is possible that we may experience an ownership change in the future as a result of future offerings or subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which are outside our control, in which case we may be limited in our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax assets to reduce taxes owed on the net taxable income that we earn. If finalized, Treasury Regulations currently proposed under Section 382 of the Code may further limit our ability to utilize our pre-change NOL and tax credit carryforwards if we undergo such an ownership change. See Note 13 - Income Taxes to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Unanticipated changes in our effective tax rate or challenges by tax authorities could adversely affect our future results of operations.
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and various non-U.S. jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the allocation of our pre-tax earnings and losses among countries with differing statutory tax rates, in certain non-deductible expenses as a result of acquisitions, in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or in federal, state, local or non-U.S. tax laws and accounting principles, including increased
tax rates, new tax laws or revised interpretations of existing tax laws and precedents. Increases in our effective tax rate would adversely affect our operating results.
In addition, we may be subject to income tax audits by various tax jurisdictions throughout the world. The application of tax laws in such jurisdictions may be subject to diverging and sometimes conflicting interpretations by tax authorities in these jurisdictions. Although we believe our income tax liabilities are reasonably estimated and accounted for in accordance with applicable laws and principles, an adverse resolution of one or more uncertain tax positions in any period could have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.
Taxing authorities may successfully assert that we should have collected or in the future should collect additional sales and use taxes, and we could be subject to liability with respect to past or future sales, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
We have not historically filed sales and use tax returns or collected sales and use taxes in all jurisdictions in which we have sales, based on our belief that such taxes are not applicable. Taxing authorities may seek to impose such taxes on us, including for past sales, which could result in penalties and interest. Any such tax assessments may adversely affect the results of our operations.
Taxing authorities could reallocate our taxable income among our subsidiaries, which could increase our consolidated tax liability.
We conduct integrated operations internationally through subsidiaries in various tax jurisdictions pursuant to transfer pricing arrangements between our subsidiaries and between our subsidiaries and us. If two or more affiliated companies are located in different countries, the tax laws or regulations of each country generally require that transfer prices be the same as those between unrelated companies dealing at arm’s length and that contemporaneous documentation is maintained to support the transfer prices. While we believe that we operate in compliance with applicable transfer pricing laws and intend to continue to do so, our transfer pricing procedures are not binding on applicable tax authorities. If tax authorities in any of these countries were to successfully challenge our transfer prices as not reflecting arms’ length transactions, they could require us to adjust our transfer prices and thereby reallocate our income to reflect these revised transfer prices, which could result in a higher tax liability to us. Such reallocations may subject us to interest and penalties that would increase our consolidated tax liability and could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Risks Related to our Substantial Indebtedness
Our substantial levels of indebtedness could adversely affect our business.
As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately $527.1 million of indebtedness, including $229.4 million in the form of convertible debentures due 2024 (the “Debentures”) and $297.8 million under the 2021 Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2021, we did not have any amounts outstanding under our credit facility. Additionally, under our credit facility, we may borrow up to $50 million in the form of delayed draw term loans and, subject to outstanding letters of credit, up to $40 million under our revolving credit facility, as described in Note 7 - Long term debt in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our indebtedness could have important consequences to us and our investors, including, but not limited to:
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increasing our vulnerability to, and reducing our flexibility to respond to, general adverse economic and industry conditions;
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requiring the dedication of a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to the payment of principal of, and interest on, our indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of such cash flow to fund operations, working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, joint ventures or other future business opportunities;
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exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates on our borrowings under our credit facility, which is at variable rates of interest;
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limiting flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business, market conditions and the competitive environment, placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who are less highly leveraged; and
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limiting our ability to borrow additional funds and increasing the cost of any such borrowing.
In addition, as our indebtedness matures, or if we are unable to service our high level of indebtedness, we may need to restructure or refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness, sell material assets or operations or raise additional debt or equity capital. We may not be able to effect any of these actions on a timely basis, on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, and these actions may not be sufficient to meet our capital requirements. Furthermore, we may not be able to invest in our business and as a result, we may not be able to achieve our forecasted results of operation.
Our ability to make payments on debt, to repay existing or future indebtedness when due, to fund operations and significant planned capital expenditures and to support our growth strategy will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. Our ability to produce cash from operations is, and will be, subject to a number of risks, including those described above in “-Risks Related to Our Business and Industry” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our ability to repay debt will also depend on external factors that are outside of our control, including economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors. If we are unable to make required interest and principal payments on our indebtedness, it would result in an event of default under the agreements governing such indebtedness, which may result in the acceleration of some or all of our outstanding indebtedness and foreclosure on the assets that secure such indebtedness.
Although our debt agreements contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, the amount of indebtedness that could be incurred in the future in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial, thereby exacerbating the risks associated with our high level of indebtedness.
Any of the foregoing risks could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. For additional information on our indebtedness, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources”, and Note 7 - Long term debt in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The terms and covenants in our existing indebtedness restricts our ability to engage in some business and financial transactions, which could adversely affect our business.
Our senior secured credit facility and the instruments governing our Debentures have restrictive covenants that limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things:
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pay dividends, redeem capital stock and make other restricted payments and investments;
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sell assets or merge, consolidate, or transfer all or substantially all of our subsidiaries’ assets;
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engage in certain transactions with affiliates;
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incur or guarantee additional debt;
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impose dividend or other distribution restrictions on our subsidiaries; and
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create liens on our subsidiaries’ assets.
In addition, our credit facility contains a financial maintenance covenant that, among other things, requires the loan parties to not exceed a specified net leverage ratio tested at the end of each quarter. Among other things, we may not be able to borrow money under our credit facility if we are unable to comply with the financial and other covenants included therein. Our credit facility also contains certain customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants and events of default (including, among other things, an event of default upon a change of control). If an event of default occurs, our lenders will be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts due under our credit facility and all actions permitted to be taken by a secured creditor.
Any future debt that we incur may contain additional and more restrictive negative covenants and financial maintenance covenants. These restrictions could limit our ability to obtain debt financing, repurchase stock, pay dividends, refinance or pay principal on our outstanding debt, complete acquisitions for cash or debt or react to changes in our operating environment or the economy.
Our failure to comply with obligations under our credit facility or the agreements governing the Debentures or any future indebtedness may result in an event of default under the applicable agreement. A default, if not cured or waived, may permit acceleration of some or all of our other indebtedness and trigger other termination and similar rights under other contracts. We cannot be certain that we will be able to remedy any defaults and, if our indebtedness is accelerated, we cannot be certain that we will have sufficient funds available to pay the accelerated indebtedness or that we will have the ability to refinance the accelerated indebtedness on terms favorable to us or at all, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The required interest payments on our indebtedness under the credit facility may be impacted by reforms related to the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR. The variable interest rates applicable under the credit facility are linked to LIBOR as the benchmark rate for establishing such rates. Recent national, international, and other regulatory guidance and reform proposals regarding LIBOR required certain LIBOR tenors to be discontinued or become unavailable by the end of 2021 and LIBOR to be fully discontinued or become unavailable as a benchmark rate by June 2023. Although the credit facility includes mechanics to facilitate the adoption by us and our lenders of an alternative benchmark rate for use in place of LIBOR, no assurance can be made that such alternative benchmark rate will perform in a manner similar to LIBOR or result in interest rates that are at least as favorable to us as those that would have resulted had LIBOR remained in effect, which could result in an increase in our interest expense and other debt service obligations. In addition, the overall credit market may be disrupted as a result of the replacement of LIBOR or in the anticipation thereof, which could have an adverse impact on our ability to refinance, reprice, or amend our existing indebtedness or incur additional indebtedness on favorable terms or at all.
See Note 7- Long term debt in our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
There is currently no active public market for our common stock and an active, liquid and orderly trading market for our common stock may not develop or be maintained.
Our common stock currently trades in over-the-counter markets and is quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet Market under the ticker symbol “KLDI.” An active, liquid and orderly trading market for our common stock may not develop or be maintained. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the following:
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the likelihood that an active trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained;
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the liquidity of any such market;
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the ability of our stockholders to sell their shares of common stock; or
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the price that our stockholders may obtain for their common stock.
On December 19, 2019 we received notification from the NYSE regarding the delisting of our common stock following consummation of the Business Combination for failing to meet the listing requirement to have 400 minimum round lot shareholders (holders of 100 shares or more) and, on January 7, 2020, our common stock was delisted. If an active market for our common stock with meaningful trading volume does not develop in the future or is not maintained for any reason, the market price of our common stock may decline materially and you may not be able to sell your shares or get accurate price quotations on our common stock. Further, to the extent our common stock is determined to be a “penny stock” (an equity security with a price of less than $5.00 that is not registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems meeting certain requirements), brokers trading in our common stock would be required to adhere to different rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our common stock. Under any of
these scenarios, our ability to issue additional securities for financing or other purposes, or otherwise to arrange for any financing we may need in the future, may also be materially and adversely affected.
The trading price of our common stock may be volatile.
The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and could fluctuate significantly due to a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control. The following factors, among others, could adversely affect our stock price or result in significant price or volume volatility, regardless of our actual operating performance:
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actual or anticipated variations in our operating and financial performance and that of our competitors, including reserve estimates;
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changes in our industry or the markets in which we operate;
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our ability to accurately project future results and our ability to achieve those or meet the expectations of other industry and analyst forecasts;
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changes in market valuations of similar companies;
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strategic actions, including acquisitions, or investments by us or our competitors;
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speculation in the press or investment community;
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sales of our common stock by us, our directors or officers or the perception that such sales may occur;
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changes in key management personnel;
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actions by our stockholders, including sales of large blocks of our common stock;
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general economic and political conditions, including an economic slowdown;
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new or changes to existing legislation or other regulatory developments that affect us, or our industry or our markets;
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short selling of our common stock or related derivative securities or hedging activities; and
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the realization of any risks described in this “Risk Factors” section or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The stock markets in general have experienced extreme price and volume volatility often unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock and other companies in our industry, often without regard to the operating performance of the affected companies. Securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company’s securities. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs, divert our management’s attention and resources and harm our business, operating results, financial condition and reputation. In addition, the Business Combination resulted in our merging with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, which can cause additional volatility in the price of our common stock. We expect that the price of our common stock and of that of SPACs in general may be more volatile compared to the stock price of an operating company. Therefore, factors that have little or nothing to do with us could cause the price and trading volume of our common stock to fluctuate, and these fluctuations or any fluctuations related to our company could cause the market price of our common stock to decline materially.
Our stock price may be exposed to additional risks because our business became a public company through a “de-SPAC” transaction. There has been increased focus by government agencies on transactions such as the Business Combination in the last year, and we expect that increased focus to continue, and we may be subject to increased scrutiny by the SEC and other government agencies and holders of our securities as a result, which could adversely affect the price of our common stock.
The coverage of our business or our common stock by securities or industry analysts or the absence thereof could adversely affect our stock price and trading volume.
The market for our common stock will be influenced in part by the research and other reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us or our business or industry. We do not currently have, and may never obtain, research coverage by industry or financial analysts. If no or few analysts commence coverage of us, the trading price and volume of our stock would likely be negatively impacted. If analysts do cover us and one or more of them downgrade our stock, or if they issue other unfavorable commentary about us or our industry or inaccurate research, our stock price would likely decline. Furthermore, if one or more of these analysts cease coverage or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets. Any of the foregoing would likely cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.
We may issue additional shares of common stock or other equity securities without stockholder approval, which would dilute existing ownership interests and may depress the market price of our common stock.
We have warrants outstanding to purchase up to an aggregate of 29,350,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. To the extent the price of our common stock rises above the exercise price of these warrants and they are exercised, an existing stockholder’s investment in the company will be diluted. Further, the warrants that were issued in a private placement concurrent with the consummation of the IPO, or the Private Warrants, can be exercised on a cashless basis, meaning we would not receive any cash proceeds in connection with any such exercise. We also may issue an aggregate of 2,200,000 shares of common stock to certain of our stockholders if the reported closing sale price of our common stock equals or exceeds $13.50 per share for any 20 consecutive trading days during the five-year period following the closing of the Business Combination on December 19, 2019. We also may issue up to $0.7 million in shares of common stock in 2022 in connection with an earn-out related to an acquisition completed in 2019. As of December 31, 2021, 9,626,451 shares of common stock were reserved under the 2019 Plan, of which 1,723,630 shares of common stock remained available for issuance. We have filed registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act registering these shares under our 2019 Plan and outstanding awards issued under our 2019 Plan. Subject to the terms of the awards pursuant to which these shares have been or may be granted, and except for shares held by affiliates who will be subject to the resale restrictions described below, the shares issuable pursuant to awards granted under our stock incentive plans will be available for sale in the public market immediately.
Additionally, in the event we voluntarily prepay all or a portion of the Debentures prior to maturity, the holders of such prepaid Debentures will have the right to purchase shares of our common stock in amount commensurate in value to the pre-payment at a price of $18 per share, subject to adjustment. The holders of the Debentures also have the option to convert the Debentures into shares of our common stock at the same price at any time. The number of shares that may be issued in such a circumstance cannot be determined at this time. We may issue additional shares of common stock or other equity securities of equal or senior rank in the future in connection with, among other things, future acquisitions or repayment of outstanding indebtedness, without stockholder approval, in a number of circumstances. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or other equity securities of equal or senior rank would dilute the ownership interests of existing stockholders and could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, and any decision on our part to comply with certain reduced reporting and disclosure requirements available to us could make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, and, for as long as we continue to be either, we intend to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, including, but not limited to: including only two years of audited financial statements in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Securities Act registration statements; not being required to have our independent registered public accounting firm audit our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; reduced disclosure obligations regarding our business, executive compensation, corporate governance and other matters in our registration statements, periodic reports and proxy statements; and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments
not previously approved. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have chosen to “opt in” to this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards and, as a result, we are not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that comply with such new or revised standards on a non-delayed basis. We will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of: (i) the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the IPO, which occurs in February 2024; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year during which our total annual gross revenues are $1.07 billion or more; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; or (iv) both our annual revenue is $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is $700 million or more as of the last business day of our second fiscal quarter of that year. We will cease being a smaller reporting company as of the last business day of the second fiscal quarter of any fiscal year on which either (i) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is $250.0 million or more as of such date or (ii) both our annual revenue was $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is $700 million or more as of such date. However, we may continue relying on the reduced reporting requirements of smaller reporting companies through the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year in which we no longer qualify as a smaller reporting company. Therefore, we may continue to qualify as a smaller reporting company even after we cease to be an emerging growth company. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we have chosen to rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of any choices to reduce future disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and the price of our common stock may decline or be more volatile.
The trading price of our common stock may decline if our stockholders sell a large number of shares of our common stock or if we issue a large number of new shares of our common stock or shares convertible into our common stock.
A majority of our outstanding shares of common stock are held by a relatively small number of our stockholders, including one or more affiliates of the Carlyle Group, L.P., or TCG, Revolution Growth III, L.P., or Revolution Growth, and Pivotal. All shares held by our affiliates are eligible for resale in the public market, subject to applicable securities laws, including the Securities Act. Rule 144 of the Securities Act provides a safe harbor under which affiliates of an issuer may resell their securities into the public market, subject to volume limitations and other restrictions. However, TCG has the right to demand that we register its shares under the Securities Act and it and other stockholders have the right to include their shares in any registration statement that we file with the SEC, subject to certain exceptions. Any registration of these or other shares would enable those shares to be sold in the public market. A sale of a substantial number of our shares in the public market by our significant stockholders or pursuant to new issuances by us or the perception that one or more of these sales or issuances could occur could depress the market price of our common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.
Concentration of ownership among our large stockholders and their affiliates may limit the influence of smaller stockholders on corporate decisions and the interests of such large stockholders may not align with those of the smaller stockholders.
Currently, a majority of our outstanding shares are held by a relatively small number of our stockholders, including one or more affiliates of TCG, Revolution Growth and Pivotal. Additionally, TCG and Revolution Growth have the right together to nominate for election up to six members of our Board of Directors, depending on the parties’ aggregate beneficial ownership of our common stock. As a result, if some of these stockholders vote in an aligned manner, they could meaningfully influence the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, amendments to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and approval of significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or sale of our company or its assets and make some transactions that might otherwise give our other stockholders the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of our common stock more difficult or impossible without their support. This concentration of ownership could limit the ability of other stockholders to influence corporate matters and may delay or preclude an acquisition. These stockholders may transfer significant voting blocks of our common stock to a third-party by transferring their common stock, which would not require the approval of our Board of Directors or other
stockholders. Some of these persons or entities may have interests that may materially differ from the rest of our stockholders. This concentration of ownership may also adversely affect our share price.
Additionally, TCG, Revolution Growth, Pivotal and certain current and former directors, including Kevin Griffin, and, in each case, and their respective affiliates, are in the business of making investments in companies and may from time to time acquire and hold interests in businesses that compete directly or indirectly with us. These parties may also pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. In recognition that representatives of these parties and their respective affiliated entities and funds may serve as members of our Board of Directors or in other capacities, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, among other things, that, to the fullest extent permitted by law: (i) the parties and their respective affiliates shall not have any fiduciary duty to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business activities or lines of business we do, (ii) we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, business opportunities that are from time to time presented to these parties and their respective affiliates, even if the opportunity is one that we might reasonably be expected to pursue or would have pursued given the opportunity to do so and (iii) each of these parties and their respective affiliates shall have no duty to communicate or offer any such business opportunity to us and will not be liable to us for breach of any fiduciary or other duty, as a director or officer or otherwise, by reason of the fact that they pursue the business opportunity, direct the business opportunity to another person or fail to present the business opportunity to us; provided that the corporate opportunity was not expressly and exclusively offered to any such person in his, her or its capacity as one of our directors or officers. In the context of this waiver, a corporate opportunity will not be deemed to belong to us if it is a business opportunity that we are not financially or legally able or contractually permitted to undertake, or that is, from its nature, not in our line of business or is of no practical advantage to us or that is one in which we have no interest or reasonable expectancy. These potential conflicts of interest could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations if, among other things, attractive corporate opportunities are allocated by these parties to themselves or one of their respective affiliates.
We have never paid dividends on our common stock, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. Any determination to pay dividends to holders of our common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our financial condition, results of operations, projections, liquidity, earnings, legal requirements, restrictions in our credit facility, agreements governing any other indebtedness we may enter into and other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant. See “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities-Dividend Policy.” Accordingly, our stockholders may need to sell their shares of our common stock to realize a return on their investment, and they may not be able to sell their shares at or above the price they paid for them. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be our stockholders’ sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
Our ability to raise capital in the future may be limited and we may not be able to secure additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all.
In order for us to grow and successfully execute our business plan, we will require additional financing. Additionally, our business and operations may consume resources faster than we anticipate. Therefore, in the future, we expect we will raise additional funds through various financings that may include the issuance of new equity securities, debt or a combination of both. However, any sale or perception of a possible sale by one or more of our significant stockholders or our other affiliates, and any related decline in the market price of our common stock, could impair our ability to raise capital. Further, additional financing, whether debt or equity, may not be available on favorable terms, or at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to fund our capital requirements. If we issue new debt securities, the debt holders would have rights senior to stockholders to make claims on our assets, and the terms of any debt could restrict our operations, including our ability to pay dividends on our common stock. If we issue additional equity securities, existing stockholders will experience
dilution, and the new equity securities could have rights senior to those of our common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Thus, our stockholders bear the risk of our future securities offerings reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting their interest.
Other Miscellaneous Risks
Any failure to maintain an effective internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect our business and stock price.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. In particular, Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to furnish annually a report by management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. As an emerging growth company and smaller reporting company, we currently avail ourselves of the exemption from the requirement that our independent registered public accounting firm attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404. However, we may no longer avail ourselves of this exemption when we cease to be both an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal control over financial reporting is documented, designed or operating.
We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly and place significant strain on our personnel, systems and resources. Testing and maintaining internal controls can also divert our management’s attention from other matters that are important to the operation of our business. Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business. Additionally, a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected. Therefore, our internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and all fraud.
Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls could harm our results of operations or make it more difficult to record, process, produce and report financial information accurately, and to prepare financial statements on a timely basis as required by SEC rules, which could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our consolidated financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Ineffective internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, subject us to civil and criminal investigations and penalties and adversely effect on the trading price of our common stock.
We had identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.
We had identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting in the past and other significant deficiencies and material weaknesses may be discovered in the future. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Following the April 12, 2021 issuance of the SEC “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)” and after consultation with our independent registered public accounting firm, our management and our audit committee concluded that, in light of the SEC Staff statement, the Private Warrants, which we had been accounting for as a component of equity in the 2020 and 2019 financial statements should have been recorded as a liability at fair value. The Company had determined that the errors were not material to those historical financial
statements and therefore recorded the cumulative effect of the errors on prior periods during the three months ended March 31, 2021. As part of such process, we had identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. Although we believe we have remediated this material weakness, we may need to take additional measures to address the material weakness or modify remediation steps taken, and we cannot be certain that the measures we have taken, will be sufficient to address the issues identified, to ensure that our internal controls are effective or to ensure that the identified material weakness will not result in a material misstatement of our consolidated financial statements. Moreover, we cannot assure you that we will not identify additional material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting in the future. Further, as a result of this material weakness, and other matters raised or that may in the future be raised by the SEC, we face potential for litigation or other disputes which may include, among others, claims invoking the federal and state securities laws, contractual claims or other claims arising from the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have no knowledge of any such litigation or dispute. However, we can provide no assurance that such litigation or dispute will not arise in the future. Any such litigation or dispute, whether successful or not, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains anti-takeover provisions that could adversely affect the rights of our stockholders.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions, including, among other things:
•
provisions that authorize our Board of Directors, without action by our stockholders, to issue additional shares of common stock and preferred stock with preferential rights determined by our Board of Directors;
•
provisions that permit only a majority of our Board of Directors to call stockholder meetings and therefore do not permit stockholders to call stockholder meetings;
•
provisions that impose advance notice requirements, minimum shareholding periods and ownership thresholds, and other requirements and limitations on the ability of stockholders to propose matters for consideration at stockholder meetings;
•
provisions limiting stockholders’ ability to act by written consent; and
•
a staggered Board of Directors whereby our directors are divided into three classes, with each class subject to retirement and re-election once every three years on a rotating basis.
These provisions could have the effect of depriving our stockholders of an opportunity to sell their common stock at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. With our staggered Board of Directors, at least two annual or special meetings of stockholders will generally be required in order to effect a change in a majority of our directors. Our staggered Board of Directors can discourage proxy contests for the election of our directors and purchases of substantial blocks of our shares by making it more difficult for a potential acquirer to gain control of our Board of Directors in a relatively short period of time.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides, subject to limited exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against directors, officers and employees for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on
such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction, or (D) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the Court of Chancery and the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall have concurrent jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in the second amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. We cannot be certain that a court will decide that this provision is either applicable or enforceable, and if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the exclusive forum provision will be applicable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties.
We do not own any properties and all of our material physical properties are occupied pursuant to either the terms of a negotiated lease or another contractual arrangement for occupation of space, such as space rental in a data center facility.
The table below presents summary information regarding our material properties as of December 31, 2021.
Country
Location
Legal
Technologies
Office
Data Storage
Technologies
Office
Managed
Review
Facility
Data
Center
Clean
Room
Australia
Brisbane
X
X
X
Canada
Toronto
X
X
Canada
Toronto
X
China
Shanghai
X
Finland
Helsinki
X
X
France
Paris
X
X
X
France
Paris
X
Germany
Boblingen
X
X
X
Germany
Frankfurt
X
Greece
Athens
X
Hong Kong
North Point
X
X
Hong Kong
Won Chai
X
Ireland
Balleycoolin
X
Italy
Varese
X
X
Japan
Tokyo
X
X
X
Japan
Tokyo
X
Netherlands
Amersfoort
X
X
Norway
Kongsvinger
X
X
X
Poland
Katowice
X
X
X
X
Spain
Madrid
X
X
Sweden
Uppsala
X
X
Switzerland
Wallisellen
X
X
United Kingdom
London
X
X
X
X
United Kingdom
Slough
X
United States
Austin, Texas
X
X
United States
Ambler, PA
X
United States
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
X
United States
Chicago, Illinois
X
United States
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
X
X
X
X
X
United States
Fairfax, Virginia
X
United States
McLean, Virginia
X
X
X
X
United States
Richmond, Virginia
X

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
In the ordinary conduct of our business, we are subject to lawsuits, arbitrations and administrative proceedings from time to time. We vigorously defend these claims; however, no assurances can be given as to the outcome of any pending legal proceedings. We believe, based on currently available information, that the outcome of any existing or known threatened proceedings, even if determined adversely, should not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity or results of operations.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, is quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet Market under the symbol “KLDI.” Our public warrants are quoted on the OTC Pink Sheet Market under the symbol “KLDIW.” Any over-the-counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
As of December 31, 2021, there were 51 holders of record of our common stock, and 9 holders of record of our warrants. The number of holders of record does not represent the actual number of beneficial owners of our common stock because the shares of common stock are frequently held in “street name” by securities dealers and others for the benefit of individual owners who have the right to vote and/or dispositive power with respect to their shares.
Dividend Policy
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock and we currently do not anticipate paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Instead, we anticipate that all of our earnings on our common stock will be used to provide working capital, to support our operations, and to finance the growth and development of our business, including potentially the acquisition of, or investment in, businesses, technologies or products that complement our existing business. Any future determination relating to dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, our future earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, liquidity, future prospects, restrictions in the agreements governing our and our subsidiaries’ existing and future indebtedness, Delaware law, which provides that dividends are only payable out of surplus or current net profits, and other factors our Board of Directors may deem relevant.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. [Reserved]

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
OVERVIEW
In 2005, Chris Weiler, our Chief Executive Officer, co-founded KLDiscovery with the goal of disrupting the legal technology market by providing world-class technology solutions to manage increasingly complex data processes. Since then, we have made a number of acquisitions, including the transformative acquisition in 2016 of Kroll Ontrack, a storied technology and services company with a history dating back more than 36 years. We have also expanded our operations on a global scale to encompass 19 countries, and broadened our offerings to include Nebula, an internally developed, proprietary end-to-end ecosystem of solutions to address cases of virtually any type and complexity within eDiscovery, information governance, and data recovery. We were first recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in 2012 by both Deloitte, in the Deloitte “Fast 500”, and Inc. Magazine, in the “Inc. 5000”, and have been recognized on their respective lists for 9 consecutive years since then.
We offer differentiated solutions to our clients via a flexible and scalable usage-based business model, where the amount of revenue generated is based on the amount of data a client processes, ingests and / or hosts on our platforms. On a case-by-case basis, we also offer subscription-based arrangements, where clients pay a pre-negotiated monthly fee in exchange for an agreed upon usage capacity over a pre-defined term (typically one to three years). These arrangements typically come at a lower price per unit compared to the usage-based rates. Starting in 2022, we began building our partner channel by offering service providers multi-year subscription agreements for Nebula based on usage tiers. With usage of existing alternative software solutions in the market constrained by any combination of expensive and complex pricing models, limited features, and a lack of delivery options, we believe there is a significant population of underserved clients that can immediately benefit from Nebula our end-to-end ecosystem of solutions. We will support our partner channel with wholly dedicated business development resources, which not only reduces and/or eliminates any competitive concerns a potential partner may have, but also help us maximize the opportunity by maintaining a steady focus on this growth initiative. Our data recovery engagements are fixed fee arrangements where we generate revenue in exchange for completion of the project.
We have served a highly diverse base of over 5,400 Legal Technology clients since January 1, 2020. Our Legal Technology clients include both law firms and corporations serving many industry sectors including finance and banking, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, technology, insurance and real estate. Our data recovery clients include corporations and individuals that need to recover and access data. Our client base is robust, with many blue-chip companies, including 97% of the AM Law 100 and 61% of Fortune 500 companies, as of December 31, 2021. We have longstanding relationships with many of our clients. For example, the average length of our relationships with our top 25 clients based on revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 is approximately 13 years. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, no single client accounted for more than 5% of our revenue. See “-Key Business Metrics-Clients” below.
Our differentiated capabilities coupled with our strong culture and client loyalty drive positive results, enabling us to achieve economies of scale and operating leverage as we have grown our business and generated positive results. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 we generated:
Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)
Revenues
$
320.5
$
289.5
Net loss
(60.5
)
(49.9
)
Adjusted EBITDA (1)
65.2
63.3
(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. See “-Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures.”
Key factors affecting our performance
We believe that our future growth and performance will depend on many factors, including:
Maintaining our history of product innovation
We have significantly invested in developing proprietary technology and broadening our product functionality, which we believe differentiates our offerings, drives improved user experiences, and fuels strong client retention. We plan to continue our strong history of innovation by enhancing and scaling our Nebula platform and other offerings to capture a larger percentage of the eDiscovery, data recovery, and information governance markets. Our continued growth will depend in part on our ability to develop new products and features and drive adoption of our technology among our client base. As such, we intend to increase our investment in R&D and product development to support our growth.
Increased adoption of Nebula
Our long-term strategy includes pursuing widespread adoption of Nebula on a global scale. We expect the increased adoption of Nebula will enhance our business as we benefit from greater product affinity and stronger network effects. Nebula revenues also generally have higher margins than our traditional Legal Technology offerings because Nebula utilizes our own proprietary technologies. As we continue to innovate and invest in Nebula, we believe we will benefit from organic growth in client adoption and engagement. Nebula’s success will depend on the continued effectiveness of our solution, the strength of our marketing and client support efforts, and competitive pricing.
Maintain and grow client base while driving greater penetration
Retaining and expanding revenues generated from existing clients, while continuing to grow the number of net new clients, are among the key drivers of our revenue growth. We believe our position as the differentiated legal technology provider with proprietary, state of the art, EDRM software combined with our white-glove services will help drive retention and support client growth. With the proliferation of enterprise data and increasing technological transformation within the legal industry, we believe there is a sizeable and growing potential untapped market seeking to harness technology-based solutions like ours. By expanding our product offerings beyond eDiscovery to capture more of the information governance market and other parts of the EDRM, specifically data hosting and data processing, we believe we can drive increased product spending on our platform from existing clients. We believe that our competitive advantages enable us to effectively retain and further grow revenues derived from our existing clients as well as acquire new clients, as demonstrated by the consistent growth in our number of clients. As of December 31, 2021, we had 5,482 Legal Technology clients, an increase from 5,216 as of December 31, 2020. Our product pricing, marketing efforts, and the strategies of our competitors are all factors that will influence our client retention and growth.
Growth in the number of matters, particularly large matters
We continually pursue opportunities to grow the number of matters we cover, which will be an important aspect of our future growth. As the legal landscape continues to grow and evolve in complexity, we believe our proprietary technology and unique combination of technology-enabled solutions and services best position us to address the largest and most complex matters. Our ability to provide solutions that address the needs of large enterprises and the diverse and nuanced use cases they face will be an important factor in our future success.
Establishment of partner channel
In 2022, we began to build our partner channel by selling multi-year subscriptions for Nebula and leveraging and broadening our relationships with other eDiscovery providers, law firms, corporations, consulting firms and other organizations. Establishing and growing the partner channel can accelerate our growth through increased industry awareness of our offerings and improve sales efficiency. We also expect partner channel revenues to generally have higher margins than our traditional Legal Technology offerings because it is a software-only revenue stream. The
extent of the success of our partner channel strategy will depend on our ability to continue to build and maintain relationships with key industry stakeholders.
Key business metrics
The following are among the key operational and financial metrics we use to measure and evaluate our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans, and make strategic decisions.
Clients
We have a strong track record of growing our client base, and we believe that our ability to increase the number of clients utilizing our Legal Technology solutions, including Nebula, is an important indicator of our market penetration, our business growth, and our future opportunities.
We define Legal Technology clients as each primary law firm and corporation to which we provided services in a litigation matter that we billed during the past two years. We define Nebula clients, each of which is included in the number of Legal Technology clients, as the total number of primary law firm, corporation, insurance company and service provider clients to which we provided legal technology solutions for a matter that we billed for use of our Nebula solution during the two years prior to the applicable date.
The following table sets forth the number of Legal Technology clients and Nebula clients as of the dates shown:
December 31,
Legal Technology clients
5,482
5,216
Nebula clients
1,200
In 2021, we refined our internal data to capture the total number of clients involved in the litigation matter and revised our client counts for all periods accordingly, which impacted prior period numbers.
Number and size of matters
We believe our ability to continuously grow the number of matters on our platform over time is an important measure of scale for our business and is indicative of our future growth prospects.
We define Legal Technology matters as the total number of matters on which our Legal Technology solutions were used in the twelve months preceding the applicable date. Matters refer to a range of activities that include collecting, tracking, analyzing, and exchanging relevant data. Legal Technology solutions currently drive the majority of our revenue, and provide the foundation for additional adoption of our proprietary technology solutions and other offerings. We define Nebula matters, which are included in the number of Legal Technology matters, as the total number of matters on which our Nebula solution was used in the twelve months preceding the applicable date. Nebula is our ecosystem of proprietary technology solutions that enables clients to collect, process, store, analyze, and govern their data on a single platform. Nebula comprises a steadily growing component of our revenue and we expect Nebula adoption to increase and the number of Nebula matters to grow in the long term as we continue to introduce new product capabilities and cross-sell Nebula to our existing clients.
The following table sets forth the number of Legal Technology matters and Nebula matters as of the dates shown:
December 31,
Legal Technology matters
7,823
7,598
Nebula matters
Our comprehensive product offerings, technology-enabled service offerings and reputation as a trusted partner to our clients enable us to capture matters of large size and complexity. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, 47%, and 40% of Legal Technology revenue was produced by matters that generated revenues of greater than $500,000, and 77% and 74% of our Legal Technology revenues were generated by matters of greater than $100,000 during the relevant period.
Legal Technology net revenue retention
We calculate our Legal Technology net revenue retention rate by dividing (1) total Legal Technology revenue in the twelve month period from accounts that generated Legal Technology revenue during the corresponding immediately preceding twelve month period by (2) total Legal Technology revenue in the immediately preceding twelve month period generated from those same accounts. Our Legal Technology net revenue retention rate includes revenue from use of Nebula.
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
Legal Technology net revenue retention
107%
87%
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, our Legal Technology revenue was $276.3 million and $247.3 million, respectively, and our data recovery revenue was $44.1 million and $42.3 million, respectively.
Our Legal Technology net revenue retention rate is impacted by our usage-based pricing model, and revenue could fluctuate in any given period due to frequency of matters, client upsell, cross-sell, and churn. During 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted our Legal Technology net revenue retention rate, as it impacted the rest of our business, as certain accounts experienced a slowdown in the number and frequency of matters. In the long-term, we plan to increase our net revenue retention rate by increasing the number of solutions that we sell on a subscription-basis, as well as broadening the scope of our Nebula offerings, to promote strong product adoption. As we expand our products beyond eDiscovery to other information governance solutions such as big data hosting and processing, including through Nebula, we expect clients to leverage our technology earlier in the data lifecycle, providing further opportunity for us to increase our product and service penetration and client retention. Furthermore, we plan to establish and broaden our channel partnerships over time and leverage these strong relationships to further our awareness of our products and overall usage within the industry.
KEY COMPONENTS OF OUR RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenue
The Company primarily generates revenue from selling solutions that fall into the following categories:
(1) Legal Technology, including Nebula and our expansive suite of technology solutions, such as our end-to-end eDiscovery technology solutions, managed review solutions, collections, processing, analytics, hosting, production, and professional services; and
(2) Data recovery solutions, which provides data restoration, data erasure and data management services.
The Company generates the majority of its revenues by providing Legal Technology solutions to our clients. Most of the Company’s eDiscovery contracts are time and materials types of arrangements, while others are subscription-based, fixed-fee arrangements.
Time and materials arrangements are based on units of data stored or processed. Unit-based revenues are recognized as services are provided, based on either the amount of data stored or processed, the number of concurrent users accessing the information or the number of pages or images processed for a client, at agreed upon per unit rates. The Company recognizes revenues for these arrangements utilizing a right-to-invoice practical expedient because it has a contractual right to consideration for services completed to date.
Certain of the Company’s eDiscovery contracts are subscription-based, fixed fee arrangements, which have tiered pricing based on the quantity of data hosted. For a fixed monthly fee, the Company’s clients receive a variety of optional eDiscovery solutions, which are included in addition to the data hosting. The Company recognizes revenues for these arrangements based on predetermined monthly fees as determined in its contractual agreements, utilizing a right-to-invoice practical expedient because the Company has a contractual right to consideration for services completed to date.
Other eDiscovery agreements are time and material arrangements that require the client to pay us based on the number of hours worked at contractually agreed-upon rates. The Company recognizes revenues for these arrangements based on hours incurred and contracted rates utilizing a right-to-invoice practical expedient because it has a contractual right to consideration for services completed to date.
Data recovery engagements are mainly fixed fee arrangements requiring the client to pay a pre-established fee in exchange for the successful completion of such engagement on a predetermined device. For the recovery performed by the Company’s technicians, the revenue is recognized at a point in time, when the recovered data is sent to the customer.
Data erasure engagements are also fixed fee arrangements for which revenue is recognized at a point in time when the certificate of erasure is sent to the customer.
The Company offers term license subscriptions to Ontrack PowerControls software to customers with on-premises installations of the software pursuant to contracts that are historically one to four years in length. The term license subscriptions include maintenance and support, as well as access to future software upgrades and patches. The license and the additional support services are deemed to be one performance obligation, and thus revenue for these arrangements is recognized ratably over the term of the agreement.
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, our Legal Technology revenue was $276.3 million and $247.3 million, respectively, and our data recovery revenue was $44.1 million and $42.3 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, Legal Technology revenue from our technology solutions other than Nebula was $250.4 million and $228.5 million, respectively, and revenue from Nebula was $25.9 million and $18.8 million, respectively.
We currently expect non-Nebula Legal Technology revenues to remain relatively consistent over time and that Nebula revenue will continue to accelerate, with Nebula growing as a larger percentage of the mix of total revenue over time.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenue consists primarily of technology infrastructure costs, personnel costs and amortization of capitalized developed technology costs. Infrastructure costs include hardware, software, occupancy and cloud costs to support our legal technology and data recovery solutions. Personnel costs include salaries, benefits, bonuses, and stock-based compensation as well as costs associated with document reviewers which are variable based on managed review revenue. We intend to continue to invest additional resources in our infrastructure to expand the capability of solutions and enable our customers to realize the full benefit of our solutions. The level, timing and relative investment in our cloud infrastructure could affect our cost of revenue in the future. Additionally, cost of revenue in future periods could be impacted by fluctuations in document reviewer costs associated with managed review revenue.
Operating expenses
Our operating expenses consist of research and development, sales and marketing, general and administrative and amortization and depreciation expenses. Personnel costs are the most significant component of operating expenses and consist of salaries, benefits, bonuses, share-based compensation and sales commissions. Operating expenses also include occupancy, software expense and professional services. We intend to continue to increase our investment in research and development to further develop our proprietary technology and support further penetration and adoption of our offering, including our end-to-end Nebula platform, including through hiring additional personnel. We expect these investments to cause research and development expense to nearly double in the next year, and thereafter anticipate research and development expense normalizing as a percentage of revenues. We also intend to significantly increase our investment in sales and marketing, particularly in the next year in connection with an expected increase in headcount by as much as 20%, with the anticipated long-term benefits from these investments expected to increase revenues also resulting in slightly decreasing sales and marketing expense as a percentage of revenue over time due to this expected increase in revenue. We also expect general and administrative expense to decrease slightly as a percentage of revenue over time due to our ability to scale as revenues increase and as a result of historical cost-cutting measures.
Interest Expense
Interest expense consists primarily of interest payments and accruals relating to outstanding borrowings. We expect interest expense to vary each reporting period depending on the amount of outstanding borrowings and prevailing interest rates.
Income Tax (Benefit) Provision
Income tax (benefit) provision is primarily related to foreign tax activity and U.S. deferred taxes for tax deductible goodwill and other indefinite-lived liabilities. We maintain a valuation allowance on our federal and state deferred tax assets as we have concluded that it is not more likely than not that the deferred assets will be utilized.
Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures
We prepare financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We also disclose and discuss other non-U.S. GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA. Our management believes that these measures are relevant and provide useful supplemental information to investors by providing a baseline for evaluating and comparing our operating performance against that of other companies in our industry.
Our management believes EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA reflect our ongoing operating performance because the
isolation of non-cash charges, such as amortization and depreciation, and other items, such as interest, income taxes, equity compensation, acquisition and transaction costs, restructuring costs, systems establishment and costs associated with strategic initiatives which are incurred outside the ordinary course of our business, provides information about our cost structure and helps us to track our operating progress. We encourage investors and potential investors to carefully review our U.S. GAAP financial measures and compare them with our EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA. The non-U.S. GAAP financial measures that we use may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies and in the future, we may disclose different non-U.S. GAAP financial measures in order to help our investors meaningfully evaluate and compare our results of operations to our previously reported results of operations or to those of other companies in our industry.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
We define EBITDA as net income (loss) plus interest (income) expense, income tax expense (benefit), extinguishment of debt, impairment losses, and depreciation and amortization. We view adjusted EBITDA as an operating performance measure and as such, we believe that the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure is net loss. In calculating adjusted EBITDA, we exclude from net loss certain items that we believe are not reflective of our ongoing business as the exclusion of these items allows us to provide additional analysis of the financial components of the day-to-day operation of our business. We have outlined below the type and scope of these exclusions:
•
Acquisition, financing and transaction costs generally represent earn-out payments, rating agency fees and letter of credit and revolving facility fees, as well as professional service fees and direct expenses related to acquisitions. Because we do not acquire businesses on a predictable cycle, we do not consider the amount of acquisition- and integration-related costs to be a representative component of the day-to-day operating performance of our business.
•
Strategic initiatives expenses relate to costs resulting from pursuing strategic business opportunities. We do not consider the amounts to be representative of the day-to-day operating performance of our business.
•
Stock compensation and other primarily represent portions of compensation paid to our employees and executives through stock-based instruments. Determining the fair value of the stock-based instruments involves a high degree of judgment and estimation and the expenses recorded may not align with the actual value realized upon the future exercise or termination of the related stock-based awards. Additionally, stock compensation is a non-cash expense. Therefore, we believe it is useful to exclude stock-based compensation to better understand the long-term performance of our core business.
•
Change in fair value of Private Warrants relates to changes in the fair market value of the Private Warrants issued in conjunction with the Business Combination. We do not consider the amount to be representative of a component of the day-to-day operating performance of our business.
•
Restructuring costs generally represent non-ordinary course costs incurred in connection with a change in a contract or a change in the makeup of our personnel often related to an acquisition, such as severance payments, recruiting fees and retention charges. We do not consider the amount of restructuring costs to be a representative component of the day-to-day operating performance of our business.
•
Systems establishment costs relate to non-ordinary course expenses incurred to develop our IT infrastructure, including system automation and enterprise resource planning system implementation. We do not consider the amount to be representative of a component of the day-to-day operating performance of our business.
Our presentation of adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by any of these adjustments, or that our projections and estimates will be realized in their entirety or at all. In addition, because of these limitations, adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of liquidity or discretionary cash available to us to fund our cash needs, including investing in the growth of our business and meeting our obligations.
The use of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA instead of U.S. GAAP measures has limitations as an analytical tool, and adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results of operations and operating cash flows as reported under U.S. GAAP. For example, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect:
•
our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures;
•
changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
•
interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our indebtedness;
•
any cash income taxes that we may be required to pay;
•
any cash requirements for replacements of assets that are depreciated or amortized over their estimated useful lives and may have to be replaced in the future; or
•
all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our statements of cash flows.
See “-Results of Operations” below for reconciliations of adjusted EBITDA to net loss.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s Business
In 2020, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company experienced a decline in demand for its services as many clients delayed the start of new matters and court systems were closed in response to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the global economy and cause significant macroeconomic uncertainty. The future impacts of the pandemic on the Company’s business are currently not estimable or determinable. As new variants of the virus emerge, infection rates vary across the countries in which we operate, and governmental authorities have continued to implement numerous and evolving measures to try to contain the spread of the virus, including travel bans and restrictions, masking recommendations and mandates, vaccine recommendations and mandates, limits on gatherings, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and business shutdowns. We have taken proactive measures to protect the health and safety of our employees, customers, partners and suppliers, consistent with governmental guidelines.
The Company modified employee travel and work locations, and cancelled certain events, among other actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2020, the Company implemented a salary exchange program pursuant to which certain employees took a temporary reduction in salary through December 31, 2020 ranging from 2% to 20% in exchange for grants of an aggregate of 417,673 stock options and 211,207 RSUs. In December 2020, the Company extended the salary exchange program for the Company’s named executive officers and for the position of Vice-President and higher but did not issue any additional stock options or restricted stock units, or RSUs, in connection with the salary exchange program. As of June 2021, the Company ended the salary exchange program. The Company will continue to actively monitor the situation and may reinstate certain of the measures described above or take further actions that alter its business operations, including actions as required by federal, state or local authorities or that it determines are in the best interests of its employees, customers, partners, suppliers and stockholders. Due to the evolving situation and the uncertainties as to the scope and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, our business may be impacted in ways that we cannot predict.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into U.S. federal law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, to provide emergency assistance and health care for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and generally support the U.S. economy. The CARES Act, among other things, includes provisions relating to refundable payroll tax credits, deferment of employer-side social security payments, NOL carryback periods, alternative minimum tax credit refunds, modifications to the net interest deduction limitations and technical corrections to tax depreciation methods for qualified improvement property. In particular, under the CARES Act, (i) for taxable years beginning before 2021, NOL carryforwards and carrybacks may offset 100% of taxable income, (ii) NOLs arising in the 2018, 2019, and 2020 taxable years may be carried back to each of the preceding five years to generate a refund and (iii) for taxable years beginning in 2019 and 2020, the base for interest deductibility was increased from 30% to 50% of taxable income. As permitted under the CARES Act, the Company deferred $4.0 million of payroll taxes due in 2020, of which $2.0 million was paid in December 2021 and $2.0 is expected to be paid in December 2022.
