NOTE 16 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

(A) Non-cancellable operating leases

Upon expiration of the leases, the Company does not anticipate any difficulty in obtaining renewals or alternative space. Rent expense amounted to $1,529,618 and $1,524,677 for the years ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The total annual lease commitment for the next five years is as follows:

(B) Litigation

As previously disclosed, on July 25, 2014, purported class action lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against the Company and certain of its current or former officers and/or directors, which have been consolidated under the caption Rand-Heart of New York, Inc. v. NetSol Technologies, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:14-cv-05787 PA (SHx). Plaintiffs subsequently filed consolidated amended complaints, which asserted claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result of the Company’s motions, the Court dismissed all of plaintiffs’ claims except those related to the scope of the Company’s release of its next generation product, NFS Ascent™, during the narrow proposed class period of October 24, 2013 to November 8, 2013. The Company filed an answer and affirmative defenses denying the remaining claims. On February 26, 2016, the parties executed a Stipulation of Settlement to fully resolve the consolidated class action lawsuit, and filed a motion seeking the Federal Court’s approval of the settlement. On March 28, 2016, the Court issued an order preliminarily approving the settlement and providing for notice to class members. Following class notice and hearing, the Court issued an order granting the motion for final approval of the settlement and plan of allocation and motion for an award of attorneys’ fees and case expenses on July 1, 2016. The Court’s Judgment approving the settlement on the terms set forth in the Stipulation of Settlement was signed on July 2, 2016. The cost of the settlement was covered by the Company’s insurers.

On October 27, 2015, a shareholder derivative lawsuit was filed in the California state court entitled McArthur v Ghauri, et al., Case No. BC599020 (Los Angeles, Cty.), naming current and former members of the Company’s board of directors as defendants. The complaint alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties based on the same alleged factual premise as the pending federal securities class action described above. The Company is named as a nominal defendant only and no damages are sought from it. On March 16, 2016, the parties in the California lawsuit reached an agreement-in-principle providing for the settlement of that case. The proposed settlement is on the terms and conditions set forth in a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”).

On December 30, 2015, a virtually identical shareholder derivative lawsuit was filed in Nevada state court, Paulovits v. Ghauri, et al., Case No. CV15-02470 (Washoe Cty.). The Nevada complaint names the same defendants and is based on the same alleged facts as the earlier-filed California case. On April 29, 2016, the Company filed a motion to dismiss or stay the Nevada proceeding on multiple grounds, including that is it duplicative of the first-filed California action. On May 23, 2016, pursuant to the parties’ stipulation, the Nevada court ordered that matter to be stayed for a period of one year.

On June 15, 2016, the parties in the California and the Nevada cases jointly executed a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement of Derivative Claims, which is intended to fully resolve both cases. Pursuant to the stipulation and subject to the court’s approval, the Company has agreed to adopt or maintain certain corporate governance measures, and has agreed to cause its insurers to pay plaintiff counsel’s fees and expenses in an aggregate amount not to exceed $175,000. On June 16, 2016, the California plaintiff filed a motion for preliminary approval of the derivative settlement. The motion is scheduled to be heard by the California court on October 25, 2016.