Airsculpt Technologies, Inc. (AIRS) Risk Factors

The success of our business depends upon the continued use of the internet and social media networks. Federal, state or foreign government bodies or agencies have in the past adopted, and may in the future adopt, laws or regulations affecting the use of the internet as a commercial medium. In addition, government agencies or private organizations have imposed and may impose additional taxes, fees or other charges for accessing the internet, generally. These laws, taxes, fees or charges could limit the use of the internet or decrease the demand for internet-based solutions. The public's increasing concerns about data privacy and security and the use of social media may negatively affect the use or popularity of social media networks, and, in turn, adversely affect our business. Similarly, enhanced scrutiny may lead to an increase in regulation of social media, which could limit our ability to use social media to drive our brand awareness and increase consumer acceptance for our procedures. In addition, the use of the internet as a business tool could be adversely affected due to delays in the development or adoption of new standards and protocols to handle increased demands of internet activity, security, reliability, cost, ease-of-use, accessibility and quality of service. The performance of the internet and its acceptance as a business tool have been adversely affected by "viruses," "worms" and similar malicious programs, as well as the risks associated with other types of security breaches. If the use of the internet is reduced as a result of these or other issues, then the reduction in marketing and networking with respect to our services and patients could result in a decline in demand for the AirSculpt procedure, which could adversely affect our revenue, business, results of operations and financial condition.

We have contracts with surgeons in many states. Some of our services contracts include provisions preventing these surgeons from competing with us. The law governing non-compete agreements and other forms of restrictive covenants varies from state to state. Some jurisdictions prohibit us from entering into non-compete agreements with our professional staff. Other states are reluctant to strictly enforce non-compete agreements and restrictive covenants against surgeons. Therefore, there can be no assurance that our non-compete agreements related to employed or otherwise contracted surgeons will be enforceable if challenged in certain states. In such event, we would be unable to prevent former employed or otherwise contracted surgeons from competing with us, potentially resulting in the loss of some of our business.

Our revenue is particularly sensitive to regulatory, economic and other conditions in the states and jurisdictions in which we have centers. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we operate through our arrangements with our affiliated Professional Associations twenty-two centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Virginia as well as Toronto, Canada. In addition, our centers located in California represented 20% of our revenue in 2023 and 2022. If there were an adverse regulatory, economic or other development in any of the states and jurisdictions in which we have a higher concentration of centers there could be unanticipated adverse impacts on our business in those states and jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

Although none of our services are currently covered by any state or federal government healthcare program or other third-party payor, applicable agencies and regulators may interpret that we are nonetheless subject to various federal and state laws intended to prevent healthcare fraud and abuse, including, but not limited, to the following: - the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, any person from knowingly and willfully offering, soliciting, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce either the referral of an individual for an item or service or the purchasing or ordering of a good or service, for which payment may be made under federal healthcare programs such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Remuneration has been broadly defined to include anything of value, including cash, improper discounts and free or reduced price items and services;- the federal False Claims Act, which prohibits, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false claims, or knowingly using false statements, to obtain payment from the federal government, and which may apply to entities that provide coding and billing advice to customers. The federal False Claims Act has been used to prosecute persons submitting claims for payment that are inaccurate or fraudulent, that are for services not provided as claimed or for services that are not medically necessary. The federal False Claims Act includes a whistleblower provision that allows individuals to bring actions on behalf of the federal government and share a portion of the recovery of successful claims;- HIPAA, as amended, also created federal criminal laws that prohibit executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;- similar state anti-kickback and false claims laws, some of which apply to items or services reimbursed by any third party payor, including commercial insurers or services paid out-of-pocket by consumers; and - the Federal Trade Commission Act and federal and state consumer protection, advertisement and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that could potentially harm consumers. Because of the breadth of these laws and the need to fit certain activities within one of the statutory exceptions and safe harbors available, it is possible that some of our business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of such laws. The risk of our being found in violation of these laws and regulations is increased by the fact that many of them have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are sometimes open to a variety of interpretations. Our failure to accurately anticipate the application of these laws and regulations to our business or any other failure to comply with regulatory requirements could create liability for us and negatively affect our business. Any action against us for violation of these laws or regulations, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses, divert our management's attention from the operation of our business and result in adverse publicity.

Our contractual relationships with our affiliated Professional Associations and surgeons may implicate certain state laws that generally prohibit non-professional entities from providing licensed medical services and exercising control over licensed physicians or other healthcare professionals (such activities generally referred to as the "corporate practice of medicine," or CPOM) or engaging in certain practices such as fee-splitting with such licensed professionals (i.e., sharing in a percentage of professional fees). The specific requirements, interpretation and enforcement of these laws vary significantly from state to state, and is subject to change and to evolving interpretations. There can be no assurance that these laws will be interpreted in a manner consistent with our practices or that other laws or regulations will not be enacted in the future that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We provide comprehensive, administrative and non-clinical Management Services to our affiliated Professional Associations in exchange for a management fee. Regulatory authorities, state boards of medicine, state attorneys general and other parties may assess or determine that our relationships with our affiliated Professional Associations and surgeons violate state CPOM and/or fee-splitting prohibitions. If any of these events occur, we could be subject to significant fines and penalties, certain relationships with our affiliated Professional Associations and surgeons could be voided and declared unenforceable and/or we could be required to materially change the way we do business, which, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. State CPOM and fee-splitting prohibitions also often impose penalties on healthcare professionals for aiding in the improper rendering of professional services, which could discourage surgeons and other healthcare professionals from providing clinical services at our centers.

In connection with the AirSculpt procedure, we currently use an FDA-approved handpiece manufactured by Euromi S.A., a Belgian company that specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of medical, dermatological and plastic surgery products, and other FDA-approved parts, such as the cannula and vacuum pump, from other manufacturers. Using FDA-approved equipment in medical procedures is the practice of medicine and does not itself require further FDA review or approval. However, FDA regulations require that we report certain information about adverse medical events if the AirSculpt procedure has caused or contributed to those adverse events. The timing of our obligation to report is triggered by the date we become aware of the adverse event as well as the nature of the event. We may fail to report adverse events we become aware of within the prescribed timeframe. We may also fail to appreciate that we have become aware of a reportable adverse event, especially if it is not reported to us as an adverse event or if it is an adverse event that is unexpected or removed in time from the use of our products. If we fail to comply with our reporting obligations, the FDA could take action including criminal prosecution, the imposition of civil monetary penalties, revocation of our device clearance or approval, seizure of our products, or delay in approval or clearance of future products.

We believe that our brand is important to attracting patients and high-quality surgeons. As we continue our international expansion, we cannot be certain if and when regulatory agencies outside the United States will approve use of the AirSculpt procedure in their respective jurisdictions. Accordingly, we may need to adapt the AirSculpt procedure to local regulatory requirements, which could produce inferior results. Moreover, altering the AirSculpt procedure could create confusion among consumers and dilute our brand identity. If inferior results are produced or our brand identity is diluted, we may not be able to compete effectively and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

The cosmetic treatment industry is heavily regulated and we are subject to many laws and regulations at the federal, state and local government levels in the markets in which we operate. These laws and regulations require that our centers meet various licensing, accreditation, certification and other requirements, including, but not limited to, those relating to: - ownership and control of our centers and our arrangements with our affiliated Professional Associations;- operating policies and procedures;- qualification, training and supervision of medical and support persons;- the appropriateness and adequacy of medical care, equipment, personnel, operating policies and procedures; maintenance and preservation of medical records;- the protection and privacy of patient and other sensitive information of privacy, including, but not limited to, patient health information and credit card information;- screening, stabilization and transfer of individuals who have emergency medical conditions and provision of emergency services;- antitrust;- building codes;- workplace health and safety;- licensure, certification and accreditation;- fee-splitting and the corporate practice of medicine;- handling of medication;- confidentiality, data breach, identity theft and maintenance and protection of health-related and other personal information and medical records;- fat removal; and - environmental protection, health and safety. If we fail or have failed to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could subject ourselves to administrative, civil or criminal penalties, cease and desist orders, and loss of licenses necessary to operate. Many of these laws and regulations have not been fully interpreted by regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are sometimes open to a variety