For the year ended December 31, 2021 compared with the year ended December 31, 2020
The results for the periods shown below should be reviewed in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements included in “Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
For The Years Ended
December 31,
(in millions)
Revenues
$
320.5
$
289.5
Cost of revenues
164.0
147.7
Gross profit
156.5
141.8
Operating expenses
$
161.8
140.0
(Loss) Income from operations
(5.3
)
1.8
Interest expense
50.4
50.7
Change in fair value of Private Warrants
(2.0
)
0.0
Loss on debt extinguishment
7.3
0.0
Other expense
0.0
0.1
Loss before income taxes
(61.0
)
(49.0
)
Income tax (benefit) provision
(0.5
)
0.9
Net loss
(60.5
)
(49.9
)
Total other comprehensive income, net of tax
(4.5
)
4.9
Comprehensive loss
$
(65.0
)
$
(45.0
)
For The Years Ended
December 31,
(in millions)
Net loss
$
(60.5
)
$
(49.9
)
Interest expense
50.4
50.7
Income tax (benefit) provision
(0.5
)
0.9
Extinguishment of debt
7.3
-
Impairment of intangible asset
22.5
-
Depreciation and amortization expense
38.0
47.7
EBITDA (1)
$
57.2
$
49.4
Acquisition, financing and transaction costs
2.7
5.2
Strategic Initiatives:
Sign-on bonus amortization
-
0.2
Non-recoverable draw
-
0.3
Total strategic initiatives
-
0.5
Stock compensation and other
4.2
3.7
Change in fair value of Private Warrants
(2.0
)
-
Restructuring costs
1.0
2.5
Systems establishment
2.1
2.0
Adjusted EBITDA (1)
$
65.2
$
63.3
(1) EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. See “-Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures.”
Revenues
Revenues increased by $31.0 million, or 10.7%, to $320.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to $289.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This is due to an increase in Legal Technology revenue of $29.0 million, including an increase of $21.9 million from our technology solutions exclusive of Nebula, an increase of $7.1 million from Nebula, and an increase in data recovery revenue of $2.0 million. The increase in Legal Technology revenue is due to the higher volume of matters, while the increase in data recovery revenue is due to an increase in average revenue per job.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues increased by $16.3 million, or 11.0%, to $164.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to $147.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This increase is primarily due to increased wages of $18.2 million for document reviewers and $0.8 million for outsourced document reviewers due to increased managed review revenue and increased bonuses of $1.7 million as well as increased payroll benefits of $1.4 million and increased payroll taxes of $1.4 million, both driven by the increased wages. These increases were partially offset by expense reduction measures implemented by management, which decreased occupancy expense by $3.8 million. Additionally, severance expense decreased $0.9 million in 2021 compared to 2020 due to severance expense incurred as part of a restructuring in 2020. Amortization expense decreased by $2.6 million, as the amount of assets that reached full amortization in 2020 was more than the amount of new assets placed into service in 2021. As a percentage of revenue, our cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021 slightly increased to 51.2% as compared to 51.0% for the year ended December 31, 2020. This increase was due to the factors noted above.
Gross Profit
Gross profit increased by $14.7 million, or 10.4%, to $156.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to $141.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Gross profit increased primarily due to the factors noted above. As a percentage of revenue, our gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased slightly to 48.8% as compared to 49.0% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses increased by $21.8 million, or 15.6%, to $161.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to $140.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This increase is due to the $22.5 million impairment charge recorded in 2021 associated with our intangible assets, increased commissions of $3.1 million, due to increased revenues, increased wages due to the restoration of salaries following the end of the salary exchange program in June 2021 of $3.6 million, and increased development headcount of $1.4 million, increased consulting fees of $1.0 million, increased payroll benefits of $0.8 million, increased payroll taxes of $0.5 million, increased equity compensation of $0.5 million and increased software implementation expense of $0.9 million. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in depreciation and amortization expense of $8.1 million, decreased lease termination costs of $2.7 million, a decrease in professional services fees of $0.9 million, a decrease in travel and entertainment expenses of $0.3 million and a decrease in marketing expenses of $1.0 million. As a percentage of revenue, our operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased to 50.5% as compared to 48.4% for the year ended December 31, 2020 due to the factors noted above.
Interest Expense
Interest expense decreased by $0.3 million, or 0.6%, to $50.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to $50.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This decrease is primarily due to lower interest rates on the refinanced first lien facility, partially offset by the increase in outstanding debt balance.
Loss on Debt Extinguishment
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we incurred a loss on debt extinguishment of $7.3 million in connection with the retirement of the credit agreement originally entered into in 2016 and the related revolving credit facility.
Income Tax (Benefit) Provision
A valuation allowance has been established against our net U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets, including net operating loss carryforwards. As a result, our income tax provision is primarily related to foreign taxes and U.S. deferred taxes for tax deductible goodwill and other indefinite-lived liabilities.
During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $(0.5) million and a provision of $0.9 million, respectively, resulting in an effective tax rate of 0.8% and (1.8)%, respectively. These effective tax rates differ from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to the effects of foreign tax rate differences, U.S. state and local income taxes and the valuation allowance against our domestic deferred tax assets. The effective rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased from the year ended December 31, 2020 primarily due to the impairment charge recorded in 2021 associated with our intangible assets due to the termination of our license to use the Kroll Ontrack and KrolLDiscovery tradenames, which caused a change in the allocation of our pre-tax earnings and losses among countries with differing statutory tax rates.
We reported pre-tax loss of $(61.0) million during the year ended December 31, 2021 with an effective tax rate of 0.8%, resulting in a $(0.5) million income tax benefit. The effective tax rate was primarily impacted by our valuation allowance, which caused a decrease in the tax benefit of $11.0 million. Without this item, our effective tax rate would have been approximately 18.8%, which is lower than the statutory tax rate of 21.0%, primarily due to the effects of foreign tax rate differences, U.S. state taxes and certain permanent items.
We reported pre-tax loss of $(49.0) million during the year ended December 31, 2020 with an effective tax rate of (1.8) %, resulting in a $0.9 million income tax provision. The effective tax rate was primarily impacted by our valuation allowance, which caused a decrease in the tax benefit of $9.6 million. Without this item, our effective tax rate would have been approximately 17.8%, which is lower than the statutory tax rate of 21.0%, primarily due to the effects of foreign tax rate differences, U.S. state taxes and certain permanent items.
Net Loss
Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $(60.5) million compared to $(49.9) million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Net loss increased for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 due to the factors noted above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary cash needs have been to meet debt service requirements and to fund working capital and capital expenditures. We fund these requirements from cash generated by our operations, as well as funds available under our revolving credit facility discussed below. We may also seek to access the capital markets opportunistically from time-to-time depending on, among other things, financial market conditions. Although our eDiscovery solutions and information archiving services are billed on a monthly basis in arrears with amounts typically due within 30 to 45 days, the eDiscovery industry tends towards longer collectability trends. As a result, we have typically collected the majority of our eDiscovery accounts receivable within 90 to 120 days, which is consistent within the industry. With respect to our data recovery services, they are billed as the services are provided, with payments due within 30 days of billing. We typically collect our data recovery services accounts receivables within 30 to 45 days. Lastly, the majority of our data recovery software is billed monthly in advance with amounts typically due within 30 to 45 days; however, depending on the client contract, billing can occur annually, quarterly or monthly. Long outstanding receivables are not uncommon due to the nature of our Legal Technology services as litigation cases can continue for years, and in certain instances, our collections are delayed until the customer has received payment for their services in connection with a legal matter or the case has been settled. These long-outstanding invoices are a function of the industry in which we operate, rather than indicative of an inability to collect. We have experienced no material seasonality trends as it relates to collection of our accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2021, we had $46.5 million in cash compared to $51.2 million as of December 31, 2020. We expect to finance our operations over the next 12 months primarily through existing cash balances and cash flow from operating activities.
2021 Credit Agreement
On February 8, 2021, certain subsidiaries of the Company, or the Loan Parties, entered into a new secured credit agreement, or the 2021 Credit Agreement. Proceeds were used to pay in full all outstanding loans and terminate all lending commitments under the 2016 credit agreement discussed below.
The 2021 Credit Agreement provides for (i) initial term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $300 million, or the Initial Term Loans, (ii) delayed draw term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $50 million, or the Delayed Draw Term Loans, and (iii) revolving credit loans in an aggregate principal amount of $40 million, with a letter of credit sublimit of $10 million, or the Revolving Credit Loans. The Delayed Draw Term Loans are available to the Loan Parties at any time prior to February 8, 2023, subject to certain conditions.
The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans bear interest, at the Loan Parties’ option, at the rate of (x) with respect to Eurocurrency Rate Loans (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement), the Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) with a 1.0% floor, plus 6.50% per annum, or (y) with respect to Base Rate Loans (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement), the Base Rate (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) plus 5.50% per annum. The Revolving Credit Loans bear interest, at our option, at the rate of (x) with respect to Eurocurrency Rate Loans, the Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate plus 4.00% per annum, or (y) with respect to Base Rate Loans, the Base Rate plus 3.00% per annum. The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans amortize at a rate of 1.00% of the aggregate principal amount of Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans outstanding, payable in consecutive quarterly installments of $0.8 million, beginning on June 30, 2021.
The Initial Term Loans, Delayed Draw Term Loans and Revolving Credit Loans are each scheduled to mature on the earlier of February 8, 2026 or six months prior to maturity of our Debentures due in December 2024. The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans may be voluntarily repaid at any time, but may be subject to a prepayment premium. The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans are required to be repaid under certain circumstances, including with Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement), the proceeds of an Asset Sale or Casualty Event (each as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) and the proceeds of certain refinancing indebtedness.
The obligations under the 2021 Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the Loan Parties’ assets. The 2021 Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants as well as a financial maintenance covenant that requires the Loan Parties to maintain a First Lien Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) of less than or equal to 7.00 to 1.00, tested at the end of each fiscal quarter. The Company was in compliance with all Credit Agreement covenants as of December 31, 2021.
Revolving Credit Loans
The 2021 Credit Agreement also provides for the Revolving Credit Loans, an unfunded revolver commitment for borrowing up to $40.0 million. As of December 31, 2021, there was $39.4 million available capacity for borrowing under the revolving loan commitment due to the $0.6 million of letters of credit outstanding. See Note 15- Commitments and contingencies to our audited consolidated financial statements.
2016 Credit Agreement and Revolving Credit Facility
On December 9, 2016, certain subsidiaries of the Company entered into a credit agreement, or the 2016 Credit Agreement, with a group of lenders to establish term loan facilities and a revolving line of credit for borrowings by LD Intermediate, Inc. and LD Lower Holdings, Inc. The initial term loan borrowings of $340.0 million under the first lien facility and $125.0 million under the second lien facility were to mature on December 9, 2022 and December 9, 2023, respectively. The 2016 Credit Agreement also provided for an unfunded revolver commitment for borrowing up to $30.0 million, maturing on June 9, 2022. The first lien facility and the revolving credit facility were repaid and retired on February 8, 2021 and the second lien facility was repaid on December 19, 2019. The Company incurred a loss on debt extinguishment of $7.2 million in connection with the retirement of the 2016 Credit Agreement and the related revolving credit facility.
Convertible Debentures
On December 19, 2019, the Company issued the Debentures, which mature in 2024, in an aggregate principal amount of $200 million. At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the balance due under the Convertible Debentures was $229.4 million and $214.5 million, respectively.
The Debentures mature on December 19, 2024 unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased, and bear interest at an annual rate of 4.00% in cash, payable quarterly, and 4.00% in kind, accrued quarterly, on the last business day of March, June, September and December. In addition, on each anniversary of December 19, 2019 (the “Closing Date”), the Company will increase the principal amount of the Debentures by an amount equal to 3.00% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Debentures outstanding (subject to reduction for any principal amount repaid). The additional payment will accrue from the last payment date for the additional payment (or the Closing Date if no prior payment has been made), and will also be payable at maturity, upon conversion and upon an optional redemption.
At any time, upon notice as set forth in the Debentures, the Debentures are redeemable at the Company’s option, in whole or in part, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Debentures redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
Subject to approval of our stockholders to allow for the full conversion of the Debentures into common stock, the Debentures are convertible into shares of the common stock at the option of the Debenture holders at any time and from time to time at a price of $18 per share, subject to certain adjustments. We intend to seek stockholder approval of the conversion of the Debentures into common stock at the earlier of our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (to be held no later than June 30, 2022) or the first meeting of our stockholders called and held after the common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market. However, in the event the Company elects to redeem any Debentures, the holders have a right to purchase common stock from the Company in an amount equal to the amount redeemed at the conversion price.
The Debentures contain covenants that limit the Company’s ability to, among other things: (i) incur additional debt; (ii) create liens on assets; (iii) engage in certain transactions with affiliates; or (iv) designate the Company’s subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries. The Debentures provide for customary events of default, including non-payment, failure to comply with covenants or other agreements in the Debentures and certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency. If an event of default occurs and continues, the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debentures may declare the entire principal amount of all the Debentures to be due and payable immediately. As of December 31, 2021, the Company was in compliance with all Debenture covenants.
Cash Flows
Our net cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were as follows:
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$
10,099
$
39,776
Investing activities
$
(12,488
)
$
(14,059
)
Financing activities
$
(1,761
)
$
(18,595
)
Effect of foreign exchange rates
$
(583
)
$
Net (decrease) increase in cash
$
(4,733
)
$
7,794
Cash Flows Provided By Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities was $10.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $39.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in net cash provided is due to a $10.6 million increase in net loss and a $34.4 million decrease in working capital, offset by
a $15.3 million increase in non-cash expenses. The period over period increase in non-cash expenses is primarily due to a $22.5 million increase in impairment charges, and a $7.2 million increase in loss on debt extinguishment, partially offset by a $9.7 million decrease in depreciation and amortization, a $2.0 million decrease in the change in fair value of Private Warrants and a $1.6 million decrease in deferred tax benefit. The decrease in working capital for the period is primarily due to a $21.4 million decrease in changes to accounts receivable, a $9.2 million decrease in changes to accounts payable and accrued expenses, and a $5.6 million decrease in changes to prepaid expense and other current assets, partially offset by a $1.9 million increase in changes to deferred revenue. Accounts Receivable and Accounts payable fluctuate from period-to-period depending on the timing of purchases and payments.
Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $12.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to net cash used in investing activities of $14.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in cash used in investing activities is due to increased purchases of property and equipment of $1.6 million, which was more than offset by decreased cash payments related to acquisitions in 2020 of $3.1 million.
Cash Flows Used In Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash used in financing activities of $1.8 million related to the payments of long-term debt of $2.3 million and capital lease obligations of $2.5 million, offset by cash generated from refinancing of the first lien debt of $2.9 million. For the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used in financing activities of $18.6 million related to payments of long-term debt of $17.0 million and capital lease obligations of $1.6 million.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1-Organization, business and summary of significant accounting policies to our audited consolidated financial statements for a summary of accounting standards not yet adopted. There were no changes during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In applying accounting principles, it is often required to use estimates. These estimates consider the facts, circumstances and information available, and may be based on subjective inputs, assumptions and information known and unknown to us. Material changes in certain of the estimates that we use could potentially affect, by a material amount, our consolidated financial position and results of operations. Although results may vary, we believe our estimates are reasonable and appropriate. See Note 1-Organization, business and summary of significant accounting policies to our audited consolidated financial statements for a summary of our significant accounting policies. There were no material changes during the year ended December 31, 2021. The following describes certain of our significant accounting policies that involve more subjective and complex judgments where the effect on our consolidated financial position and operating performance could be material.
Business combinations
We recognize all of the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, contractual contingencies and contingent consideration at their fair value on the acquisition date. Acquisition-related costs are recognized separately from the acquisition and expensed as incurred. Restructuring costs incurred in periods subsequent to the acquisition date are expensed when incurred. Subsequent changes to the purchase price, such as working capital adjustments, or other fair value adjustments determined during the measurement period are recorded as an adjustment to goodwill, with the exception of contingent consideration, which is recognized in the statement of operations in the period it is modified. All subsequent changes to a valuation allowance or uncertain tax position that relate to the acquired company and existed at the acquisition date that occur both within the measurement period and as a result of facts and circumstances that existed at the acquisition date are recognized as an adjustment to goodwill. All other changes in
valuation allowances are recognized as a reduction or increase to income tax expense or as a direct adjustment to additional paid-in capital as required.
Intangible assets and other long-lived assets
We evaluate the recoverability of our long-lived assets, including finite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of any asset to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the difference between the fair value of the asset compared to its carrying amount.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the total consideration paid over our identified intangible and tangible assets and our acquisitions. We test our goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. These events or circumstances could include a significant change in the business climate, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, or sale or disposition of a significant portion of a reporting unit. As of the testing date (October 1), we have determined there is one reporting unit.
We test goodwill resulting from acquisitions for impairment annually on October 1, or more frequently, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of goodwill may be impaired.
Goodwill impairment exists when the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If impairment exists, the carrying value of the goodwill is reduced by the excess through an impairment charge recorded in our statements of operations. The process of evaluating the potential impairment of goodwill is subjective and requires significant judgment at many points during the analysis.
The fair value of each reporting unit is estimated using a combination of a discounted cash flow, or DCF, analysis and market-based valuation methodologies such as comparable public company trading values and values observed in recent business combinations. Determining fair value requires the exercise of significant judgments, including the amount and timing of expected future cash flows, long-term growth rates, discount rates and relevant comparable public company earnings multiples and relevant transaction multiples. The cash flows employed in the DCF analyses are based on our best estimate of future sales, earnings and cash flows after considering factors such as general market conditions, changes in working capital, long term business plans and recent operating performance.
Accordingly, we have not identified any indicators of impairment, nor have any impairment charges been recorded related to goodwill as a result of the annual impairment test.
Income Taxes
Our annual tax rate is based on our income, statutory tax rates, and tax planning opportunities available in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Significant judgment is required in determining our annual tax expense and in evaluating our tax positions.
Tax law requires certain items to be included in our tax returns at different times than when the items are reflected in the financial statements. The annual tax expense reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss is different than that reported in our tax returns. Some of these differences are permanent (for example, expenses recorded for accounting purposes that are not deductible in the returns such as certain entertainment expenses) and some differences are temporary and reverse over time, such as depreciation expense. Temporary differences create deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax liabilities generally represent tax expense recognized in the financial statements for which payment has been deferred, or expense for which a deduction has been taken already in the tax return, but the expense has not yet been recognized in the financial statements. Deferred tax assets generally represent items that can be used as a tax deduction or credit in tax returns in future years for which a benefit has
already been recorded in the financial statements, as well as tax losses that can be carried over and used in future years. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred income tax assets to the amounts we believe are more likely than not to be recovered. In evaluating the amount of any such valuation allowance, we consider the existence of cumulative income or losses in recent years, the reversal of existing temporary differences, the existence of taxable income in prior carry back years, available tax planning strategies and estimates of future taxable income for each of our taxable jurisdictions. The latter two factors involve the exercise of significant judgment. As of December 31, 2021, deferred tax asset valuation allowances totaled $81.5 million, primarily related to federal and state net operating losses available to carry forward to future years and, interest expense disallowance carryovers. Although realization is not assured, we believe it is more likely than not that all other deferred tax assets for which no valuation allowances have been established will be realized. This conclusion is based on our expectation that the reversal of existing taxable temporary differences will provide a source of taxable income to realize these deferred tax assets.
We determine whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination by the appropriate taxing authorities before any part of the benefit is recorded in our financial statements. A tax position is measured as the portion of the tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon settlement with a taxing authority (that has full knowledge of all relevant information). We may be required to change our provision for income taxes when the ultimate treatment of certain items is challenged or agreed to by taxing authorities, when estimates used in determining valuation allowances on deferred tax assets significantly change, or when receipt of new information indicates the need for adjustment in valuation allowances. Future events, such as changes in tax laws, tax regulations, or interpretations of such laws or regulations, could have an impact on the provision for income tax and the effective tax rate. Any such changes could significantly affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements in the year these changes occur. As of December 31, 2021, unrecognized tax benefits totaled $1.0 million, related to U.S. federal and state net operating losses available to carry forward to future years. However, due to the Company’s determination that the U.S. federal and state net operating losses for the unrecognized tax benefit would likely be realized, a valuation allowance offset was recorded against the unrecognized tax benefit, resulting in no effective tax rate impact.

