COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2017 | |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Securities Class Action
In January 2016, two putative securities class action complaints were filed against the Company and its top executives. On March 29, 2016, the court consolidated these actions, appointed two Lead Plaintiffs, Messrs. Dao and Juan, and appointed the Rosen Law Firm and Levi & Korsinsky LLP as co-Lead Counsel for the purported class. Plaintiffs filed a consolidated complaint on April 29, 2016. The consolidated complaint purports to assert claims on behalf of all persons who purchased or otherwise acquired our common stock between March 6, 2015 and March 15, 2016 under (i) Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder against Natural Health Trends Corp., Chris T. Sharng, and Timothy S. Davidson, and (ii) Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against Chris T. Sharng, Timothy S. Davidson, and George K. Broady. The consolidated complaint alleges, inter alia, that the Company made materially false and misleading statements regarding the legality of its business operations in China, including running an allegedly illegal multi-level marketing business. The consolidated complaint seeks an indeterminate amount of damages, plus interest and costs. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated complaint on June 15, 2016 and a reply in support of its motion to dismiss on August 22, 2016. On December 5, 2016, the Court denied the Company’s motion to dismiss. On February 17, 2017, the Company filed an answer to the consolidated complaint. The Company believes that these claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend against them.
Shareholder Derivative Claims
In February 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles: Zhou v. Sharng. In March 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California: Kleinfeldt v. Sharng (collectively the “Derivative Complaints”). The Derivative Complaints purport to assert claims for breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, abuse of control, gross mismanagement and corporate waste against certain of the Company’s officers and directors. The Derivative Complaints also purport to assert fiduciary duty claims based on alleged insider selling and conspiring to enter into several stock repurchase agreements, which allegedly harmed the Company and its assets. The Derivative Complaints allege, inter alia, that the Company made materially false and misleading statements regarding the legality of its business operations in China, including running an allegedly illegal multi-level marketing business, and that certain officers and directors sold common stock on the basis of this allegedly material, adverse non-public information. The Derivative Complaints seek an indeterminate amount of damages, plus interest and costs, as well as various equitable remedies. On February 1, 2017, pursuant to a stipulation among the parties, the Los Angeles Superior Court entered a stay of the Zhou action pending conclusion of the related federal class action in the United States District Court for the Central District of California: Ford v. Natural Health Trends Corp. and Li v. Natural Health Trends Corp. A nearly identical stipulated stay was entered in the Kleinfeldt case on February 8, 2017. The Company believes that these claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend against them.
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