of interpretations. Different interpretations or enforcement of existing or new laws and regulations could subject our current practices to allegations of impropriety or illegality, or require us to make changes in our operations, arrangements with surgeons and licensed professionals, centers, equipment, personnel, services, capital expenditure programs or operating expenses to comply with the evolving rules. Any enforcement action against us, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management's attention from the operation of our business. In pursuing our growth strategy, we may seek to expand our presence into states in which we do not currently operate. In new geographic areas, we may encounter laws and regulations that differ from those applicable to our current operations. If we are unwilling or unable to comply with these legal requirements in a cost-effective manner, we may be unable to expand into new geographic markets or such expansion may be materially limited, which, in either case, could materially and adversely affect our ability to expand and grow the business. A number of initiatives have been proposed during the past several years to reform various aspects of the healthcare system in the United States. In the future, different interpretations or enforcement of existing or new laws and regulations could subject our current practices to allegations of impropriety or illegality, or could require us to make changes in our centers, equipment, personnel, services, capital expenditure programs and operating expenses. In addition, some of the governmental and regulatory bodies that regulate us are considering or may in the future consider enhanced or new regulatory requirements. These authorities may also seek to exercise their supervisory or enforcement authority in new or more robust ways. There are laws that limit the amount of fat that may be removed during the procedures we perform, and such restrictions vary depending on where the procedure is performed. If the laws were to change to materially restrict the amount of fat that may be removed during our procedures, this may limit demand for our services or the ability to continue to charge as much for the same procedures or to perform the procedures at all. All of these possibilities, if they occurred, could detrimentally affect the way we conduct our business and manage our capital, either of which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

We collect, use, and disclose IIHI/PII of patients, personnel, business contacts, and others in the course of operating our business. These activities are or may become regulated by a variety of domestic and foreign laws and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, and data security, which are complex and increasingly stringent and the scope of which is constantly changing, and in some cases, inconsistent and conflicting and subject to differing interpretations as new laws of this nature are proposed and adopted, and we currently, and from time to time, may not be in technical compliance with all such laws. The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") has brought legal actions against organizations that have violated consumers' privacy rights or misled them by failing to maintain security for sensitive consumer information, or caused substantial consumer injury. In many of these cases, the FTC has charged the defendants with violating Section 5 of the FTC Act, which bars unfair and deceptive acts and practices in or affecting commerce. State statutes and regulations also protect the confidentiality, privacy, availability, integrity, security, and other Processing of IIHI/PII and vary from state to state. These laws and regulations are often ambiguous, contradictory, and subject to changing or differing interpretations, and we expect new laws, rules and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, and information security to be proposed and enacted in the future. For example, the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) regulates the disclosure of medical information, and applies to the IIHI we Process in the ordinary course of our Business. Violations of the CMIA can result in personal liability to the patient, the imposition of administrative fines and civil penalties, and even criminal liability. Additionally, the CCPA provides certain exceptions for some IIHI, but is still applicable to certain PII we process in the ordinary course of our business. The effects of the CCPA are wide-ranging and afford consumers certain rights with respect to PII, including a private right of action for data breaches involving certain personal information of California residents. The California voters also passed, on November 3, 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, which went into effect on January 1, 2023, and expanded the rights of consumers under the CCPA and create a new enforcement agency. As new data security laws are implemented, we may not be able to timely comply with such requirements, or such requirements may not be compatible with our current processes. Changing our processes could be time consuming and expensive, and failure to implement required changes in a timely manner could subject us to liability for non-compliance. Consumers may also be afforded a private right of action for certain violations of privacy laws. This complex, dynamic legal landscape regarding privacy, data protection, and information security creates significant compliance issues for us and potentially restricts our ability to Process data and may expose us to additional expense, adverse publicity and liability. While we believe we have implemented data privacy and security measures in an effort to comply with applicable laws and regulations, and we have implemented measures to require our third-party service providers