Brand Engagement Network Inc. Commitments Disclosure
NOTE L— COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
The Company is subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings, claims, and assessments, as well as other contingencies, that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues for these contingencies when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company regularly reviews and updates its accruals for contingencies and makes adjustments as necessary based on changes in circumstances and the emergence of new information. As of December 31, 2025, we had an outstanding accounts payable balance of $721,235 with a law firm. We have since made payments totaling $313,234 for securities and intellectual property matters. $408,000 for litigation matters remains in dispute as of April 13, 2026.
Leases
In September 2024, the Company entered into an operating lease for its office space in South Korea which expires in 2027. The Company’s operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and related lease liability was initially measured at the present value of future lease payments over the lease term. The Company is responsible for payment of certain real estate taxes and other expenses on its lease. These amounts are generally considered to be variable and are not included in its measurement of the ROU asset and lease liability. The Company accounts for non-lease components, such as maintenance, separately from lease components.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company’s operating lease costs were $180,008. As of December 31, 2025, the remaining term of the Company’s operating lease was 1.61 years and discount rate 8%.
Operating cash used in operating leases was 177,677 during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Future maturities of the operating lease liability was as follows as of December 31, 2025:
| Years Ending December 31: | ||||
| 2025 | $ | 53,035 | ||
| 2026 | 214,263 | |||
| 2027 | 145,671 | |||
| Total future minimum payments | 412,969 | |||
| Less imputed interest | (103,217 | ) | ||
| Present value of lease liabilities | $ | 309,752 | ||
Litigation
AFG Litigation
On January 16, 2025, the Company filed a lawsuit against AFG and its Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Wright Brewer III, in the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division alleging fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of contract, and the concealment of a ransomware attack on its own network shortly before the Reseller Agreement was executed. Given that the litigation is not yet at issue, the Company is currently unable to estimate the potential range of recoverable damages or the potential loss or range of loss, if any, resulting from a favorable or unfavorable outcome.
On March 26, 2025, the Company filed a First Amended Complaint against AFG in the Southern District of New York alleging breach of contract against AFG with respect to the AFG Subscription Agreement. Specifically, the Company alleges that AFG failed to fund its required March 13, 2025 payment in the amount of $6,500,000. In the lawsuit, the Company seeks actual damages in the amount of the missed payment, pre- and post-judgment of interest, consequential damages and attorneys’ fees and costs. It also seeks a declaration from the court that AFG was and is obligated to purchase an aggregate of $6.5 million of additional shares of the Company’s Common Stock on each of the first four anniversaries of the Initial Offering Closing Date and Business Combination Closing (as defined in the AFG Subscription Agreement) pursuant to the AFG Subscription Agreement. On May 12, 2025, AFG filed an Answer and Counterclaims in which it denies the allegations of the lawsuit and asserts counterclaims for an unspecified amount of damages against the Company. Given that the litigation is not yet at issue, the Company is currently unable to estimate the potential range of recoverable damages or the potential loss or range of loss, if any, resulting from a favorable or unfavorable outcome.
Related Party Investigation
The Company’s management team assigned an advisor to the Board to conduct an internal investigation of potential related party transactions with certain members of DHC Sponsor, LLC, prior to the merger with Brand Engagement Network, Inc. These matters are still under investigation.
From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings or be subject to claims arising in the ordinary course of our business. Apart from the foregoing, we are not presently a party to any other legal proceedings that we believe, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows or financial condition. Defending such proceedings is costly and can impose a significant burden on management and employees. The results of any current or future litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
Employment contracts
The Company has entered into employment contracts with its officers and certain employees that provide for severance and continuation benefits in the event of termination of employment either by the Company without cause or by the employee for good reason, both as defined in the agreements, along with any unpaid vested options, equity or earned bonuses. In addition, in the event of termination of employment following a change in control, as defined in each agreement the employee shall receive a prorated bonus payment and severance payments (as defined in each agreement).
Skye LATAM
In October 2025, the Company entered into an exclusive reseller agreement (the "Agreement") with Skye Inteligencia LATAM ("Skye"), pursuant to which the Company granted Skye the exclusive right to market and resell certain of the Company's services. In connection with the Agreement, the Company received a contingent preferred equity interest in Skye and a 25% common stock interest in Skye, and is entitled to a 35% share of Skye's future net revenues derived from the resold services. As Skye was a newly formed entity with no operations or revenue history at the time the Agreement was executed, the Company determined that collectability of substantially all consideration was not probable at inception and, accordingly, the Agreement did not meet the criteria for recognition under ASC 606. The preferred equity interest has been recorded as an equity security under ASC 321 with nominal value, and the 25% common stock interest, which had nominal value at the date of the Agreement, is accounted for under the equity method in accordance with ASC 323. Revenue attributable to the 35% revenue share will be recognized as the related sales occur in accordance with ASC 606.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Apr 16, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Mar 31, 2025 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.