We operate in many parts of the world, and our operations are affected by complex state, federal and international laws relating to healthcare, environmental protection, antitrust, anti-corruption, anti-bribery, fraud and abuse, export control, tax, employment and laws regarding privacy, personally identifiable information and protected health information, including, for example, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act ("FDCA"), various FDA and international regulations relating to, among other things, the development, quality assurance, manufacturing, importation, distribution, marketing and sale of, and billing for, our products, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and Federal False Claims Act (Note 17), the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") and similar anti-bribery laws in international jurisdictions, including the UK Anti-Bribery Act, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), domestic and foreign data protection, data security and privacy laws, laws related to the collection, storage, use and disclosure of personal data and laws and regulations relating to sanctions and money laundering.
The failure to comply with these laws and regulatory standards, allegations of such non-compliance or the discovery of previously unknown problems with a product or manufacturer: (i) could result in FDA Form-483 notices and/or warning letters or the foreign equivalent, fines, delays or suspensions of regulatory clearances, investigations, detainment, seizures or recalls of products (with the attendant expenses), the banning of a particular device, an order to replace or refund the cost of any device previously manufactured or distributed, operating restrictions and/or civil or criminal prosecution, and/or penalties, as well as decreased sales as a result of negative publicity and product liability claims; (ii) could expose us to breach of contract claims, fines and penalties, costs for remediation and harm to our reputation; (iii) could result in criminal or civil sanctions, including substantial fines, imprisonment and exclusion from participation in healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and health programs outside the United States; and (iv) could otherwise disrupt our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or liquidity.
The healthcare industry is under continued scrutiny from state, federal and international governments, including with respect to industry practices in the area of sales and marketing. Certain states, including Massachusetts, have recently passed or are considering legislation restricting our interactions with health care providers and requiring disclosure of many payments to them. The federal government has recently introduced similar legislation, which may or may not preempt state laws. If our marketing, sales or other activities fail to comply with the FDA's or other comparable foreign regulatory agencies' regulations or guidelines, or other applicable laws, we may be subject to warnings from the FDA or investigations or enforcement actions from the FDA, Medicare, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or other government agencies or enforcement bodies. We anticipate that the government will continue to scrutinize our industry closely, and that additional regulation by governmental authorities may increase compliance costs, increase exposure to litigation and may have other adverse effects to our operations. The Company's failure to comply with any marketing or sales regulations or any other applicable regulatory requirements could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and/or liquidity.
In addition, lawsuits by or otherwise involving employees, customers, licensors, licensees, suppliers, vendors, business partners, distributors, shareholders or competitors with respect to how we conduct our business could be very costly and could substantially disrupt our business. The occurrence of an adverse monetary or equitable judgment or a large expenditure in connection with a settlement of any of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or liquidity.