to maintain reasonable data privacy and security measures, we cannot guarantee that these efforts will be adequate, and we may be subject to cybersecurity, ransomware or other security incidents. Further, it is possible that laws, rules and regulations relating to privacy, data protection, or information security may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices or those of our third-party service providers. If we or these third parties are found to have violated such laws, rules or regulations, it could result in regulatory investigations, litigation awards or settlements, government imposed fines, orders requiring that we or these third parties change our or their practices, or criminal charges, which could adversely affect our business. Complying with these various laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices, systems and compliance procedures in a manner adverse to our business. We also publish statements to our patients and consumers that describe how we handle and protect IIHI/PII. If federal or state regulatory authorities or private litigants consider any portion of these statements to be untrue, we may be subject to claims of deceptive practices, which could lead to significant liabilities and consequences, including, without limitation, costs of responding to investigations, defending against litigation, settling claims, and complying with regulatory or court orders. Any of the foregoing consequences could seriously harm our business and our financial results. Further, we are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard ("PCI DSS"), a security standard applicable to companies that collect, store or transmit certain data regarding credit and debit cards, holders and transactions. We rely on vendors to handle PCI DSS matters and to ensure PCI DSS compliance. Despite our compliance efforts, we may become subject to claims that we have violated the PCI DSS based on past, present, and future business practices. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with the PCI DSS can subject us to fines, termination of banking relationships, and increased transaction fees. In addition, there is no guarantee that the PCI DSS compliance will prevent illegal or improper use of our payment systems or the theft, loss or misuse of payment card data or transaction information. Despite our efforts, we may not be successful in complying with the rapidly evolving privacy, data protection, and data security requirements discussed above. Any actual or perceived non-compliance with such requirements could result in litigation and proceedings against us by governmental entities, customers, or others, fines, civil or criminal penalties, limited ability or inability to operate our business, offer services, or market our platform in certain jurisdictions, negative publicity and harm to our brand and reputation, changes to our business practices, and reduced overall demand for our platform. Such occurrences could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The regulation applicable to our business and to the healthcare industry generally to which we are subject is constantly in a state of flux. While we believe that we have structured our agreements and operations in material compliance with applicable healthcare laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully address changes in the current regulatory environment or changes in interpretation of existing laws and regulations. We believe that our business operations materially comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations. However, some of the healthcare laws and regulations applicable to us are subject to limited or evolving interpretations, and a review of our business or operations by a court, law enforcement or a regulatory authority might result in a determination that could have a material adverse effect on us. Furthermore, the healthcare laws and regulations applicable to us may be amended or interpreted in a manner that could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The nature and use of our services could give rise to liability, including medical liability claims against our Professional Associations and surgeons, if a customer were injured while receiving our procedures or were to suffer adverse reactions following our procedures. Adverse reactions could be caused by various factors beyond our control. If any of these events occurred, we and our affiliated Professional Associations could incur substantial litigation expense and be required to make payments in connection with settlements of claims or as a result of judgments against us, which could result in substantial damage awards that exceed the limits of our respective insurance coverage. Additionally, any claims made against us could divert the attention of our management and our surgeons from our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In recent years, physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers have become subject to an increasing number of legal actions alleging malpractice or related legal theories. Many of these actions involve large monetary claims and significant defense costs. We also owe certain defense and indemnity obligations to our officers and directors. We, the Professional Associations and their surgeons maintain liability insurance in amounts that we believe are customary for the industry and appropriate in light of the risks attendant to our business. Currently, our affiliated Professional Associations maintain professional and general liability insurance that provides coverage on a claims-made basis of $2.0 million per occurrence with a retention of $25,000 per occurrence and $4.0 million in annual aggregate coverage. We also maintain business interruption insurance and property damage insurance, as well as an additional umbrella insurance policy