NOTE 9 . COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Outstanding Litigation The Company is involved in various lawsuits and claims, both actual and potential, including some that it has asserted against others, in which monetary and other damages are sought. These lawsuits and claims relate primarily to contractual disputes arising out of the ordinary course of the Company's business. The outcome of such lawsuits and claims is inherently unpredictable. However, management believes that, in the aggregate, the outcome of all lawsuits and claims involving the Company will not have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or liquidity; however, any such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. A complaint by a note-holder in Preferred Term Securities XX ( PreTSL XX ) was filed on July 16, 2010 in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County , against Bimini Capital Management, Inc. ( Bimini ), the Bank of New York Mellon ( BNYM ), PreTSL XX, Ltd. and Hexagon Securities, LLC ( Hexagon ). The complaint, filed by Hildene Capital Management, LLC and Hildene Opportunities Fund, Ltd. ( Hildene ), alleges that Hildene suffered losses as a result of Bimini's repurchase of all outstanding fixed/floating rate capital securities of Bimini Capital Trust II for less than par value from PreTSL XX in October 2009. Hildene has alleged claims against BNYM for breach of the Indenture, breach of fiduciary duties and breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and claims against Bimini for tortious interference with contract, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and  rescission/illegality . Plaintiff also alleges derivative claims brought in the name of Nominal Defendant BNYM. (On May 2, 2011, Hexagon and Nominal Defendant PreTSL XX were voluntarily dismissed without prejudice by Hildene.) On May 23, 2011, Bimini and BNYM moved to dismiss Hildene's derivative claims, and Bimini also moved to dismiss H