COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Operating Leases The Company has entered into non-cancelable operating lease agreements for locations within the United States and for its international subsidiaries, with expirations through September 2025. Rent expense in connection with operating leases was $2.2 million and $2.0 million during 2018 and 2017 , respectively. Future minimum lease obligations as of December 31, 2018 are as follows (in thousands): 2019 $ 1,796 2020 1,340 2021 452 2022 332 2023 208 Thereafter 327 Total minimum lease obligations $ 4,455 Purchase Commitment In May 2013, the Company entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with one of its suppliers to purchase its product through July 2016 which automatically renews annually unless terminated 90 days prior to the termination date. To maintain exclusivity, the Company is required to purchase a minimum of $40,000 of product per month until the termination date. As of December 31, 2018 , the Company was in compliance with the exclusivity provision. Employment Agreements The Company has employment agreements with certain members of its management team that can be terminated by either the employee or the Company upon four weeks notice. The employment agreements entered into with the management team contain provisions that guarantee the payments of specified amounts in the event of a change in control, as defined, or if the employee is terminated without cause, as defined, or terminates employment for good reason, as defined. Securities Class Actions On January 8, 2019, the Company and its two executive officers were named in a putative securities class action filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, captioned Kauffman v. Natural Health Trends Corp. , Case No. 2:19-cv-00163. The complaint purports to assert claims on behalf of all persons who purchased or otherwise acquired our common stock between April 27, 2016 and January 5, 2019, inclusive, under (i) Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder against the Company and Chris T. Sharng and Timothy S. Davidson (together, the Individual Defendants), and (ii) Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act against the Individual Defendants. The complaint alleges, in part, that the Company made materially false and misleading statements regarding the legality of its business operations in China, including running an allegedly illegal multilevel marketing business. The complaint seeks an indeterminate amount of damages, plus interest and costs. Defendants believe that these claims are without merit and intend to vigorously defend against them. In January 2016, two putative securities class action complaints were filed against the Company and its top executives in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On March 29, 2016, the court consolidated these actions under the caption Ford v. Natural Health Trends Corp., Case No. 2:16-cv-00255-TJH-AFMx, appointed two Lead Plaintiffs, Mahn Dao and Juan Wang, and appointed the Rosen Law Firm and Levi &amp; Korsinsky LLP as co-Lead Counsel for the purported class. On April 2, 2018, the court approved a class-wide settlement of the action in the amount of $1.75 million , which was fully funded by the Companys insurers. On April 6, 2018, the court entered a Final Judgment and Order of Dismissal With Prejudice. Shareholder Derivative Claims In February 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles: Zhou v. Sharng . In March 2016, a purported shareholder derivative complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California: Kleinfeldt v. Sharng. On November 10, 2017, the parties to both the Zhou and Kleinfeldt actions entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to resolve both actions, subject to the negotiation of a written settlement agreement and approval by the federal court in the Kleinfeldt matter. On July 16, 2018, the court granted final approval of the settlement and entered judgment in the Kleinfeldt matter. In exchange for full releases, the settlement required the Company to implement certain corporate governance reforms and included an award of $250,000 in attorneys fees to plaintiffs counsel, all of which was fully funded by the Companys insurers. On August 9, 2018, plaintiff filed a request to voluntarily dismiss the Zhou action, which was entered by the court on August 30, 2018. Other Matters The Company is currently involved in a legal matter with one of its vendors and an outside party. Per the royalty agreement with the vendor, the Company believes that it is fully indemnified in the event of an unfavorable outcome and any potential settlement costs related to the matter would be fully covered by the Companys vendor. Since August 2016, the SEC has been conducting a non-public investigation to determine whether there have been violations of the federal securities laws relating to the trading of the Companys securities. The Company has fully cooperated with the SEC and has and continues to provide documents in response to subpoenas. The SEC has expressly stated that its document requests should not be construed as an indication that any violation of law has occurred, or as a reflection upon any person, entity, or security. The amount of time needed to resolve this matter is uncertain, and the Company cannot predict the outcome or whether it will face additional governmental inquiries or other actions.