in the aggregate of $6.0 million. Coverage under certain of these policies is contingent upon the policy being in effect when a claim is made regardless of when the events which caused the claim occurred. In addition, surgeons who provide professional services in our centers are required to maintain separate malpractice coverage with similar minimum coverage limits. We also maintain a directors' and officers' insurance policy, which insures our directors and officers against unindemnified losses arising from certain wrongful acts in their capacities as directors and officers and reimburses us for those losses for which we have lawfully indemnified the directors and officers. Our collective insurance coverage may not cover all claims against us. Insurance coverage may not continue to be available at a cost allowing us to maintain adequate levels of insurance. If one or more successful claims against us, our affiliated Professional Associations or surgeons were not covered by or exceeded the coverage of our insurance, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Our business, profitability and growth prospects could suffer if we face negative publicity or we pay damages or defense costs in connection with a claim that is outside the scope or limits of coverage of any applicable insurance coverage, including claims related to adverse patient events, contractual disputes, professional and general liability, and directors' and officers' duties. In addition, if our costs of insurance and claims increase, then our earnings could decline. Market rates for insurance premiums and deductibles have been steadily increasing. Our earnings and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected by any of the following: - the collapse or insolvency of our insurance carriers;- further increases in premiums and deductibles;- increases in the number of liability claims against us or the cost of settling or trying cases related to those claims; or - an inability to obtain one or more types of insurance on acceptable terms, if at all.

The affiliated Professional Associations continue to rely on the use paper medical records, which are initially stored on-site at our centers. Paper records are more susceptible to human error both in terms of accurately capturing patient information, as well as with respect to misplacing or losing the same. There is no duplicate or backup copy of the paper records and in the event of a flood, fire, theft, or other adverse event, the records, and all patient information, could be lost or destroyed. Paper records do not allow for a number of the benefits of electronic medical records systems, including interoperability with other providers allowing for better coordination of care, and other features designed to improve privacy, security, accuracy and accessibility of patient records. This may create more risk for the Professional Associations, surgeons and our centers to the extent it could lead to clinical issues or breaches of patient privacy.

While we have applied for patent protection in the United States relating to certain of our procedures, a company may attempt to commercialize competing procedures utilizing our proprietary methods in foreign countries where we do not have any patents or patent applications and where legal recourse may be limited or unavailable. In addition, we currently own registered trademarks and trademark applications relating to our business in the United States and other markets, but other companies may own these marks in other jurisdictions. Any such third party rights may have a significant commercial impact on our ability to expand into foreign markets. Filing, prosecuting and defending patents or trademarks on our current and future procedures in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive. In addition, we may not accurately predict all of the jurisdictions where patent or trademark protection will ultimately be desirable. If we fail to timely file a patent or trademark application in some jurisdictions, we may be precluded from doing so at a later date. The requirements for patentability and for obtaining trademark protection may differ in certain countries, particularly developing countries. The laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as laws in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from utilizing our inventions, trademarks and other proprietary rights in all countries outside the United States. Competitors may use our technologies or trademarks in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent or trademark protection to develop or market their own procedures. Our patents, trademarks or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor, or may not be sufficiently robust for, the meaningful enforcement of patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement or other violation of our patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights. Proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents and trademarks at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and/or result in the unsuccessful prosecution of our patent or trademark applications, and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. In addition, many countries, including India, China and certain countries in Europe, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In those countries, we may have limited remedies if our patents are infringed or if we are compelled to grant a license to our patents to a third party, which could materially diminish the value of those patents. This could limit our potential revenue opportunities. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from our intellectual property. Finally, our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights may be adversely affected by unforeseen changes in foreign intellectual property laws.

