Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

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Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Erie Indemnity Company ("Indemnity") was named as a defendant in a complaint filed on August 24, 2021, by alleged subscribers of the Erie Insurance Exchange (the "Exchange") in the Court of Common Pleas Civil Division of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania captioned TROY STEPHENSON, CHRISTINA STEPHENSON, SUSAN RUBEL and STEVEN BARNETT, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated (Plaintiffs) v. Erie Indemnity Company (Defendant).

The complaint seeks relief for alleged breaches of fiduciary duty by Indemnity in connection with the setting of the management fee it receives, in accordance with the terms of the Subscribers Agreement executed between Indemnity and all policyholders of the Exchange, as compensation for acting as the attorney-in-fact in the management of the Exchange. The relief sought is for the period beginning two years prior to the date of the filing of the complaint and continuing through 2021.

The complaint seeks (i) a finding that Indemnity has breached its fiduciary duties; (ii) an award of damages in an amount to be determined at trial; and (iii) such other relief, including disgorgement of profits or other injunctive relief, that the Court deems just and proper.

Service of the complaint was effectuated on September 20, 2021. A Notice of Removal to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania was filed on October 20, 2021. On November 2, 2021, Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal. As a result, the action was dismissed without prejudice.

On December 6, 2021, another Complaint was filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania captioned ERIE INSURANCE EXCHANGE, an unincorporated association, by TROY STEPHENSON, CHRISTINA STEPHENSON and STEVEN BARNETT, trustees ad litem, and alternatively, ERIE INSURANCE EXCHANGE, by TROY STEPHENSON, CHRISTINA STEPHENSON and STEVEN BARNETT, (Plaintiff), v. ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY, (Defendant).

This most recent complaint has the same allegation of breach of fiduciary duty by Indemnity in connection with the setting of the management fee it receives, in accordance with the terms of the Subscribers Agreement executed between Indemnity and all policyholders of the Exchange, as compensation for acting as the attorney-in-fact in the management of the Exchange.

This most recent complaint seeks the same relief, specifically, (i) a finding that Indemnity has breached its fiduciary duties; (ii) an award of damages in an amount to be determined at trial; and (iii) such other relief, including disgorgement of profits or other injunctive relief, that the Court deems just and proper.

A Notice of Removal to the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania was filed on January 27, 2022. Indemnity intends to vigorously defend against all of the allegations and requests for relief in the complaint.

By Memorandum Opinion and Order dated September 28, 2022, the Court granted the Motion for Remand and directed the case be remanded to the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. On September 30, 2022, Indemnity filed a Motion to Stay the Remand Order pending an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. On October 3, 2022, the Court granted the Stay. On October 11, 2022, Indemnity filed a Petition for Permission to Appeal the Remand Order with the Third Circuit. By Order dated November 7, 2022, a three judge panel of the Court denied the Petition to Appeal.

On November 21, 2022, Indemnity filed a Petition for Rehearing requesting that the Third Circuit permit the appeal. By Order dated January 9, 2023, the Court granted the petition for rehearing and vacated the prior Order of October 7, 2022, denying permission to appeal. On April 20, 2023, argument was held before a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit. By Opinion dated May 22, 2023, the Court affirmed the decision of the District Court finding that there was no basis for federal court jurisdiction and that the matter had been properly remanded to state court. On June 5, 2023, Indemnity filed a Petition for Panel Rehearing or Rehearing En Banc. By Order dated June 22, 2023, the Court denied the Petition. The United States District Court thereafter extended its stay of the issuance of the remand order through the conclusion of any proceedings in the United States Supreme Court challenging the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that no federal jurisdiction exists in this case.

On October 20, 2023, Indemnity filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States. The Petition sought a determination from the Court that the lower courts improperly denied federal jurisdiction. By order dated February 26, 2024, the United States Supreme Court denied Indemnity's Petition for Writ of Certiorari.

Separately, Indemnity filed a Complaint in Federal Court to invoke certain provisions of the “All Writs Act” and the “Anti-Injunction Act.” By filing this complaint, Indemnity seeks to protect the federal court's prior binding, final judgments in favor of Indemnity and thereby foreclose further litigation of the claims and issues pertaining to the compensation practices that were the subject of the prior judgments. After the denial of certiorari, the district court, by Opinion and Order dated February 28, 2024, granted Indemnity's motion for a preliminary injunction under the All Writs Act after determining that the gravamen of the plaintiff's state court action “is the same” as two actions previously dismissed in federal court, that Indemnity would be irreparably harmed if it is forced to relitigate those same issues in state court, plaintiffs had a full and fair opportunity to litigate the same issues in prior litigation, and that an injunction would serve the public interest. The Court’s order preliminarily enjoined the named plaintiffs from pursuing the Erie Ins. Exch. v. Erie Indem. Co. action and enjoined the state court from conducting further proceedings in that action. The court ordered Indemnity to file a motion to convert the preliminary injunction into a permanent injunction. In the meantime, plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. As a result of the filing of the appeal, the trial court stayed the order issuing an injunction.

On October 14, 2025, the Third Circuit issued an Opinion and concluded that “the District Court abused its discretion in granting Indemnity’s motion for preliminary injunction.” The Court determined that the Complaint in Stephenson only sought to challenge the management fee established in December 2019 and 2020. The Court went on to conclude that the issues were not litigated in either Ritz or Beltz and, therefore, the Stephenson plaintiffs were not precluded from challenging the management fee for those years. On October 28, 2025, Indemnity filed a Petition for Reargument before the Court en banc. On November 12, 2025, the Third Circuit denied the Petition for Reargument. On January 12, 2026, Indemnity filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the United States Supreme Court. The Petition is currently pending.

Indemnity intends to vigorously defend against all allegations and requests for relief sought by plaintiffs.

For additional information on contingencies, see Part II, Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Note 17, Commitment and Contingencies, of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements".

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