10.COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We are obligated under non-terminable operating leases for manufacturing facilities, finished good distribution centers, office space, equipment, vehicles, and land. See Note 17, Leases for disclosures regarding these operating leases.

Royalties. As of December 31, 2025, we had entered into a number of agreements to license or acquire rights to certain intellectual property which require us to make royalty payments during the term of the agreements generally based on a percentage of sales. During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, total royalty expense approximated $8.8 million, $8.7 million and $8.6 million, respectively, and is recorded in cost of sales on the consolidated statements of income. Minimum contractual commitments under royalty agreements to be paid within twelve months of December 31, 2025 were not significant. See Note 15, Fair Value Measurements for discussion of future royalty commitments related to acquisitions.

Litigation. In the ordinary course of business, we are involved in various claims and litigation matters. These proceedings, actions and claims may involve product liability, intellectual property, contract disputes, employment, governmental inquiries or other matters, including the matter described below. These matters generally involve inherent uncertainties and often require prolonged periods of time to resolve. In certain proceedings, the claimants may seek damages as well as other compensatory and equitable relief that could result in the payment of significant claims and settlements and/or the imposition of injunctions or other equitable relief. For legal matters for which our management had sufficient information to reasonably estimate our future obligations, a liability representing management’s best estimate of the probable loss, or the minimum of the range of probable losses when a best estimate within the range is not known, is recorded. The estimates are based on consultation with legal counsel, previous settlement experience and settlement strategies. If actual outcomes are less favorable than those estimated by management, additional expense may be incurred, which could unfavorably affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The ultimate cost to us with respect to actions and claims could be materially different than the amount of the current estimates and accruals and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Unless included in our legal accrual, we are unable to estimate a reasonably possible loss or range of loss associated with any individual material legal proceeding. Legal costs for these matters, such as outside counsel fees and expenses, are charged to expense in the period incurred.

SEC Inquiry

Commencing in January 2022, we received requests from the Division of Enforcement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) seeking the voluntary production of information relating to the business activities of Merit’s subsidiary in China, including interactions with hospitals and health care officials in China (the “SEC Inquiry”). We cooperated with the requests and investigated the matter. During the quarter ended September 30, 2025, the SEC’s Division of Enforcement notified us that they had concluded the SEC Inquiry and were not recommending enforcement action against us.

In management's opinion, based on its examination of these matters, its experience to date and discussions with counsel, we are not currently involved in any legal proceedings which, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Our management regularly assesses the risks of legal proceedings in which we are involved, and management’s view of these matters may change in the future.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 24, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 25, 2025
2023Feb 28, 2024
2022Feb 24, 2023
2021Mar 1, 2022
2020Mar 1, 2021
2019Mar 2, 2020
2018Mar 1, 2019
2017Mar 1, 2018
2016Mar 1, 2017
2015Feb 29, 2016

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.