In addition to patent protection, we also rely on other proprietary rights that we seek to protect, including trade secrets, and other proprietary information that is not patentable or that we elect not to patent. However, trade secrets can be difficult to protect. To maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets and proprietary information, we rely heavily on confidentiality provisions that we have in contracts with our employees, consultants, contractors, collaborators and others upon the commencement of their relationship with us. We cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology and processes. We may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our technical knowledge or other trade secrets by such third parties, despite the existence generally of these confidentiality restrictions. These contracts may not provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information in the event of any unauthorized use, misappropriation or disclosure of such trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information. There can be no assurance that such third parties will not breach their agreements with us, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach, or that our trade secrets, know-how and other proprietary information will not otherwise become known. Despite the protections we do place on our intellectual property or other proprietary rights, monitoring unauthorized use and disclosure of our intellectual property is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property or other proprietary rights will be adequate. Enforcing a claim that a party disclosed proprietary information in an unauthorized manner or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, we may in the future also be subject to claims by our former employees, surgeons, consultants or contractors asserting an ownership right in our intellectual property rights as a result of the work they performed on our behalf. Although it is our policy to require all of our employees, consultants, contractors and any other partners or collaborators who may be involved in the conception or development of intellectual property for us to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we cannot be certain that we have executed such agreements with all parties who may have contributed to the development of our intellectual property, that the assignment of intellectual property rights under our agreements that have been executed with such parties will be self-executing, or that our agreements with such parties will be upheld in the face of a potential challenge. Such agreements could also potentially be breached in a manner for which we may not have an adequate remedy. As a result, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, and/or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our business. Any such events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. To the extent our intellectual property or other proprietary information protection is inadequate, we are exposed to a greater risk of direct competition. A third party could, without authorization, copy or otherwise obtain and use our procedures, equipment, or technology. Our competitors could attempt to replicate some or all of the competitive advantages we derive from our development efforts or design around our intellectual property. Our failure to secure, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could substantially harm the value of our brand and business. The theft or unauthorized use or publication of our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information could reduce the differentiation of our procedures and harm our business, the value of our investment in development could be reduced and third parties may make claims against us related to losses of their confidential or proprietary information. Further, it is possible that others will independently develop the same or similar technology or otherwise obtain access to our unpatented technology, and in such cases we could not assert any trade secret rights against such parties. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our trade secret rights and related confidentiality and nondisclosure provisions. If we fail to obtain or maintain trade secret protection, or if our competitors rightfully obtain our trade secrets or independently develop technology similar to ours or competing technologies, our competitive market position could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, some courts are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets, and agreement terms that address non-competition are difficult to enforce in many jurisdictions and might not be enforceable in certain cases. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has proposed new regulations, which, if such regulations come into force in their proposed form and are found enforceable, would largely prohibit future, or render unenforceable most current, non-compete agreements in the United States that would otherwise protect the business. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data and other confidential information by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. While we have confidence in these individuals, organizations and systems, agreements or security measures may be breached and detecting the disclosure or misappropriation of confidential information and enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated confidential information is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. Further, we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for any breach. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The cosmetic treatment procedure industry has been characterized by extensive intellectual property litigation, and companies in the industry have used intellectual property litigation to gain a competitive advantage. It is possible that United States and foreign patents and pending patent applications or trademarks of third parties may be alleged to cover our technology or our procedures, or that we may be accused of misappropriating third parties' trade secrets. Additionally, our equipment includes components that we purchase from vendors and may include design components that are outside of our direct control. Our competitors, many of which have substantially greater resources and have made substantial investments in patent portfolios, trade secrets, trademarks and competing technologies, may have applied for or obtained, or may in the future apply for or obtain, patents or trademarks that will prevent, limit or otherwise interfere with our ability to make, use, sell and/or export our technology and procedures or to use our proprietary names. Because patent applications can take years to issue and are often afforded confidentiality for some period of time, there is a risk we may develop one or more procedures or other technologies without knowledge of a pending patent application, which if such patent application issued into a patent would result in our procedures or technologies infringing such patent. From time to time, we may receive threatening letters, notices or "invitations to license," or may be the subject of claims that our procedures, technology, brands, proprietary names and marks, and/or business operations infringe or violate the intellectual property rights of others. Moreover, in recent years, individuals and groups that are non-practicing entities, commonly referred to as "patent trolls," have purchased patents and other intellectual property assets for the purpose of making claims of infringement in order to extract settlements. The defense of any of these matters, even claims without merit, can be time consuming, divert management's attention and resources, damage our reputation and brand and cause us to incur significant expenses, and if we settle any such claims, we may agree to make substantial payments or to redesign or cease making or using our challenged procedures or technology or to cease using our brands or proprietary names and marks. Vendors from whom we purchase hardware or software may not indemnify us in the event that such hardware or software is accused of infringing or misappropriating a third party's intellectual property rights, or any indemnification granted by such vendors may not be sufficient to address any liability and costs we incur as a result of such claims. Additionally, we may be obligated to indemnify our business partners in connection with intellectual property litigation, which could further exhaust our resources. Even if we believe a third party's intellectual property claims are without merit, there is no assurance that a court would find in our favor, including on questions of infringement, validity, enforceability or priority of patents. The strength of our defenses relating to patent claims will depend on the patents asserted, the interpretation of these patents, and our ability to invalidate the asserted patents. A court of competent jurisdiction could hold that these third-party patents are valid and enforceable and have been infringed by us, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to commercialize any procedures or technology we may develop and any other procedures or technologies covered by the asserted third-party patents. In order to successfully challenge the validity of any such U.S. patent in federal court, we would need to overcome a presumption of validity. As this burden is a high one requiring us to present clear and convincing evidence as to the invalidity of any such U.S. patent claim, there is no assurance that a court of competent jurisdiction would invalidate the claims of any such U.S. patent. Conversely, the patent owner need only prove infringement by a preponderance of the evidence, which is a lower burden of proof. Further, any successful claims of intellectual property infringement or misappropriation against us may harm our business and result in injunctions preventing us from developing, manufacturing, using or selling our technology or procedures, or result in obligations to pay license fees, damages, attorney fees and court costs, which could be significant. In addition, if we are found to willfully infringe third-party patents or trademarks or to have misappropriated trade secrets, we could be required to pay treble damages in addition to other penalties. Even if any intellectual property disputes are settled through licensing or similar arrangements, costs associated with such arrangements may be substantial and could include ongoing royalties. We may be unable to obtain necessary licenses on satisfactory terms, if at all. In addition, if any license we obtain is non-exclusive, we may not be able to prevent our competitors and other third parties from using the intellectual property or technology covered by such license to compete with us. If we do not obtain necessary licenses, we may not be able to alter our procedures or redesign our equipment to avoid infringement. Any of these events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, interference or derivation proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by the USPTO may be necessary to determine priority with respect to our patents, patent applications, trademarks or trademark applications. We may also become involved in other proceedings, such as reexamination, inter partes review, derivation, cancellation or opposition proceedings before the USPTO or other jurisdictional body relating to our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others. Adverse determinations in a judicial or administrative proceeding or failure to obtain necessary licenses could prevent us from using or selling our procedures or technology or using proprietary names, which would have a significant adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, we may file lawsuits or initiate other proceedings to protect or enforce our patents, or other intellectual property rights and contractual restrictive covenants with our surgeons not to use the procedure outside of our centers, each of which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful. Competitors may infringe our issued patents or other intellectual property, which we may not always be able to detect. Any claims we assert against perceived infringers could provoke these parties to assert counterclaims against us alleging that we infringe their intellectual property or alleging that our intellectual property is invalid or unenforceable. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. Third parties may raise challenges to the validity of certain of our existing and future patent claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include re-examination, post-grant review, inter partes review, interference proceedings, derivation proceedings and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (e.g., opposition proceedings). In any such lawsuit or other proceedings, a court or other administrative body may decide that a patent of ours is invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, construe the patent's claims narrowly or refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover the technology in question. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. If a third party were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our procedures, equipment, and other technologies (including those then under development). If our patents are found to be valid and infringed by a third party, a court may refuse to grant injunctive relief against the infringer and instead grant us monetary damages and/or ongoing royalties. Such monetary compensation may be insufficient to adequately offset the damage to our business caused by the infringer's competition in the market. Any of these events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses and could distract our personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources and more mature and developed intellectual property portfolios. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential or sensitive information could be compromised by disclosure in the event of litigation. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of intellectual property litigation or other proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our growth strategy depends, in large part, on growing and expanding our operations, both in existing and new geographic regions, particularly in densely populated and affluent metropolitan and suburban regions, and operating our new centers successfully. We cannot assure you that our contemplated expansion will be successful. Our ability to successfully open and operate new centers depends on many factors, including, among others, our ability to: - recruit qualified surgeons through our affiliated Professional Associations for our new centers;- address regulatory, competitive, and marketing, and other challenges encountered in connection with expansion into new markets;- hire, train and retain surgeons and other personnel through our affiliated Professional Associations;- maintain adequate information system and other operational system capabilities;- successfully integrate new centers into our existing management structure with affiliated Professional Associations and operations, including information system integration;- negotiate acceptable lease terms at suitable locations;- source sufficient levels of medical supplies at acceptable costs;- obtain and maintain necessary permits and licenses through our affiliated Professional Associations;- construct and open our centers on a timely basis;- generate sufficient levels of cash or obtain financing on acceptable terms to support our expansion;- achieve and maintain brand awareness in new and existing markets; and - identify and satisfy the needs and preferences of our patients. Our failure to effectively address challenges such as these could adversely affect our ability to successfully open and operate new centers in a timely and cost-effective manner. In addition, there can be no assurance that newly-opened centers will achieve net sales or profitability levels comparable to those of our existing centers in the time periods estimated by us, or at all. If our centers fail to achieve, or are unable to sustain, profitability levels, our business may be materially harmed and we may incur significant costs associated with closing those centers. Our plans to accelerate the growth of new centers may increase this risk. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will achieve our planned growth or, even if we are able to grow our centers as planned, that our new centers will perform as expected. Our failure to implement our growth strategy and to successfully open and operate new centers in the time frames and at the costs estimated by us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are exposed to the risk of misconduct or other improper activities by our personnel. Misconduct by our personnel could include inadvertent or intentional failures to comply with our policies and procedures (such as our data privacy policies), medical standards or procedures, the laws and regulations to which we are subject and/or ethical, social, product, labor and environmental standards. Our current and former personnel may also become subject to allegations of sexual harassment, racial and gender discrimination or other similar misconduct, which, regardless or the ultimate outcome, may result in adverse publicity that could significantly harm our brand, reputation and operations. Misconduct by our personnel could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of the associate's prior or current employment, which could result in legal or regulatory action and harm to our reputation.

Euromi manufactures the handpiece our surgeons use for AirSculpt procedures. If the operations of Euromi are interrupted or if they are unable to meet our delivery requirements due to capacity limitations or other constraints, we may be limited in our ability to perform procedures for customers which could harm our reputation and results of operations.

The global economy has been negatively impacted by increasing tension, uncertainty and tragedy resulting from ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The adverse and uncertain economic conditions resulting therefrom have and may further negatively impact global demand, cause supply chain disruptions and increase costs for transportation, energy and other raw materials. Furthermore, governments in the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and others have imposed financial and economic sanctions on certain industry segments and various parties in Russia and Belarus. We are monitoring the conflict including the potential impact of financial and economic sanctions on the global economy. Increased trade barriers, sanctions and other restrictions on global or regional trade could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is highly unpredictable, and resulted in market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, an increase in cyber security incidents as well as supply chain disruptions. Further escalation of geopolitical tensions related to this military conflict and/or its expansion could result in increased volatility and disruption to the global economy and the markets in which we operate adversely impacting our business, financial condition or results of operations.