According to Emergent, in 2019 it struck a deal to pay GNP Consulting's owners, Nicholas and Gabriel Pranger, $3 million for ownership of their aquaculture engineering firm PR Aqua. Emergent would also pay the firm $3.25 million in installments. But court documents said that the consulting contract ended in June 2021 after the companies relationship soured. Following the terminated contract, the firm filed a lawsuit against Emergent in Indiana. The complaint said that Emergent owed the company $2.4 million under the installment agreement.