---

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Interest rate risk
We are subject to interest rate market risk in connection with our long-term indebtedness. Our principal interest rate exposure relates to outstanding amounts under the $300 million Initial Term Loans, the Revolving Credit Loans of $40 million and the Delayed Draw Term Loans of $50 million. Interest rate changes may impact the amount of our interest payments and, therefore, our future net income and cash flows, assuming other factors are held constant. Assuming the amounts outstanding at December 31, 2021 are fully drawn, each one-eighth percentage point increase or decrease in the applicable interest rates would correspondingly change our annualized interest expense by approximately $0.4 million. We do not currently hedge our interest rate exposure.
Exchange rate risk
Results of operations for our non-U.S. subsidiaries are translated from the designated functional currency to the reporting currency of the U.S. dollar. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for each month, while assets and liabilities are translated at balance sheet date exchange rates. The resulting net translation adjustments are recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity in “Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income” in our consolidated balance sheets.
Transaction gains and losses arising from currency exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the local functional currency are included in “Other expense” in our consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. Such transaction gains and losses may be realized or unrealized depending upon whether the transaction settled during the period or remains outstanding at the balance sheet date.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we generated the equivalent of $64.1 million and $57.0 million, respectively, of U.S. dollar-denominated revenues in non-U.S. subsidiaries. Each 100-basis point increase or decrease in the average foreign currency rate to U.S. dollar exchange rate for the year would have correspondingly changed our revenues by approximately $0.6 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
We do not currently hedge our exchange rate exposure.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 42)
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss for the Years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the Years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of KLDiscovery Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of KLDiscovery Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive loss, stockholders' equity and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.
Tysons, Virginia
March 17, 2022
KLDiscovery Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31, 2021
December 31, 2020
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$
46,468
$
51,201
Accounts receivable, net of allowance
for doubtful accounts of $9,774 and $8,513, respectively
93,273
83,985
Prepaid expenses
9,669
7,175
Other current assets
1,133
Total current assets
150,543
143,070
Property and equipment
Computer software and hardware
73,677
72,211
Leasehold improvements
26,796
27,271
Furniture, fixtures and other equipment
3,064
3,365
Accumulated depreciation
(81,261
)
(77,697
)
Property and equipment, net
22,276
25,150
Intangible assets, net
59,291
109,733
Goodwill
395,759
399,085
Other assets
8,535
2,708
Total assets
$
636,404
$
679,746
Current liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt, net
$
3,000
$
10,948
Accounts payable and accrued expense
27,067
33,504
Current portion of contingent consideration
Deferred revenue
4,800
3,955
Total current liabilities
35,513
49,102
Long-term debt, net
507,706
472,600
Deferred tax liabilities
6,772
7,335
Other liabilities
8,559
8,488
Total liabilities
558,550
537,525
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity
Common stock
$0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized,
42,684,549 and 42,529,017 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively
Preferred Stock
$0.0001 par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized,
zero issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and
December 31, 2020
-
-
Additional paid-in capital
386,028
385,387
Accumulated deficit
(315,967
)
(255,424
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
7,789
12,254
Total stockholders' equity
77,854
142,221
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
$
636,404
$
679,746
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
(in thousands)
Year ended
December 31,
Year ended
December 31,
Revenues
$
320,477
$
289,545
Cost of revenues
163,958
$
147,732
Gross profit
156,519
141,813
Operating expenses
General and administrative
61,245
58,509
Research and development
10,265
7,167
Sales and marketing
39,892
38,395
Impairment of intangible asset
22,529
-
Depreciation and amortization
27,863
35,955
Total operating expenses
161,794
140,026
(Loss) Income from operations
(5,275
)
1,787
Other expenses
Other expense
Change in fair value of Private Warrants
(1,969
)
-
Interest expense
50,402
50,659
Loss on debt extinguishment
7,257
-
Loss before income taxes
(60,990
)
(48,990
)
Income tax (benefit) provision
(447
)
Net loss
$
(60,543
)
$
(49,926
)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Foreign currency translation
(4,465
)
4,947
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
(4,465
)
4,947
Comprehensive loss
$
(65,008
)
$
(44,979
)
Net loss per share - basic and diluted
$
(1.42
)
$
(1.17
)
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted
42,601,745
42,529,017
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
(in thousands, except for share amounts)
Common Stock Issued
Shares
Amount
Additional
paid-in
capital
Treasury
Stock
Accumulated
deficit
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income
Total
Balance as of December 31, 2019
42,529,017
$
$
381,952
$
-
$
(205,498
)
$
7,307
$
183,765
Share-based compensation
-
-
3,435
-
-
-
3,435
Foreign exchange translation
-
-
-
-
-
4,947
4,947
Net loss
-
-
-
-
(49,926
)
-
(49,926
)
Balance as of December 31, 2020
42,529,017
$
385,387
-
$
(255,424
)
12,254
142,221
Share-based compensation
-
-
4,080
-
-
-
4,080
Exercise of stock options
4,676
-
-
-
-
Stock issued in exchange for vested units
103,622
-
-
-
-
-
-
Private warrants
-
-
(3,810
)
-
-
-
(3,810
)
Consideration for acquisition
47,234
-
-
-
-
Foreign exchange translation
-
-
-
-
-
(4,465
)
(4,465
)
Net loss
-
-
-
-
(60,543
)
-
(60,543
)
Balance as of December 31, 2021
42,684,549
$
$
386,028
$
-
$
(315,967
)
$
7,789
$
77,854
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
Year ended
December 31, 2021
Year ended
December 31, 2020
Operating activities
Net loss
$
(60,543
)
$
(49,926
)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating
activities:
Depreciation and amortization
38,018
47,762
Non-cash interest
19,060
19,450
Loss on extinguishment of debt
7,257
-
Stock-based compensation
3,980
3,435
Provision for losses on accounts receivable
3,149
4,088
Deferred income taxes
(564
)
1,041
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
(275
)
Change in fair value of Private Warrants
(1,969
)
-
Impairment of intangible asset
22,529
-
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
(11,362
)
10,050
Prepaid expenses and other assets
(5,490
)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
(4,573
)
4,675
Deferred revenue
(984
)
Net cash provided by operating activities
10,099
39,776
Investing activities
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired
-
(3,124
)
Purchases of property and equipment
(12,488
)
(10,935
)
Net cash used in investing activities
(12,488
)
(14,059
)
Financing activities
Proceeds for exercise of stock options
-
Revolving credit facility draws
-
29,000
Revolving credit facility repayments
-
(29,000
)
Payments for capital lease obligations
(2,518
)
(1,595
)
Debt issuance costs
(2,031
)
-
Proceeds long-term debt, net of original issue discount
294,000
-
Retirement of debt
(289,000
)
-
Payment on long-term debt
(2,250
)
(17,000
)
Net cash used in financing activities
(1,761
)
(18,595
)
Effect of foreign exchange rates
(583
)
Net (decrease) increase in cash
(4,733
)
7,794
Cash at beginning of period
51,201
43,407
Cash at end of period
$
46,468
$
51,201
Supplemental disclosure:
Cash paid for interest
$
36,073
$
32,196
Income taxes refunded: net of payments
$
$
Significant noncash investing and financing activities
Purchases of property and equipment in accounts
payable and accrued expenses on the
consolidated balance sheets
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 1 - Organization, business and summary of significant accounting policies
Organization
KLDiscovery Inc. (the “Company,” “we” or “us”) is a leading global provider of eDiscovery, information governance and data recovery solutions to corporations, law firms, insurance companies and individuals in 19 countries around the world. We provide technology solutions to help our clients solve complex data challenges. The Company’s headquarters are located in McLean, Virginia. The Company has 32 locations in 19 countries, as well as 9 data centers and 17 data recovery labs globally.
The Company was originally incorporated under the name Pivotal Acquisition Corp. (“Pivotal”) as a blank check company on August 2, 2018 under the laws of the State of Delaware for the purpose of entering into a merger, capital stock exchange, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.
On December 19, 2019, Pivotal acquired the outstanding shares of LD Topco, Inc. via a reverse capitalization (the “Business Combination”) and was renamed KLDiscovery Inc.
Principles of consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of KLDiscovery and all its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.
Use of estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Although actual results could differ from those estimates, management does not believe that such differences would be material.
Significant estimates include, but are not limited to, the allowance for doubtful accounts, determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including the fair value of Private Warrants (as defined in Note 3), the recoverability and useful lives of property and equipment, intangible assets, and other long-lived assets, the evaluation of goodwill for impairment, the valuation and realization of deferred income taxes, the fair value of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), stock option awards, and acquisition-related contingent consideration.
Segments, concentration of credit risk and major customers
The Company operates in one business segment, providing technology-based litigation support solutions and services.
Financial instruments, which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of cash and accounts receivable. The Company places its cash with a banking institution where the balances, at times, exceed federally insured limits. Management believes the risks associated with these deposits are limited.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
With respect to accounts receivable, the Company performs ongoing evaluations of its customers, generally grants uncollateralized credit terms to its customers, and maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts based on historical experience and management’s expectations of future losses. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company did not have a single customer that represents more than five percent (5%) or more of its consolidated revenues or accounts receivable. The Company believes that the geographic and industry diversity of the Company’s customer base throughout the U.S. and internationally minimizes the risk of incurring material losses due to concentrations of credit risk. The Company’s foreign revenues, principally from businesses in the UK and Germany, totaled approximately $64.1 million and $57.0 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company’s long-lived assets in foreign countries, principally in the UK and Germany, totaled approximately $25.9 million and $26.3 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Foreign currency
Results of operations for the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries are translated from the designated functional currency to the reporting currency of the U.S. dollar. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for each month, while assets and liabilities are translated at balance sheet date exchange rates. Resulting net translation adjustments are recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity in “Accumulated other comprehensive income.”
Transaction gains and losses arising from currency exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the local functional currency are included in “Other expense” on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss. Such transaction gains and losses may be realized or unrealized depending upon whether the transaction settled during the period or remains outstanding at the balance sheet date.
Cash and cash equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid financial instruments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.
Accounts receivable
Accounts receivable are recorded at original invoice amount less an estimate for doubtful receivables based on a review of outstanding amounts monthly. Management determines the allowance for doubtful accounts by regularly evaluating individual customer receivables and considering a customer’s financial condition and credit history. Accounts receivable are written off when deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of trade accounts receivable previously written off are recorded when received.
A rollforward of the allowance for doubtful accounts is presented below (in thousands):
Balance at December 31, 2019
$
7,486
Charged to/reversed from expense
4,088
Charged to/from other accounts
Deductions (write offs)
(3,344
)
Balance at December 31, 2020
$
8,513
Charged to/reversed from expense
3,149
Deductions (write offs)
(1,888
)
Balance at December 31, 2021
$
9,774
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Fixed Assets
Computer software, property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets:
Computer software and hardware
3 to 5 years
Leasehold improvements
Shorter of lease term or useful life
Furniture, fixtures and other equipment
3 to 5 years
Gains or losses on disposals are included in results of operations at amounts equal to the difference between the net book value of the disposed assets and the proceeds received upon disposal. Costs for replacements and betterments are capitalized, while the costs of maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Property under capital leases are depreciated using the straight-line method over the lease term.
Depreciation expense totaled $10.9 million and $16.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and includes amortization of assets recorded under capital leases.
Internal-use software development costs
The Company capitalizes certain internal computer software costs incurred during the application development stage. The application development stage generally includes software design and configuration, coding, testing and installation activities. Training and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred, while upgrades and enhancements are capitalized if it is probable that such expenditure will result in additional functionality. Capitalized software costs are depreciated over the estimated useful life of the underlying project on a straight-line basis. The Company’s estimated useful life of capitalized software costs varies between three and five years, depending on management’s expectation of the economic life of various software. Capitalized software amortization costs are recorded as a component of cost of revenue.
Capitalized software costs are reflected as part of the “Intangible assets, net” in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets and totaled $14.7 million and $18.5 million, net of accumulated amortization, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Upon the adoption of ASU 2018-15 in 2021, capitalized implementation costs of cloud computing arrangements, which are classified as part of the “Intangible assets, net” as of December 31, 2020 and totaled $5.3 million are now included in both Prepaid expense and Other assets in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet and totaled $1.5 million and $5.1 million as of December 31, 2021, respectively.
Intangible assets and other long-lived assets
The Company evaluates the recoverability of its long-lived assets, including finite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of any asset to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the difference between the fair value of the asset compared to its carrying amount.
In the third quarter of 2021, we negotiated the termination of our license to use the Kroll Ontrack and KrolLDiscovery tradenames and executed the final agreements relating to the termination in October 2021. This significant change was a triggering event which resulted in an evaluation of impairment of our Kroll Ontrack and Kroll Discovery tradenames capitalized as part of our 2016 Kroll Ontrack acquisition. As a result, the Company recognized an impairment loss of $22.5 million in the third quarter of 2021, which was included in Impairment of intangible assets in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Amortization expense totaled $26.2 million and $30.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively; $9.3 million and $11.8 million of which was classified as part of the “Cost of revenues” line in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
The Company allocates the purchase price of an acquisition to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The Company recognizes as goodwill the amount by which the purchase price of an acquired entity exceeds the net of the fair values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. In determining the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, the Company uses various recognized valuation methods including the income and market approaches. Further, the Company makes assumptions within certain valuation techniques, including discount rates, royalty rates, and the amount and timing of future cash flows. The Company records the net assets and results of operations of an acquired entity in the financial statements from the acquisition date. The Company initially performs these valuations based upon preliminary estimates and assumptions by management or independent valuation specialists under its supervision, where appropriate, and make revisions as estimates and assumptions are finalized. The Company expenses acquisition-related costs as they are incurred.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the total consideration paid over identified intangible and tangible assets of the Company and its acquisitions. The Company tests its goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis on October 1, and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. These events or circumstances could include a significant change in the business climate, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, or sale or disposition of a significant portion of a reporting unit. As of the October 1 testing date the Company determined there is one reporting unit.
Goodwill impairment exists when the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If impairment exists, the carrying value of the goodwill is reduced by the excess through an impairment charge recorded in the Company’s statements of operations. The process of evaluating the potential impairment of goodwill is subjective and requires significant judgment at many points during the analysis.
The fair value of the Company’s reporting unit is estimated using a combination of a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) analysis and market-based valuation methodologies such as comparable public company trading values. Determining fair value requires the exercise of significant judgments, including the amount and timing of expected future cash flows, long-term growth rates, discount rates and relevant comparable public company earnings multiples. The cash flows employed in the DCF analyses are based on the Company’s best estimate of future sales, earnings and cash flows after considering factors such as general market conditions, changes in working capital, long term business plans and recent operating performance. The carrying value of the reporting unit includes the assets and liabilities employed in its operations and goodwill.
Accordingly, the Company has not identified any indicators of impairment, nor have any impairment charges been recorded related to goodwill resulting from the annual impairment test.
The following table provides a rollforward of the carrying amount of goodwill (in thousands):
Balance at December 31, 2019
$
395,171
Acquisitions
1,009
Disposal
(96
)
Foreign currency translation
3,001
Balance at December 31, 2020
399,085
Foreign currency translation
(3,326
)
Balance at December 31, 2021
$
395,759
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Debt issuance costs
Debt issuance costs are stated at cost, net of accumulated amortization, and are amortized over the term of the debt using both the straight-line and the effective yield methods. U.S. GAAP requires that the effective yield method be used to amortize debt acquisition costs; however, if the effect of using the straight-line method is not materially different from the results that would have been obtained under the effective yield method, the straight-line method may be used. The amortization for funded term debt is calculated according to the effective yield method and revolving and unfunded term debt is calculated according to the straight-line method. Debt issuance costs related to funded term debt is presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. Debt issuance costs related to revolving and unfunded term debt is presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets within “Other assets.”
Revenue recognition
Revenues are recognized when we satisfy a performance obligation by transferring goods or services promised in a contract to a customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to receive in exchange for those services. Performance obligations in our contracts represent distinct or separate service streams that we provide to our customers.
The Company evaluates its revenue contracts with customers based on the five-step model under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue Recognition: (1) identify the contract with the customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to separate performance obligations; and (5) recognize revenues when (or as) each performance obligation is satisfied.
We provide Legal Technology services to our clients through several technology solutions including Nebula Ecosystem (“Nebula”) our internally developed end-to-end fully integrated proprietary solution. We also provide Data Recovery solutions.
The following table summarizes revenue from contracts with customers for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
Technology Solutions
Nebula
Consolidated
Technology Solutions
Nebula
Consolidated
Legal technology
$
250,422
$
25,911
$
276,333
$
228,510
$
18,775
$
247,285
Data recovery
44,144
-
44,144
42,260
-
42,260
Total revenue
$
294,566
$
25,911
$
320,477
$
270,770
$
18,775
$
289,545
Performance Obligations and Timing of Revenue Recognition
The Company primarily sells services and products that fall into the categories discussed below. Each category contains one or more performance obligations that are either (1) capable of being distinct (i.e., the customer can benefit from the product or service on its own or together with readily available resources, including those purchased separately from us) and distinct within the context of the contract (i.e., separately identified from other promises in the contract) or (2) a series of distinct products or services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer.
(1)
Legal Technology, including Nebula and our expansive suite of technology solutions, such as our end-to-end eDiscovery technology solutions, managed review solutions, collections, processing, analytics, hosting, production and professional services, and
(2)
Data recovery solutions, which provides data restoration, data erasure and data management services
The Company generates the majority of its revenues by providing Legal Technology services to our clients. Most of our eDiscovery service contracts are time and materials types of arrangements.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Time and materials arrangements are based on units of data stored or processed. Unit-based revenues are recognized as services are provided, based on either the amount of data stored or processed, the number of concurrent users accessing the information, or the number of pages or images processed for a client, at agreed upon per unit rates. We recognize revenues for these arrangements at a point in time utilizing a right-to-invoice practical expedient because we have a right to consideration for services completed to date.
