Medtronic (MDT)

Sprint Fidelis Matters

On October 15, 2007, the Company voluntarily suspended worldwide distribution of its Sprint Fidelis (Fidelis) family of defibrillation leads. This decision was based on a variety of factors that, when viewed together, indicated that suspending distribution was the appropriate action. At the time, Fidelis lead viability was trending lower than other Company defibrillation leads, but had not then become statistically significant. The leads are used to deliver therapy in patients with ICDs, but are generally not used in pacemaker patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) subsequently classified the Company’s action as a Class I recall. As of November 26, 2008, approximately 930 lawsuits regarding the Fidelis leads have been filed against the Company, including approximately 36 putative class action suits reflecting a total of approximately 1,450 individual personal injury cases. In general, the suits allege claims of product liability, warranty, negligence, unjust enrichment, emotional distress and consumer protection violations. One lawsuit includes a claim by an individual purporting to act as a surrogate for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and one lawsuit has been brought by a third party payor as a putative class action suit. In addition, one putative class action has been filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada. Approximately 255 of the lawsuits have been filed in state court, generally alleging similar causes of action. Of those state court actions, approximately 235 are consolidated before a single judge in Hennepin County District Court in the state of Minnesota. The federal court cases have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings before a single federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota pursuant to the MDL rules. The MDL court has entered an Order staying all discovery pending the outcome of a December 17, 2008 hearing on Medtronic’s motion to dismiss the complaints. The Company has not recorded an expense related to damages in connection with the matter because any potential loss is not currently probable or reasonably estimable under SFAS No. 5.

On November 8, 2007, a putative class action complaint was filed against the Company and certain of its officers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleging violations of Section 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint is brought on behalf of persons or entities who purchased securities of Medtronic during the period of June 25, 2007 through October 15, 2007. The complaint alleges that “materially false and misleading” representations were made as to the market acceptance and use of the Fidelis defibrillator leads to artificially inflate Medtronic’s stock price. Pursuant to court order, the caption of the case was changed to Medtronic, Inc., Securities Litigation, and a consolidated putative class action complaint was filed on April 18, 2008. The Company has filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated class action complaint with prejudice, and a hearing date is scheduled for January 27, 2009. On November 29 and December 14, 2007 respectively, Feivel Gottlieb and Alan Weinberg filed shareholder derivative actions in Hennepin County District Court in the state of Minnesota against both the Company and certain of its officers and directors, alleging breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets and other claims arising from the same subject matter as the consolidated class action complaint. On July 28, 2008, the state court stayed these actions pending final resolution of the related consolidated class action complaint. In addition, on August 11, 2008, a complaint was filed against the Company and certain directors, officers, and other company personnel in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act arising from the same subject matter as the consolidated class complaint. The complaint was filed on behalf of a putative class of participants in and beneficiaries of the Medtronic Inc. Saving and Investment Plan whose individual accounts hold shares of company stock at any time from February 15, 2007 to November 19, 2007.

Similarly, on January 9, 2008, Iris Markewich filed a shareholder derivative action against both the Company and certain of its officers, directors, and employees (the defendants) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleging breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets and other claims arising from the same subject matter as the consolidated class action complaint. After the defendants moved to dismiss the complaint, the plaintiffs amended their complaint to add allegations relating to alleged off-label promotion of INFUSE Bone Graft. The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss, which has been set for hearing on January 27, 2009.

The Company has not recorded an expense related to damages in connection with these Fidelis-related shareholder matters because any potential loss is not currently probable or reasonably estimable under SFAS No. 5.

On October 15, 2007, the Company voluntarily suspended worldwide distribution of its Sprint Fidelis (Fidelis) family of defibrillation leads. This decision was based on a variety of factors that, when viewed together, indicated that suspending distribution was the appropriate action. At the time, Fidelis lead viability was trending lower than other Company defibrillation leads, but had not then become statistically significant. The leads are used to deliver therapy in patients with ICDs, but are generally not used in pacemaker patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) subsequently classified the Company’s action as a Class I recall. As of August 26, 2008, approximately 290 lawsuits regarding the Fidelis leads have been filed against the Company, including approximately 33 putative class action suits reflecting a total of approximately 760 individual personal injury cases. In general, the suits allege claims of product liability, warranty, negligence, unjust enrichment, emotional distress and consumer protection violations. One lawsuit includes a claim by an individual purporting to act as a surrogate for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and one lawsuit has been brought by a third party payor as a putative class action suit. In addition, one putative class action has been filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada. Approximately 95 of the lawsuits have been filed in state court, generally alleging similar causes of action. Of those state court actions, approximately 85 are consolidated before a single judge in Hennepin County District Court in the state of Minnesota. The federal court cases have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings before a single federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota pursuant to the MDL rules. The MDL court has entered an Order staying all discovery pending the outcome of an October 30, 2008 hearing on Medtronic’s motion to dismiss the complaints. The Company has not recorded an expense related to damages in connection with the matter because any potential loss is not currently probable or reasonably estimable under SFAS No. 5.

On November 8, 2007, a putative class action complaint was filed against the Company and certain of its officers in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleging violations of Section 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint is brought on behalf of persons or entities who purchased securities of Medtronic during the period of June 25, 2007 through October 15, 2007. The complaint alleges that “materially false and misleading” representations were made as to the market acceptance and use of the Fidelis defibrillator leads to artificially inflate Medtronic’s stock price. Pursuant to court order, the caption of the case was changed to