Company Description
AmBase Corporation (ABCP) is a real estate and rental and leasing sector company that is classified in the industry category of lessors of nonresidential buildings (except miniwarehouses). Its common stock trades on the over-the-counter market under the symbol ABCP. According to its public disclosures, AmBase has focused significant corporate resources on legal proceedings related to its interest in the 111 West 57th Property and on obtaining funding to support both ongoing operations and this litigation.
The company’s recent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 state that its financial statements include a qualification about AmBase’s ability to continue as a going concern. In response, AmBase has been considering and evaluating various strategic funding and financing alternatives. These alternatives, as described in its reports, may include litigation funding agreements, offerings of equity or debt securities, loans, or combinations of these sources, involving third parties, existing shareholders, and/or company management.
Funding strategy and capital structure
AmBase’s disclosures describe multiple approaches to obtaining working capital. In several Form 8-K filings, the company reports entering into senior promissory notes with its Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer to provide loans to the company for working capital purposes. These notes bear interest and are generally repayable upon the earlier of specified future dates or the receipt of funds from various sources, which may include settlements related to the 111 West 57th legal proceedings, subject to certain exclusions for litigation funding arrangements.
The company has also described the possibility that amounts due under such promissory notes, including accrued interest, may be converted at the lender’s option into a litigation funding agreement on terms that are pari passu with any litigation funding agreement entered into by AmBase with a third-party litigation funding entity. This structure, as outlined in the filings, links the company’s internal financing arrangements to its broader litigation funding strategy.
In addition, AmBase has disclosed the use of equity offerings to raise capital. For example, a press release describes a private placement equity offering of shares of common stock to existing stockholders of record, with the stated purpose of providing cash resources to continue operations, fund litigation related to the 111 West 57th Property, and repay amounts owed. The offering is conducted as an unregistered sale of restricted securities under exemptions from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, and is limited to stockholders who qualify as accredited investors under Regulation D.
Litigation focus and 111 West 57th Property
AmBase’s SEC filings emphasize that the company is engaged in disputes and litigation relating to its interest in the 111 West 57th Property. The company states that it is pursuing, and expects to continue to pursue, legal courses of action to protect its legal rights and to seek recovery of asset value from various potential sources of recovery. It also notes that it is considering other economic strategies, including the possible sale of its interest in and/or rights with respect to the 111 West 57th Property, while cautioning that there can be no assurance it will prevail with respect to any of its claims.
The company further discloses that it may enter into litigation funding agreements with third-party litigation funders for portions of the litigation costs, for up to a stated funding amount, at market terms to be agreed upon. In general, as described in the filings, such litigation funding agreements are structured so that the litigation funder would receive back its initial funding amount before any recovery is received by AmBase, plus an additional multiple of the amount funded, and potentially additional fees, expenses, interest, and a percentage of any total recovery.
Financial reporting and going concern qualification
AmBase regularly issues press releases summarizing its financial results for quarterly and annual periods, including net income or loss and basic earnings per share. These releases refer readers to the company’s periodic reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for more complete discussions of its financial condition and results of operations. The company notes that its financial statements include a qualification regarding its ability to continue as a going concern, and its disclosures link this concern to its efforts to obtain additional funding and to the outcome of its litigation related to the 111 West 57th Property.
The press releases also indicate that AmBase has held annual meetings of stockholders, with record dates and meeting dates disclosed, and that the company may seek stockholder approval for amendments to its governing documents, such as an increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock. These matters are described as being detailed in definitive proxy statements filed with the SEC.
Regulatory filings and corporate governance
AmBase files current reports on Form 8-K to disclose material definitive agreements, including senior promissory notes and other funding arrangements. These filings typically include descriptions of the principal terms of the agreements, such as loan amounts, interest rates, maturity provisions tied to future funding events or specified dates, and options to convert obligations into litigation funding arrangements. The company also files exhibits such as copies of promissory notes and subscription agreements, which are incorporated by reference in the filings.
According to its filings, AmBase’s principal executive offices are located in Coral Springs, Florida. The company’s reports also reference its prior periodic reports, including annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, for detailed descriptions of risk factors, cautionary statements for forward-looking information, and legal proceedings. Investors researching ABCP stock are therefore encouraged, by the company’s own disclosures, to review these documents for a fuller understanding of AmBase’s business, financial condition, and ongoing litigation.
Business profile
Based on its industry classification and public disclosures, AmBase is associated with activities in the real estate and rental and leasing sector, specifically in the area of lessors of nonresidential buildings (except miniwarehouses). Its recent communications highlight a corporate profile in which legal claims and related funding strategies play a central role. The company’s focus on litigation related to the 111 West 57th Property, combined with its use of equity offerings, loans from management, and potential third-party litigation funding, forms a key part of its current business narrative as reflected in its SEC filings and press releases.