Certain other eDiscovery contracts are subscription-based, fixed-fee arrangements, which have tiered pricing based on the quantity of data hosted. For a fixed monthly fee, our clients receive a variety of optional eDiscovery services, which are included in addition to the data hosting. The Company recognizes revenues for these arrangements at a point in time based on predetermined monthly fees as determined in our contractual agreements, utilizing a right-to-invoice practical expedient because the Company has a right to consideration for services completed to date.
Other eDiscovery agreements are time and material arrangements that require the client to pay us based on the number of hours worked at contractually agreed-upon rates. The Company recognizes revenues for these arrangements at a point in time based on hours incurred and contracted rates utilizing a right-to-invoice practical expedient because it has a contractual right to consideration for services completed to date.
Data recovery services are mainly fixed fee arrangements requiring the client to pay a pre-established fee in exchange for the successful completion of a data recovery on a predetermined device. For the recovery services performed by the Company’s technicians, the revenue is recognized at a point in time, when the recovered data is sent to the customer.
Data erasure services are fixed fee arrangements for which revenue is recognized at a point in time, when the certificate of erasure is sent to the customer.
The Company offers term license subscriptions to Ontrack PowerControls software to customers with on-premises installations of the software pursuant to contracts that are historically one to four years in length. The term license subscriptions include maintenance and support, as well as access to future software upgrades and patches. The license and the additional support services are deemed to be one performance obligation, and thus revenue for these arrangements is recognized ratably over the term of the agreement.
Share-based compensation
The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all share-based awards to employees based on estimated grant date fair values on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model, depending on terms, facts and circumstances of each share-based award. The expected vesting of the Company’s performance-based RSUs is based upon the probability of a liquidity event, such as a change in control as defined under the 2019 Plan. The probability of achievement of the liquidity event, if any, is re-evaluated quarterly.
Advertising
Advertising costs consist of marketing, advertising through print and other media, professional event sponsorship and public relations. These costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs totaled $3.5 million and $4.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Advertising costs are reflected within “Sales and marketing” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
Research and development expense
Costs incurred in the research and development of the Company’s technologies primarily consist of developer salaries. Research and development expenses were $10.3 million and $7.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Income taxes
Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences in recognizing certain income, expense and credit items for financial reporting purposes and tax reporting purposes. Such deferred income taxes primarily relate to the difference between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to the future years in which deferred tax assets or liabilities are expected to be settled or realized. Excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are recognized in the income tax provision in the period in which they occur.
The Company records a valuation allowance when it determines, based on available positive and negative evidence, that it is more-likely-than-not that some portion, or all its deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company determines the realizability of its deferred tax assets primarily based on the reversal of existing taxable temporary differences and projections of future taxable income (exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards). In evaluating such projections, the Company considers its history of profitability, the competitive environment, and general economic conditions. In addition, the Company considers the time frame over which it would take to utilize the deferred tax assets prior to their expiration.
For certain tax positions, the Company uses a more-likely-than-not threshold based on the technical merits of the tax position taken. Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured at the largest amount of tax benefits determined on a cumulative probability basis, which are more-likely-than-not to be realized upon ultimate settlement in the financial statements. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.
Net Loss per Common Share
Basic net loss per common share is determined by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Diluted net loss per common share is determined by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year, plus the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents, including stock options and restricted shares. Common stock and common stock equivalents included in the computation represent shares issuable upon assumed exercise of outstanding stock options and release of restricted shares, except when the effect of their inclusion would be antidilutive.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
On October 1, 2021, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, (“ASU 2018-15”) on a prospective basis. ASU 2018-15 requires a customer in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract to follow the internal-use software guidance in ASC 350-40 to determine which implementation costs to defer and recognize as an asset. As of December 31, 2021, the Company classified the capitalized implementation costs in the same manner as the fees for the associated hosting arrangement, in its Consolidated Balance Sheet, Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. As of December 31, 2020, such costs are classified as part of Intangible assets, net on the consolidated balance sheet and classified as an investing activity in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow.
Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted
The Company has elected to be an Emerging Growth Company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act and take advantage of the extended transition period of delaying the adoption of new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. This may make the comparison of the Company’s consolidated financial statements to other public companies not meaningful due to the differences in accounting standards being applied.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize on the balance sheet a right-of-use asset, representing their right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and a lease liability for all leases with terms greater than 12 months. The guidance also requires qualitative and quantitative disclosures designed to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The standard requires the use of a modified retrospective transition approach, which includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. This standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and the Company is currently evaluating the impact that Topic 842 will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (“ASC 326”): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”). This guidance is intended to introduce a revised approach to the recognition and measurement of credit losses, emphasizing an updated model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. The Company is required to adopt ASC 326 effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and the Company is currently evaluating the impact that Topic 326 will have on its consolidated financial statements.
Note 2 - Correction of an immaterial error
On April 12, 2021, the SEC Staff issued a “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies” (“SPACs”) (the “SEC Staff Statement”). The Company evaluated the SEC Staff Statement and determined that its Private Warrants (as defined in Note 3), which had historically been accounted for as a component of equity, should be reclassified and recorded as a liability at fair value during each reporting period, with changes in fair value recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ASC 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, the Company evaluated the materiality of the errors from quantitative and qualitative perspectives and concluded that the errors were immaterial to the Company’s prior period interim and annual consolidated financial statements. Because these errors were not material to any prior period interim or annual financial statements, no amendments to previously filed interim or annual periodic reports are required. The Company recognized the cumulative effect of the error on prior periods by recording during the three months ended and as of, March 31, 2021, (i) $2.0 million of income in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss to reflect the cumulative decrease in the fair value of the Private Warrants liabilities, (ii) a warrant liability of $1.8 million in the Balance Sheet and (iii) a decrease in additional paid-in capital of $3.8 million in the Balance Sheet.
Note 3 - Fair value measurements
The Company accounts for recurring and non-recurring fair value measurements in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements. ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a fair value hierarchy for assets and liabilities measured at fair value, and requires expanded disclosures about fair value measurements. The ASC 820 hierarchy ranks the quality of reliability of inputs, or assumptions, used in the determination of fair value, and requires assets and liabilities carried at fair value to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
Level 1 - Fair value is determined by using unadjusted quoted prices that are available in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
Level 2 - Fair value is determined by using inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices that are directly or indirectly observable. Inputs can include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in inactive markets. Related inputs can also include those used in valuation or other pricing models, such as interest rates and yield curves that can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3 - Fair value is determined by inputs that are unobservable and not corroborated by market data. Use of these inputs involves significant and subjective judgments to be made by a reporting entity - e.g., determining an appropriate adjustment to a discount factor for illiquidity associated with a given security.
The Company evaluates financial assets and liabilities subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis to determine the appropriate level at which to classify them each reporting period. This determination requires significant judgments to be made by the Company.
The Company believes that the fair values of its current assets and current liabilities (cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other current liabilities) approximate their reported carrying amounts.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
The Company estimates the fair value of contingent purchase consideration based on the present value of the consideration expected to be paid during the remainder of the earn-out period, based on management’s assessment of the acquired operations’ forecasted earnings. This fair value measure is based on significant inputs not observed in the market and thus represents a Level 3 measurement. The fair value of future expected acquisition-related contingent purchase consideration obligations was $0.6 million and $0.9 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements of the Company’s contingent purchase consideration include its measures of the future profitability and related cash flows of the acquired business or assets, impacted by appropriate discount rates. Significant increases (decreases) in any of these individual inputs would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value measurement. Generally, a change in the assumptions used for the discount rates is indirectly proportional to the fair value of contingent purchase consideration and a change in the assumptions used for the future cash flows is directly proportional to the fair value of contingent purchase consideration. The Company, using additional information as it becomes available, reassesses the fair value of the contingent purchase consideration on a quarterly basis.
The Company has determined that the 6,350,000 warrants to purchase Common Stock (the “Private Warrants”) issued in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination in December 2019 should be accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity. The warrant liabilities are measured at fair value at inception and on a recurring basis, with changes in fair value presented within change in fair value of Private Warrants in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss. The fair value of the Private Warrants was $1.8 million as of December 31, 2021.
To estimate the fair value of the Private Warrants as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company used a Black Scholes closed form model, which is a Level 3 fair value measurement. Significant inputs used in the Black Scholes model for the Private Warrants were as follows:
December 31, 2021
December 31, 2020
Expected volatility
27.00
%
16.00
%
Expected term (in years)
2.94
3.97
Risk free interest rate
0.96
%
1.74
%
Dividend yield
0.00
%
0.00
%
Exercise Price
$
11.50
$
11.50
Fair value of Common Stock
$
6.80
$
8.05
The Company’s use of a Black Scholes model required the use of the following inputs, including assumptions:
•
Expected volatility - as of the valuation date, the Public Warrants (as defined in Note 10) and the Common Stock were traded and their market prices were used to infer the expected annual volatility of the Common Stock. The expected volatility is used to value the Private Warrants.
•
Expected term - the expected term is based on the exercise period, which began 30 days after the consummation of the Business Combination in December 2019 and ends on December 19, 2024 (which is five years after the completion of the Business Combination).
•
Risk-free interest rate - the risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury Bill yields for the period commensurate with the time to exercise the Private Warrants.
•
Dividend yield - the Company does not pay dividends and has no plans to do so. As a result, the expected dividend yield is zero.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
•
Exercise price - the exercise price is contractually set at $11.50.
•
Fair value of stock - the stock price is the quoted market price as of the valuation date.
The following table provides a reconciliation of liabilities measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
Balance at December 31, 2019
$
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
Balance at December 31, 2020
Private Warrants
3,810
Change in fair value of Private Warrants
(1,969
)
Change in fair value of contingent consideration
(275
)
Balance at December 31, 2021
$
2,486
Management estimates the carrying amount of the Company’s long-term debt approximates its fair value because the interest rates on these instruments are subject to changes in market interest rates or are consistent with prevailing interest rates.
Note 4 - Intangible assets
Intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):
Description
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Useful
Life in
Years
December 31, 2021
December 31, 2020
Trademark and tradenames
3.2
$
20,565
$
67,183
Accumulated amortization
(12,639
)
(29,004
)
Trademark and tradenames, net
7,926
38,179
Developed technology
3.3
79,436
79,796
Accumulated amortization
(59,173
)
(49,968
)
Developed technology, net
20,263
29,828
Customer relationships
6.1
96,637
97,420
Accumulated amortization
(65,535
)
(55,694
)
Customer relationships, net
31,102
41,726
Intangible assets, net of amortization
$
59,291
$
109,733
Future amortization of intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
Amount
$
19,289
13,549
9,252
5,297
3,953
Thereafter
7,226
In process
Total
$
59,291
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Note 5 - Accrued expenses
Accrued expenses consisted of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Accrued expenses:
Accrued interest
$
$
5,041
Accrued salaries
12,487
11,802
Current taxes payable
Other accrued expenses
2,124
2,694
Total
$
15,539
$
20,056
Note 6 - Leasing arrangements
The Company leases office space and certain equipment under operating and capital lease agreements, expiring in various years through 2029. Certain leases contain annual rent escalation clauses.
Rent expense totaled $11.2 million and $14.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As part of the Company’s efforts to optimize its real estate footprint, the Company terminated leases in four locations and reduced the footprint of two locations in 2021.
The depreciation expense recorded for capital leases totaled $1.8 million and $1.6 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
For years subsequent to December 31, 2021, future minimum payments for all operating and capital lease obligations that have initial non-cancelable lease terms exceeding one year, net of rental income from subleases are as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
Capital
Leases
Operating
Leases
$
1,880
$
8,817
1,057
8,251
-
7,133
-
3,798
-
1,860
Thereafter
-
Total
$
2,937
$
30,551
Less: interest on lease obligations
(191
)
Net amount
2,746
Less: current portion
(1,621
)
Non-current
$
1,125
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Note 7 - Long term debt
The table below summarizes the components of the Company’s long-term debt (in thousands):
December 31,
First lien facility due 2022
-
289,000
Convertible Debenture notes due 2024
229,382
214,541
2021 Credit Agreement due 2026
297,750
-
Total debt
527,132
503,541
Less: unamortized original issue discount
(14,700
)
(16,126
)
Less: unamortized debt issuance costs
(1,726
)
(3,867
)
Total debt, net
510,706
483,548
Current portion of debt
3,000
17,000
Less: current portion of unamortized original
issue discount
-
(4,312
)
Less: current portion of unamortized debt
issuance costs
-
(1,740
)
Total current portion of debt, net
3,000
10,948
Total long-term debt, net
$
507,706
$
472,600
2021 Credit Agreement
On February 8, 2021, certain subsidiaries of the Company, or the Loan Parties, entered into a new secured credit agreement, or the 2021 Credit Agreement. Proceeds were used to pay in full all outstanding loans and terminate all lending commitments under the 2016 Credit Agreement discussed below.
The 2021 Credit Agreement provides for (i) initial term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $300 million, or the Initial Term Loans, (ii) delayed draw term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $50 million, or the Delayed Draw Term Loans, and (iii) revolving credit loans in an aggregate principal amount of $40 million, with a letter of credit sublimit of $10 million, or the Revolving Credit Loans. The Delayed Draw Term Loans will be available to the Loan Parties at any time prior to February 8, 2023, subject to certain conditions.
The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans bear interest, at the Loan Parties’ option, at the rate of (x) with respect to Eurocurrency Rate Loans (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement), the Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) with a 1.0% floor, plus 6.50% per annum, or (y) with respect to Base Rate Loans (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement), the Base Rate (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) plus 5.50% per annum. The Revolving Credit Loans will bear interest, at our option, at the rate of (x) with respect to Eurocurrency Rate Loans, the Adjusted Eurocurrency Rate plus 4.00% per annum, or (y) with respect to Base Rate Loans, the Base Rate plus 3.00% per annum. The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans amortize at a rate of 1.00% of the aggregate principal amount of Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans outstanding, payable in consecutive quarterly installments of $0.8 million, beginning on June 30, 2021. At December 31, 2021, the balance due was $297.8 million with an interest rate of 6.50% plus an Adjusted Eurocurrency rate of 1.00%.
The Initial Term Loans, Delayed Draw Term Loans and Revolving Credit Loans are each scheduled to mature on the earlier of February 8, 2026 and six months prior to maturity of our Debentures due in December 2024. The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans may be voluntarily repaid at any time, but may be subject to a prepayment premium. The Initial Term Loans and Delayed Draw Term Loans are required to be repaid under certain circumstances, including with Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement), the proceeds of an Asset Sale or Casualty Event (each as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) and the proceeds of certain refinancing indebtedness.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
The obligations under the 2021 Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the Loan Parties’ assets. The 2021 Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants as well as a financial maintenance covenant that requires the Loan Parties to maintain a First Lien Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement) of less than or equal to 7.00 to 1.00, tested at the end of each fiscal quarter. The Company was in compliance with all Credit Agreement covenants as of December 31, 2021.
The Company incurred closing fees of $8.0 million in connection with the entry into the 2021 Credit Agreement. These fees will be amortized over the full term of the 2021 Credit Agreement.
Revolving Credit Loans
The 2021 Credit Agreement also provides for an unfunded revolver commitment for borrowing up to $40.0 million (the “Revolving Credit Loans”). As of December 31, 2021, there was $39.4 million available capacity for borrowing under the revolving loan commitment due to the $0.6 million of letters of credit outstanding (See Note 15 - Commitments and contingencies).
2016 Credit Agreement and Revolving Credit Facility
On December 9, 2016, certain subsidiaries of the Company entered into a credit agreement, or the 2016 Credit Agreement, with a group of lenders to establish term loan facilities and a revolving line of credit for borrowings by LD Intermediate, Inc. and LD Lower Holdings, Inc. The initial term loan borrowings of $340.0 million under the first lien facility and $125.0 million under the second lien facility were to mature on December 9, 2022 and December 9, 2023, respectively. The 2016 Credit Agreement also provided for an unfunded revolver commitment for borrowing up to $30.0 million, maturing on June 9, 2022. The first lien facility and the revolving credit facility were repaid and retired on February 8, 2021 and the second lien facility was repaid on December 19, 2019. The Company incurred a loss on debt extinguishment of $7.3 million in connection with the retirement of the 2016 Credit Agreement and the related revolving credit facility.
Convertible Debentures
On December 19, 2019, the Company issued Convertible Debentures, which mature in 2024, in an aggregate principal amount of $200 million (the “Debentures” or the “Convertible Debentures”). At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the balance due under the Debentures was $229.4 million and $214.5 million, respectively.
The Debentures will mature on December 19, 2024 unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased, and bear interest at an annual rate of 4.00% in cash, payable quarterly, and 4.00% in kind, accrued quarterly, on the last business day of March, June, September and December. In addition, on each anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company will increase the principal amount of the Debentures by an amount equal to 3.00% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Debentures outstanding (subject to reduction for any principal amount repaid). The additional payment will accrue from the last payment date for the additional payment (or the Closing Date if no prior payment has been made), and will also be payable at maturity, upon conversion and upon an optional redemption.
At any time, upon notice as set forth in the Debentures, the Debentures will be redeemable at the Company’s option, in whole or in part, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Debentures redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
Subject to approval of our stockholders to allow for the full conversion of the Debentures into common stock, the Debentures will be convertible into shares of the common stock at the option of the Debenture holders at any time and from time to time at a price of $18 per share, subject to certain adjustments. However, in the event the Company elects to redeem any Debentures, the holders have a right to purchase common stock from the Company in an amount equal to the amount redeemed at the conversion price.
