9. Commitments and Contingencies

Lease Obligations - The Company leases office space and equipment under various operating lease agreements, including an office for its headquarters, as well as office spaces for its events business, sales and administrative offices under non-cancelable lease arrangements that provide for payments on a graduated basis with various expiration dates.

The Company leases its corporate headquarters. The office lease is for 4,902 square feet of office space and the lease term is for 84 months, commencing on October 1, 2020. Interest is the lesser of (i) 4 percent per annum above the then-current Base Rate, and (ii) the maximum rate permitted by applicable requirements as defined in the lease agreement. As of September 30, 2023, right of use assets and related lease obligations remaining were $315,639 and $386,368, as recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

Other - PDN China’s bank account with a balance of approximately $195,000, at September 30, 2023, was frozen by Guangzhou Police due to the Gatewang Case. The Company has classified this entire cash balance as a long-term asset presented in discontinued operations (see Note 3 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Discontinued Operations).

Legal Proceedings

The Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, NAPW, Inc., are parties to a proceeding captioned Deborah Bayne, et al. vs. NAPW, Inc. and Professional Diversity Network, Inc., No. 18-cv-3591 (E.D.N.Y.), filed on June 20, 2018, and alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and certain provisions of the New York Labor Law. Plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages and equitable relief. The Company disputes that it or its subsidiary violated the applicable laws or that either entity has any liability and intends to vigorously defend against these claims. The matter is in the final stages of discovery, and we have completed depositions of relevant witnesses. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company recorded a $450,000 litigation settlement reserve in the event of an unfavorable outcome in this proceeding. In November 2020, both parties entered into mediation proceedings, but a settlement was not reached.

General Legal Matters

From time to time, the Company is involved in legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business. While the Company believes that such matters are currently not material, there can be no assurance that matters arising in the ordinary course of business for which the Company is, or could be, involved in litigation, will not have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations.