8.    Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

The Company rents its Beaverton, Oregon office under an operating lease, which was set to expire in October 2018. In July 2018, the Company extended its lease through October 31, 2020. Under the terms of the lease, the Company is responsible for taxes, insurance and maintenance expense. The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease period. Rent expense for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 was $86,000 and $99,000, respectively. Rent expense for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 was $201,000 and $189,000, respectively. Future annual minimum lease payments under the non-cancelable operating lease as of June 30, 2020 is $121,000 for the year ending December 31, 2020.

Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Company may become involved in legal proceedings. The Company will accrue a liability for such matters when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. When only a range of a possible loss can be established, the most probable amount in the range is accrued. If no amount within this range is a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the minimum amount in the range is accrued. The accrual for a litigation loss contingency might include, for example, estimates of potential damages, outside legal fees and other directly related costs expected to be incurred.

On April 3, 2020, we received a letter (the “April 3rd Alexander Counsel Letter”) from counsel for Alexander alleging that we were in apparent breach of the Alexander Engagement Agreement, which appointed Alexander as our exclusive placement agent and financial advisor, due to our consummation of the March 2020 Private Placement, in which Maxim acted as placement agent. Such letter also claimed that due to such alleged breach, and in accordance with the terms of the Alexander Engagement Agreement, we owed Alexander an aggregate of $170,000 and warrants to purchase up to 22,768 shares of common stock in connection with the March 2020 Private Placement. The April 3rd Alexander Counsel Letter further stated that Alexander would be willing to forego any claim to the issuance of warrants to it and to settle the dispute in consideration of our payment of $170,000 (the “Alexander Settlement Offer”).

By letter dated April 7, 2020, we responded to the April 3rd Alexander Counsel Letter and disputed Alexander’s claims. On April 10, 2020, we received a second letter (the “April 10th Alexander Counsel Letter”), from Alexander’s counsel, responding to our April 7th letter and which disputed all of our arguments relating to the termination of the Alexander Engagement Agreement; (ii) appeared to withdraw the Alexander Settlement Offer; and (iii) referred to the engagement of Maxim as underwriter in connection with the April 2020 Public Offering, claimed that such engagement is a further breach of the Alexander Engagement Agreement and states that Alexander believes that it would be entitled to seek further damages for breach. Additionally, there was language in the April 10th Alexander Counsel Letter stating that if we had engaged Maxim prior to closing a financing on February 28, 2020 in which Alexander was placement agent, without disclosing our prior engagement of Maxim to investors in that financing, that this would raise additional issues. Finally, Alexander demanded that we cease the April 2020 Public Offering immediately and that if we proceeded with such offering, it would seek to be compensated as if it had acted as underwriter in such offering. On April 16, 2020, we received a third letter from Alexander’s counsel that Alexander intended to file an action in connection with such claims.

On May 14, 2020, we entered into the Alexander Settlement Agreement. See Note 1 – Business and Viability of Operations - for a description of the Alexander Settlement.

Upon signing the Alexander Settlement Agreement, the Company recorded a charge of $236,000 to general and administrative expense in the six months ended in June 30, 2020.

The Company’s management does not believe that any such matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a materially adverse effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.