The Debentures contain covenants that limit the Company’s ability to, among other things: (i) incur additional debt; (ii) create liens on assets; (iii) engage in certain transactions with affiliates; or (iv) designate the Company’s subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries. The Debentures provide for customary events of default, including non-
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
payment, failure to comply with covenants or other agreements in the Debentures and certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency. If an event of default occurs and continues, the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debentures may declare the entire principal amount of all the Debentures to be due and payable immediately. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020 the Company was in compliance with all Debenture covenants.
Future principal payments, including in kind interest, are as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
Amount
$
3,000
3,000
280,310
3,000
Thereafter
285,750
Total
$
575,060
The initial term loan borrowings related to the 2021 Credit Agreement were issued at an original issue discount of $6.0 million. The Convertible Debentures were issued at an original discount of $13.7 million. The original issue discount is amortized using the effective yield method over the respective term of each facility or debenture. Accretion of the original issue discount totaled $3.3 million and $3.7 million during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amortization is recorded as interest expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
The Company incurred term loan facilities closing fees related to the 2021 Credit Agreement of $1.3 million, along with revolver closing fees of $0.7 million. The term loan facilities and revolver closing fees were deferred on February 8, 2021 and are amortized over their respective terms. The Company incurred closing fees related to the Convertible Debentures of $0.9 million which were deferred on December 19, 2019 and are amortized over the term of the debentures. Amortization of debt issuance costs totaled $0.5 million and $1.6 million during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amortization is recorded as interest expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss. A loss on debt extinguishment was recognized related to the closing of the First Lien Facility in the amount of $7.3 million for deferred financing costs and original issue discounts in 2021.
The future amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount related to the 2021 Credit Agreement, the Revolving Credit Facility and Convertible Debentures are as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
Amount
$
4,400
4,986
5,466
1,429
Thereafter
Total
$
16,426
Note 8 - Employee benefit plan
The Company’s 401(k) plan covers employees who are at least 21 years of age, have completed one year of employment and worked a minimum of 1,000 hours. Employees may elect to defer a percentage of their salary up to the maximum allowed under the Internal Revenue Service Code. Starting in January 2020, the Company discontinued matching contributions to the 401(k) plan. In 2021, the Company made a one-time profit-sharing contribution to all eligible employees. The one-time contribution was calculated as 4% of highly compensated employees’ and 5% of non-highly compensated employees’ third quarter compensation, up to the maximum allowed under the Internal Revenue Service code. Contributions to the 401(k) plan were $1.4 million and $0.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Note 9 - Equity incentive plan
On December 19, 2019, the Company adopted the 2019 Incentive Award Plan (the “2019 Plan”) under which eligible employees, officers, directors and consultants of the Company may be granted incentive or non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, or other stock-based awards, including shares of common stock. Pursuant to the 2019 Plan, the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the 2019 Plan automatically increases on each January 1 (commencing with January 1, 2021) until and including January 1, 2029, by an amount equal to the lesser of: (a) 5% of the shares of Common Stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (b) such smaller number of shares as is determined by our Board of Directors (the “Board”). The Compensation Committee of the Board approved an increase to the share reserve as set out in the 2019 Plan in February 2021 in the amount of 2,126,451 shares. As of December 31, 2021, 9,626,451 shares of Common Stock were reserved under the 2019 Plan, of which 1,723,630 shares of Common Stock remained available for issuance.
Stock option activity
The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity under the 2019 Plan:
Description
Options
Outstanding
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (Years)
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value (1)
Options outstanding, December 31, 2019
514,710
$
9.90
10.0
Granted
4,137,750
8.49
Forfeited
(387,186
)
8.85
Expired
(4,521
)
8.85
Options outstanding, December 31, 2020
4,260,753
$
8.46
9.0
Granted
1,415,371
7.88
Exercised
(4,676
)
8.00
$
Forfeited
(496,842
)
8.09
Expired
(80,924
)
8.16
Options outstanding, December 31, 2021
5,093,682
$
8.34
8.4
$
Options vested and exercisable, December 31, 2021
2,462,298
$
8.36
8.1
$
-
Options vested and expected to vest, December 31, 2021
5,093,682
$
8.34
8.4
$
(1)
Aggregate intrinsic value (in thousands) represents the difference between the estimated fair value of the underlying common stock and the exercise price of outstanding, in-the-money options.
The following table summarizes additional information on stock option grants and vesting (in thousands):
2019 Plan
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Total fair value of stock options granted
$
2,583
$
9,241
Total fair value of options vested
2,911
2,711
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Time-based vesting stock options
Time-based vesting stock options generally vest over a three-year period, are subject to graded vesting schedules, and expire ten years from the date of grant or within 90 days of termination. The weighted-average fair value per share of time-based vesting stock options granted by the Company was $1.83, and $2.19 during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
For the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020 the Company recognized $4.0 million and $3.4 million of stock-based compensation expense in connection with time-based stock options, respectively. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, there was $4.2 million and $6.4 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested time-based stock options that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.43 and 3.0 years, respectively.
Stock Option Valuation
The Company used valuation models to value both time and performance-based vesting stock options granted during 2021 and 2020. The following table summarizes the assumptions used in the valuation models to determine the fair value of awards granted to employees and non-employees under both the 2019 Plan:
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Expected volatility
43.22 - 44.61%
37.63 - 41.24%
Expected term (in years)
6.0
6.0
Dividend yield
0%
0%
Risk free interest rate
0.70 - 1.16%
0.30 - 1.43%
A discussion of management’s methodology for developing each of the assumptions used in the valuation model follows:
•
Expected volatility - Volatility is a measure of the amount by which a financial variable such as a share price has fluctuated (historical volatility) or is expected to fluctuate (expected volatility) during a period. The Company uses an estimated volatility based on the historical and implied volatilities of comparable companies.
•
Expected term - This is the period that the options granted are expected to remain unexercised. For options granted during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company derived the expected life of the option based on the average midpoint between vesting and the contractual term as there is little exercise history.
•
Dividend yield - The Company has never declared or paid dividends and have no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.
•
Risk-free interest rate - This is the U.S. Treasury rate for securities with similar terms that most closely resembles the expected life of the option.
Stock-based compensation expense
Stock-based compensation expense is included in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss within the following line items (in thousands):
December 31,
Cost of revenues
$
1,373
$
1,336
General and administrative
1,573
1,198
Research and development
Sales and marketing
Total
$
3,980
$
3,435
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Performance-based restricted stock units
The Company granted RSUs to certain employees and non-employee directors which are subject to certain vesting criteria. The RSUs granted to employees become eligible to begin vesting upon a liquidity event (as defined in the award agreements governing the RSUs). The amount and timing of the vesting of the RSUs depends on the type and timing of the liquidity event as it relates to the Closing Date. Generally, a portion of the RSUs will first vest upon the occurrence of the liquidity event and the remainder will vest in up to three annual installments thereafter, provided that if the liquidity event occurs after the third anniversary of the Closing Date, all RSUs will vest immediately upon the liquidity event. The vesting of the RSUs held by a grantee is generally subject to his or her continued employment with the Company.
Time-based restricted stock units
During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company granted to certain non-employee directors 90,324 and 136,956 stock awards, respectively. These stock awards were issued to non-employee directors in satisfaction of their annual retainer payments and vest over a one-year or three-year period. Accordingly, the Company recognized the grant-date fair value of the restricted stock units of $0.7 million and $0.4 million as stock-based compensation expense during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The following table summarizes the Company’s RSU activity for performance-based RSUs awarded to employees and for time-based RSUs granted to non-employee directors under the 2019 Plan:
RSUs
Description
Outstanding
Outstanding at December 31, 2020
1,290,432
Granted
477,263
Vested- non-employee directors awards
(103,622
)
Forfeited
(150,181
)
Expired
-
Outstanding at December 31, 2021
1,513,892
The Company determined that the achievement of the liquidity event was not probable and therefore no expense was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Note 10 - Equity
The Company is authorized to issue up to 200,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) and 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share. Each holder of Common Stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. The holders of the Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends out of assets legally available at the time and in the amounts as the Company’s Board of Directors may from time to time determine. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the assets of the Company shall be distributed ratably among the holders of the then outstanding common stock.
There were no stock issuances during 2021 and 2020, other than pursuant to stock option exercises, and non-employee director RSU vesting during 2021.
Warrants
On the Closing Date, in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination, the Company assumed (i) 23,000,000 warrants (the “Public Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock and (ii) 6,350,000 Private Warrants (together with the Public Warrants, the “Warrants”). The Public Warrants qualify for equity accounting as these warrants do not fall within the scope of ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity. The Public Warrants were measured at fair value at the time of issuance and classified as equity. As disclosed in Note 2, the Company has determined that the Private Warrants fall within the scope of ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, and therefore these warrants are classified as liabilities and measured at fair value at each reporting period.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock for $11.50 per share. If held by the initial purchaser of the Private Warrant or certain permitted transferees, the purchase can occur on a cashless basis. The warrants will expire on December 19, 2024 or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
If the reported last sale price of the Company’s common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three business days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders, the Company may redeem all the Public Warrants at a price of $0.01 per warrant upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice.
If the Company calls the Public Warrants for redemption, management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise the Public Warrants to do so on a cashless basis. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend, or recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. The warrants will not be adjusted for issuance of common stock at a price below its exercise price. The Company will not be required to net cash settle the warrants.
The Private Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants except that the Private Warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis and be non-redeemable so long as they are held by the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees. If the Private Warrants are held by someone other than the initial purchasers or their permitted transferees, the Private Warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by such holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.
Shares Subject to Forfeiture
On December 19, 2019, in connection with the consummation of the reverse merger transaction, 550,000 shares of common stock held by Pivotal Acquisition Holdings LLC are subject to an additional lockup that will be released only if the last reported sale price of the common stock equals or exceeds $15.00 for a period of 20 consecutive trading days during the five-year period following the Closing Date. If the last reported sale price of common stock does not equal or exceed $15.00 within five years from the Closing Date, such shares will be forfeited to the Company for no consideration. These shares are reported as outstanding in our financial statements and continue to be subject to the additional lockup as of December 31, 2021.
Note 11 - Loss per share
Basic loss per common share (“EPS”) is calculated by dividing the net loss for the year by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Due to the Company’s net loss for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, all potential common stock equivalents were anti-dilutive.
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
The following table summarizes basic and diluted loss per share or the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Basic and diluted loss per share:
Net loss
$
(60,543
)
$
(49,926
)
Weighted average common shares
outstanding - basic
42,601,745
42,529,017
Dilutive effect of potentially
issuable shares
-
-
Weighted average common shares
outstanding - diluted
42,601,745
42,529,017
Basic loss per share
$
(1.42
)
$
(1.17
)
Dilutive effect of potentially
issuable shares
-
-
Diluted loss per share
$
(1.42
)
$
(1.17
)
Common share equivalents
excluded due to anti-dilutive effect
50,901,006
49,018,827
Note 12 - Foreign currency
The Company had immaterial foreign currency losses that are reflected in “Other expense” on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss for years December 31, 2021 and 2020. Transaction gains and losses, both realized and unrealized, relate to the remeasurement or settlement of monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in a currency other than an entity’s functional currency. These monetary assets and liabilities include cash as well as third party receivables and payables.
Note 13 - Income taxes
The components of income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are presented below (in thousands):
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Current
Federal
$
-
$
(712
)
State
Foreign
Deferred
Federal
State
Foreign
(2,228
)
(294
)
Total income tax (benefit) provision
$
(447
)
$
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
The actual income tax expense amounts for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 differed from the expected tax amounts computed by applying the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate of 21% for 2021 and 2020 to the amounts of loss before income taxes as presented below (in thousands):
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Pre-tax book loss
$
(60,990
)
$
(48,990
)
Tax at Federal statutory rate of 21% in 2021 and 2020
(12,808
)
(10,288
)
State taxes
Stock based compensation
(49
)
Foreign rate differential
(944
)
(1,223
)
Unrecognized tax benefit
-
Other adjustments
1,477
1,453
Valuation allowance
11,046
9,563
Total income tax (benefit) provision
$
(447
)
$
The domestic and foreign components of loss before income taxes from continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Domestic
$
(57,135
)
$
(46,686
)
Foreign
(3,855
)
(2,304
)
Total
$
(60,990
)
$
(48,990
)
The tax effects of temporary differences at December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Net operating losses and other carryforwards
$
43,322
$
42,859
Interest expense carryforward
40,295
30,112
Property and equipment
3,710
2,448
Accrued expenses
Payroll tax deferral
1,089
Allowance for doubtful accounts
2,534
1,768
Stock-based compensation
1,741
Other
Deferred tax asset
93,302
80,206
Valuation allowance
(80,449
)
(65,228
)
Total deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance
12,853
14,978
Intangible assets
(18,452
)
(21,791
)
Prepaid expenses
(20
)
(107
)
Other
(482
)
(415
)
Deferred tax liability
(18,954
)
(22,313
)
Net deferred tax liability
$
(6,101
)
$
(7,335
)
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had tax effected U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $32.5 million and $32.1 million, respectively, of which $7.8 million tax effected, begin to expire in 2024 but approximately $16.5 million, tax effected, begin to expire in 2035 and $8.2 million, tax effected, have no expiration. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had tax effected state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $7.2 million and $6.7 million, respectively. The majority of the state tax losses will not begin expiring until 2035 or later. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company also had U.S. tax credit carryforwards of approximately $0.9 million and $0.9 million, respectively. The tax credits will expire in 2022.
The tax effected foreign net operating loss at December 31, 2021 and 2020 is approximately $2.7 million and $3.1 million, respectively, the majority of which has an unlimited carryforward period.
The Company operates in multiple tax jurisdictions and, in the normal course of business, its tax returns are subject to examination by various taxing authorities. Such examinations may result in future assessments by these taxing authorities. The Company is subject to examination by U.S. tax authorities beginning with the year ended December 31, 2017. The Company is also subject to examination in various foreign jurisdictions. In material foreign jurisdictions, the statute of limitations ranges one - four years from the filing of a tax return.
The Company has not provided for U.S. income and foreign withholding taxes on approximately $19.0 million of certain foreign subsidiaries' undistributed earnings as of December 31, 2021, because such earnings have been retained and are intended to be indefinitely reinvested outside of the U.S. These earnings could become subject to additional tax, if they were remitted as dividends, loaned to the Company, or if the Company should sell its stock in these foreign subsidiaries. However, it is not practicable to estimate the amount of taxes that would be payable for these earnings because such tax, if any, is dependent on circumstances existing if and when a taxable event occurs.
Valuation Allowance
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had a valuation allowance of $80.4 million and $65.2 million, respectively, against certain deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance relates to the deferred tax assets of the Company’s U.S. entities, including federal and state tax attributes and timing differences, as well as the deferred tax assets of certain foreign subsidiaries. The increase in the valuation allowance during 2021 is primarily related to operating losses incurred during the year and the limitation on deductibility of interest expense. To the extent the Company determines that, based on the weight of available evidence, all or a portion of its valuation allowance is no longer necessary, the Company will recognize an income tax benefit in the period such determination is made for the reversal of the valuation allowance. If management determines that, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more-likely-than-not that all or a portion of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized; the Company may recognize income tax expense in the period such determination is made to increase the valuation allowance. It is possible that such reduction of or addition to the Company’s valuation allowance may have a material impact on the Company’s results from operations. The U.S. federal and foreign changes to valuation allowance of approximately $11.0 million is presented in the effective tax rate reconciliation as part of the valuation allowance. The U.S. state changes to valuation allowance of approximately $4.9 million is presented as part of the state taxes in the effective tax rate reconciliation. As of December 31, 2021, there is approximately ($0.3) million of valuation allowance movement that is attributable to translation adjustment and ($0.4) million of valuation allowance included in the effective tax rate reconciliation as part of the adjustments.
A summary of the deferred tax asset valuation allowance is as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Beginning Balance
$
65,228
$
51,895
Additions
15,650
14,149
Reductions
(429
)
(816
)
Ending Balance
$
80,449
$
65,228
KLDiscovery Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued
Uncertain Tax Positions
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits was $1.0 million that would favorably impact the Company’s effective income tax rate if realized. However, due to the Company’s determination that the deferred tax asset would not more-likely-than-not be realized, a full valuation allowance would be recorded if the unrecognized tax benefits were realized. The Company’s uncertain income tax position liability has been recorded to deferred income taxes to offset the tax attribute carryforward amounts. There was no change to the uncertain tax position liability during the year.
Note 14 - Severance and retention
Primarily in connection with the Company’s continued integration and realignment efforts following the 2016 acquisition of Kroll Ontrack, LLC, the Company recorded severance and retention expense of $1.2 million and $2.5 million during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, comprised of employee severance and other employee-related costs associated with a reduction in workforce of 27 and 39 employees for 2021 and 2020, respectively. Severance and retention expense are included in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Year Ended
December 31, 2020
Costs of revenues
$
$
General and administrative
Sales and marketing
1,076
Research and development
-
Total
$
1,205
$
2,503
The activity and balance of severance-related liabilities, which are recorded within Accounts payable and accrued expense in our Consolidated Balance Sheet are as follows (in thousands):
Balance at December 31, 2019
$
Payments
(1,395
)
Expense
2,503
Balance at December 31, 2020
$
1,466
Payments
(2,228
)
Expense
1,205
Balance at December 31, 2021
$
Note 15 - Commitments and contingencies
The Company is involved in various legal proceedings, which may arise occasionally in the normal course of business. While the ultimate results of such matters generally cannot be predicted with certainty, management does not expect such matters to have a material effect on the financial position and results of operations as of December 31, 2021. The Company has two letters of credit totaling $0.6 million as additional security for lease guarantees related to leased properties.
Note 16 - Related parties
As of December 31, 2021, $114.7 million including paid-in kind interest of the Company’s Debentures are owed to affiliates of MGG Investment Group, which is an affiliate of a director of the Company. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company recognized $12.9 million and $12.1 million in interest expense, respectively related to the amounts owned by the MGG Investment Group.
Note 17 - Subsequent events
The Company has evaluated subsequent events through March 17, 2022, the date on which these financial statements were issued. Based upon this evaluation, it was determined that no subsequent events occurred that require recognition or disclosure in the financial statements.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Not applicable.

