Vivos Therapeutics Inc

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. Below is a description of our outstanding pending litigation matters. Litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties and an adverse result in the below described or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business.

On June 5, 2020, we filed suit against Ortho-Tain, Inc. (“Ortho-Tain”) in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado seeking relief from certain false, threatening, and defamatory statements to our business affiliate, Benco Dental (“Benco”). We believe such statements have interfered with our business relationship and contract, causing harm to our reputation, loss of goodwill, and unspecified monetary damages. On February 12, 2021, we amended our complaint to add claims for false advertising and unfair business practices, as well as additional variants of the original claims to address Ortho-Tain’s alleged false advertising campaign against us in the fall of 2020. Our amended complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief to prevent what we believe are defamatory statements and interference with our business relationships by Ortho-Tain.

We further seek declaratory relief to refute the defendant’s false allegations, as well as monetary damages. Prior to filing suit, we worked collaboratively with legal counsel at Benco to address and resolve this matter. Such efforts were unsuccessful. On February 26, 2021, Ortho-Tain, Inc. filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. We opposed the motion. On June 21, 2022, the Tenth Circuit entered an order and judgment. Pursuant to such order, the appeal was terminated, and the case remanded to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado for further proceedings. On July 13, 2022, the Clerk of Court for the Tenth Circuit transferred jurisdiction back to the District Court. On February 14, 2024, the District Court issued an order denying Ortho-Tain’s motion to dismiss after analyzing the issue of litigation privilege under the standard ordered by the Tenth Circuit. In response, Ortho-Tain filed a notice of appeal of the District Court’s order on February 14, 2024. The appeal has been docketed in the Tenth Circuit, and the record has been completed. On March 5, 2024, Vivos filed a motion to dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. Ortho-Tain filed its response to the motion to dismiss on March 19, 2024. Vivos’ reply in support of the motion to dismiss was filed on March 26, 2024. On March 20, 2024, the Court ordered that Vivos’ motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction would be referred to the panel of judges to be assigned to the appeal, and that no ruling on the motion to dismiss would be issued at that time. Ortho-Tain filed its opening brief on April 29, 2024. Vivos filed its Answer Brief on May 29, 2024. Ortho-Tain filed its response brief on June 20, 2024.

On July 22, 2020 Ortho-Tain filed a Complaint at Law (the “Ortho-Tain Complaint”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois naming Vivos, along with the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, R. Kirk Huntsman, Benco Dental Supply Co., Dr. Brian Kraft, Dr. Ben Miraglia, and Dr. Mark Musso. The Ortho-Tain Complaint alleges violation of the Lanham Act and an alleged civil conspiracy among the defendants to violate the Lanham Act by an alleged false designation of origin related to a presentation given by Dr. Brian Kraft at an event sponsored by the Company and Benco Dental. Ortho-Tain also alleges that the actions of the defendants, including the Company, diverted sales from Ortho-Tain, deprived Ortho-Tain of advertising value and resulted in a loss of goodwill to Ortho-Tain. Ortho-Tain also alleges two separate breach of contract actions against Dr. Brian Kraft and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, R. Kirk Huntsman. On September 9, 2020, the Company moved to dismiss the claims against it. On May 14, 2021, the United States District Judge entered an order granting the Company’s motion to stay this case pending the outcome of a substantially similar, first-filed suit by the Company pending in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. In light of the stay, the Court denied, without prejudice, the Company’s pending motion to dismiss. On March 2, 2023, the Court lifted the stay.

The Defendants renewed their motions to dismiss. On August 23, 2024, the Court issued its order partially granting the motions to dismiss. Ortho-Tain subsequently sought leave to amend its Complaint to try and address the deficiencies identified by the Court in its August 23, 2024 order. The Defendants opposed the Motion for Leave to Amend, and, on October 9, 2024, the Court held a hearing to address the Motion for Leave to Amend. The Court denied Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to File an Amended Complaint without Prejudice.

The Parties submitted a Joint Discovery Plan to the Court on October 21, 2024. On October 22, 2024, the Court ordered the parties to exchange Rule 26(a)(1) initial disclosures by November 22, 2024 and Initial Written Discovery to Be Issued by the same date. The Court set a deadline of May 16, 2025 to Amend pleadings and July 30, 2025 to complete fact discovery.

On April 13, 2023, the Court ordered the parties to exchange Rule 26(a) disclosures by May 1, 2023 and issue initial written discovery by May 15, 2023. Further, the Court referred the matter to the Magistrate Judge to conduct a settlement conference. On April 28, 2023, the Court clarified that Dr. Musso’s court ordered participation in settlement and discovery did not waive his objections to personal jurisdiction and venue, and that Defendants did not need to file a response to the Complaint at this time. On June 2, 2023, the case was reassigned to the Hon. LaShonda A. Hunt. On July 11, 2023, the Magistrate Judge scheduled a settlement conference for September 1, 2023. On August 1, 2023, Judge Hunt set a deadline to refile motions to dismiss as August 15, 2023, stayed discovery pending resolution of the motions, and authorized the parties to cancel the settlement conference. The Company filed a motion to dismiss on August 15, 2023, and a reply brief on October 3, 2023. The Parties are currently awaiting a decision on the motion to dismiss.