---

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures
We maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act ), as of the end of the period covered by this Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that as of December 31, 2021, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by us in this Form 10-K was (a) reported within the time periods specified by SEC rules and regulations and (b) communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding any required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Our management evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective at December 31, 2021.
Attestation of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation by our independent registered public accounting firm regarding our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) due to the Company’s status as an emerging growth company. See “Business-Implications of being an emerging growth company and smaller reporting company.”
Changes in internal control over financial reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rule 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the quarter ended December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent limitation on the effectiveness of internal control
The effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, is subject to inherent limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating the controls and procedures, and the inability to eliminate misconduct completely. Accordingly, any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable, not absolute assurances. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We intend to continue to monitor and upgrade our internal controls as necessary or appropriate for our business but cannot assure you that such improvements will be sufficient to provide us with effective internal control over financial reporting.

---

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.

---

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The information required by this Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference from the information contained in our 2022 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC, on or before May 2, 2022, in connection with the solicitation of proxies for our 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “2022 Proxy Statement”) under the sections entitled “Proposal 1: Election of Directors,” “Corporate Governance and Board Matters,” “Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” and “Director Compensation.” Information concerning compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, as applicable, will appear under the caption “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports.”

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information required by this Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference from the information contained in our 2022 Proxy Statement under the sections entitled “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation.”

---

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The information required by this Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference from the information contained in our 2022 Proxy Statement under the section entitled “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.”
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table provides certain information as of December 31, 2021, with respect to our equity compensation plans under which common stock is authorized for issuance:
Number of Securities to
be Issued Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding Options
Number of Securities
Remaining Available
for Future issuance
under Equity
Compensation Plans
(Excluding Securities
Reflected in First
Column)
Equity compensation plans approved by
security holders (1)
6,607,574
(2)
$
8.34
(3)
2,973,630
(4)
Equity compensation plans
not approved by security holders
-
-
-
(1)
Consists of the 2019 Incentive Award Plan (“2019 Plan”) and the 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”).
(2)
Includes 5,093,682 outstanding options to purchase stock under the 2019 Plan and 1,513,892 restricted stock units that were outstanding under the 2019 Plan as of December 31, 2021.
(3)
Represents the weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options under the 2019 Plan.
(4)
As of December 31, 2021, a total of 2,973,630 shares of Common Stock were available for issuance, consisting of 1,723,630 shares under the 2019 Plan and 1,250,000 shares under the ESPP. Pursuant to the 2019 Plan, the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the 2019 Plan automatically increases on each January 1 until and including January 1, 2029, by an amount equal to the lesser of: (a) 5% of the shares of Common Stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (b) such smaller number of shares as is determined by our Board of Directors. The Compensation Committee of the Board approved an increase to the share reserve as set out in the 2019 Plan in February 2021 in the amount of 2,126,451 shares. Pursuant to the terms of the ESPP, the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the ESPP automatically increases on each January 1 until and including January 1, 2029, by an amount equal to the lesser of (a) 1% of the shares of Common Stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (b) such smaller number
of shares as is determined by our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors determined that the number of shares available for issuance under the ESPP would not increase on January 1, 2022.

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information required by this Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference from the information contained in our 2022 Proxy Statement under the sections entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” “Policies and Procedures for Related Party Transactions,” and “Related Person Transactions.”

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The information required by this Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference from the information contained in our 2022 Proxy Statement under the sections entitled “Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and “Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
1.
Financial Statements. Reference is made to the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth under Item 8 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2.
Financial Statement Schedules - None
3.
Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed, furnished or incorporated by reference as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Exhibit Index
Exhibit
Number
Description
2.1^
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 20, 2019, by and among Pivotal Acquisition Corp., Pivotal Merger Sub Corp., LD Topco, Inc., and Carlyle Equity Opportunity GP, LP (solely as representative of the stockholders of LD Topco, Inc.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 21, 2019)
2.2
Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 30, 2019, by and among Pivotal Acquisition Corp., Pivotal Merger Sub Corp., LD Topco, Inc., and Carlyle Equity Opportunity GP, LP (solely as representative of the stockholders of LD Topco, Inc.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 1, 2019)
2.3
Amendment No. 2 to Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated as of October 30, 2019, as amended on October 30, 2019, by and among Pivotal Acquisition Corp., Pivotal Merger Sub Corp., LD Topco, Inc. and Carlyle Equity Opportunity GP, L.P. (solely as representative of the stockholders of LD Topco, Inc.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 17, 2019)
3.1
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of KLDiscovery Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws of KLDiscovery Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
4.1
Specimen Common Stock Certificate of KLDiscovery Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
4.2
Specimen Warrant Certificate of KLDiscovery Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
4.3
Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and Pivotal Acquisition Corp. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 1, 2019)
4.4
Form of 8.00% Convertible Debenture due 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
4.5
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of December 16, 2019, by and among Pivotal Acquisition Corp. and the Purchasers named therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 17, 2019)
4.6*
First Amendment to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 19, 2021 by and among KLDiscovery Inc. (formerly known as Pivotal Acquisition Corp.) and the Purchasers named therein
4.7
Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 19, 2019, by and among Pivotal Acquisition Corp., affiliates of Carlyle Equity Opportunity GP, L.P. and Revolution Growth III, LP and certain other signatories thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
4.8
Description of Securities (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.7 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on March 18, 2021)
10.1†
KLDiscovery Inc. 2019 Incentive Award Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
10.2†
Employment Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2011, between LDiscovery, LLC and Christopher Weiler (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-232238) filed June 21, 2019)
10.3†
Offer Letter, dated as of September 30, 2006, between LegisDiscovery, LLC and Krystina Jones (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-232238) filed June 21, 2019)
10.4†
Offer Letter, dated as of August 25, 2017, between KrolLDiscovery and Dawn Wilson (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-232238) filed June 21, 2019)
10.5†
KLDiscovery Inc. 2019 Incentive Award Plan - Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-232238) filed September 16, 2019)
10.6†
KLDiscovery Inc. 2019 Incentive Award Plan - Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-232238) filed September 16, 2019)
10.7†
KLDiscovery Inc. 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
10.8
Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
10.9
Stockholders’ Agreement, dated December 19, 2019, by and among Pivotal Acquisition Corp., affiliates of Carlyle Equity Opportunity GP, L.P. and Revolution Growth III, LP and certain other signatories thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 26, 2019)
10.10
Amendment to Stockholders’ Agreement, dated March 23, 2020, by and among KLDiscovery Inc. (formerly known as Pivotal Acquisition Corp.) and CEOF II DE I AIV, LP, a partnership, and Revolution Growth III, LP, and certain other signatories thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.37 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed March 18, 2021)
10.11
Second Amendment to Stockholders’ Agreement, dated February 2, 2021, by and among KLDiscovery Inc. (formerly known as Pivotal Acquisition Corp.) and CEOF II DE I AIV, LP, a partnership, and Revolution Growth III, LP, and certain other signatories thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.38 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed March 18, 2021)
10.12†
KLDiscovery Inc. Non-Employee Director Compensation Program (as amended and restated effective as of June 15, 2021) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 12, 2021)
10.13†
Executive Severance and Novation Agreement dated June 17, 2020 by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Dawn Wilson (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 13, 2020)
10.14†
Executive Severance and Novation Agreement dated June 17, 2020 by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Krystina Jones (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 13, 2020)
10.15†
Executive Severance and Novation Agreement, dated September 30, 2020, by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Christopher Weiler (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 12, 2020)
10.16†#
Kroll Discovery 2018 Legal Technology Sales Commission Plan, by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Krystina Jones (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 12, 2020)
10.17†#
KLDiscovery (January-December 2018) Sales Commission Plan Sales Performance Addendum, by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Krystina Jones (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 12, 2020)
10.18†#
KLDiscovery 2020 Americas Legal Technology Sales Commission Plan, by and between KLDiscovery, Inc. and Krystina Jones (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 12, 2020)
10.19†#
KLDiscovery 2020 Sales Commission Plan Sales Performance Addendum, by and between KLDiscovery, Inc. and Krystina Jones (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 12, 2020)
10.20†*#
KLDiscovery 2020 Sales Commission Plan Sales Performance Second Addendum dated as of October 25, 2021 by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Krystina Jones
10.21#
Software License Agreement dated as of December 24, 2020 by and between LDiscovery LLC and Relativity ODA LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed March 18, 2021)
10.22*#
First Amendment to the Software License Agreement dated as of July 21, 2021 by and between LDiscovery LLC and Relativity ODA LLC
10.23*#
Second Amendment to the Software License Agreement dated as of October 22, 2021 by and between KLDiscovery Ontrack, LLC (successor-in-interest to LDiscovery LLC) and Relativity ODA LLC
10.24*#
Third Amendment to the Software License Agreement dated as of January 1, 2022 by and between KLDiscovery Ontrack, LLC (successor-in-interest to LDiscovery LLC) and Relativity ODA LLC
10.25
Credit Agreement, dated as of February 8, 2021, by and among LD Lower Holdings Inc., LD Topco Inc, and other guarantors party thereto, the Lenders party thereto, each L/C Issuer party thereto and Wilmington Trust National Association, as administrative agent and collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 8, 2021)
10.26†
Pay Change Letter, dated June 15, 2021, by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Christopher Weiler (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 12, 2021)
10.27†
Pay Change Letter, dated June 15 2021, by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Dawn Wilson (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 12, 2021)
10.28†
Pay Change Letter, dated June 15, 2021, by and between KLDiscovery Inc. and Krystina Jones (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 12, 2021)
21.1*
List of Subsidiaries
23.1*
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
31.1*
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2*
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1*
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2*
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
*
Submitted electronically herewith.
^
Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the SEC upon request.
#
Certain confidential information contained in this agreement has been omitted in reliance on Item 601(b)(10)(iv).
†
Denotes management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.