Settlement Class Pursuant to Rule 23(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court preliminarily finds that the Court will likely find that the requirements of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 23(a) and 23(b)(3) have been satisfied for settlement and judgment purposes only. As to the requirements of Rule 23(a) for settlement purposes only, (i) the Settlement Class provisionally certified herein likely exceeds 100,000 individuals, and joinder of all would be impracticable; (ii) there are questions of law and fact common to the Settlement Class; (iii) Class Representatives’ claims are typical of the claims of the Settlement Class they seek to represent for purposes of settlement; and (iv) Class Representatives are adequate representatives of the Settlement Class. As to the requirements of Rule 23(b)(3) for settlement purposes only, questions of law and fact common to the Settlement Class predominate over any questions affecting any individual Settlement Class Member, and a class action on behalf of the Settlement Class is superior to other available means of settling and disposing of this dispute.
Settlement Class Certification The Settling Parties agree, for purposes of this settlement only, to the certification of the Settlement Class. If the settlement set forth in this Settlement Agreement is not approved by the Court, or if the Settlement Agreement is terminated or cancelled pursuant to the terms of this Settlement Agreement, this Settlement Agreement, and the certification of the Settlement Class provided for herein, will be vacated and the Litigation shall proceed as though the Settlement Class had never been certified, without prejudice to any Person’s or Settling Party’s position on the issue of class certification or any other issue. The Settling Parties’ agreement to the certification of the Settlement Class is also without prejudice to any position asserted by the Settling Parties in any other proceeding, case or action, as to which all of their rights are specifically preserved.
Notice to Class Members 8.4.1 No later than three (3) business days after receipt of the Class Data, the Administrator shall notify Class Counsel that the list has been received and state the number of Class Members, PAGA Members, Workweeks, and Pay Periods in the Class Data.
8.4.2 Using best efforts to perform as soon as possible, and in no event later than 14 days after receiving the Class Data, the Administrator will send to all Class Members identified in the Class Data, via first-class United States Postal Service (“USPS”) mail, the Class Notice with Spanish translation, substantially in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 1. The first page of the Class Notice shall prominently estimate the dollar amounts of any Individual Class Payment and/or Individual PAGA Payment payable to the Class Member, and the number of Workweeks and PAGA Pay Periods (if applicable) used to calculate these amounts. Before mailing Class Notices, the Administrator shall update Class Member addresses using the National Change of Address database.
8.4.3 Not later than three (3) business days after the Administrator’s receipt of any Class Notice returned by the USPS as undelivered, the Administrator shall re- mail the Class Notice using any forwarding address provided by the USPS. If the USPS does not provide a forwarding address, the Administrator shall conduct a Class Member Address Search, and re-mail the Class Notice to the most current address obtained. The Administrator has no obligation to make further attempts to locate or send Class Notice to Class Members whose Class Notice is returned by the USPS a second time.
8.4.4 The deadlines for Class Members’ written objections, Challenges to Workweeks and/or Pay Periods, and Requests for Exclusion will be extended an additional fourteen (14) days beyond the sixty (60) days otherwise provided in the Class Notice for all Class Members whose notice is re-mailed. The Administrator will inform the Class Member of the extended deadline with the re-mailed Class Notice.
8.4.5 If the Administrator, Defendant or Class Counsel is contacted by or otherwise discovers any persons who believe they should have been included in the Class Data and should have received Class Notice, the Parties will expeditiously meet and confer in person or by telephone, and in good faith. in an effort to agree on whether to include them as Class Members. If the Parties agree, such persons will be Class Members entitled to the same rights as other Class Members, and the Administrator will send, via email or overnight delivery, a Class Notice requiring them to exercise options under this Agreement not later than (14) days after receipt of Class Notice, or the deadline dates in the Class Notice, which ever are later.
The Settlement Fund 28. Releasors’ sole recourse for settlement and satisfaction against the Releasees of all Released Claims is against the Settlement Fund, and Releasors shall have no other recovery against Fujikura or any other Releasee.
29. After this Agreement becomes final within the meaning of Paragraph 20, the Settlement Fund shall be distributed in accordance with a plan to be submitted to the Court at the appropriate time by Settlement Class Counsel, subject to approval by the Court. In no event shall any Releasee have any responsibility, financial obligation, or liability whatsoever with respect to the investment, distribution, or administration of the Settlement Fund, including, but not limited to, the costs and expenses of such distribution and administration except as expressly otherwise provided in Paragraph 27 of this Agreement.
30. End-Payor Plaintiffs and Settlement Class Counsel shall be reimbursed and indemnified solely out of the Settlement Fund for all expenses and costs, as provided by Court Order. Fujikura and the other Releasees shall not be liable for any costs, fees, or expenses of any of End-Payor Plaintiffs or the Settlement Class’s respective attorneys, experts, advisors, agents, or representatives, but all such costs, fees, and expenses as approved by the Court shall be paid out of the Settlement Fund.
31. Settlement Class Counsel’s Attorneys’ Fees, Reimbursement of Expenses, and Incentive Awards for Class Representatives
(a) Settlement Class Counsel may submit an application or applications to the Court (the “Fee and Expense Application”) for: (i) an award of attorneys’ fees not in excess of one-third of the settlement fund; plus (ii) reimbursement of expenses and costs incurred in connection with prosecuting the Action and incentive awards, plus interest on such attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses at the same rate and for the same period as earned by the Settlement Fund (until paid) as may be awarded by the Court (the “Fee and Expense Award”). Settlement Class Counsel reserve the right to make additional applications for Court approval of fees and expenses incurred and reasonable incentive awards, but in no event shall Fujikura or any other Releasees be responsible to pay any such additional fees and expenses except to the extent they are paid out of the Settlement Fund.
(b) Subject to Court approval, End-Payor Plaintiffs and Settlement Class Counsel shall be reimbursed and paid solely out of the Settlement Fund for all expenses including, but not limited to, attorneys’ fees and past, current, or future litigation expenses. Attorneys’ fees and expenses awarded by the Court shall be payable from the Settlement Fund upon award, notwithstanding the existence of any timely filed objections thereto, or potential appeal therefrom, or collateral attack on the settlement or any part thereof, subject to Settlement Class Counsel’s obligation to make appropriate refunds or repayments to the Settlement Fund with interest, if and when, as a result of any appeal and/or further proceedings on remand, or successful collateral attack, the fee or award of expenses is reduced or reversed, or in the event the Agreement is rescinded or terminated pursuant to Paragraph 25(h) or Paragraph 41.
(c) The procedure for and the allowance or disallowance by the Court of the application by Settlement Class Counsel for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses, and incentive awards for class representatives to be paid out of the Settlement Fund are not part of this Agreement, and are to be considered by the Court separately from the Court’s consideration of the fairness, reasonableness and adequacy of the Settlement, and any order or proceeding relating to the Fee and Expense Application, or any appeal from any such order shall not operate to terminate or cancel this Agreement, or affect or delay the finality of the judgment approving the settlement.
(d) Neither Fujikura nor any other Releasee under this Agreement shall have any responsibility for, or interest in, or liability whatsoever with respect to any payment to Settlement Class Counsel of any Fee and Expense Award in the Action.
(e) Neither Fujikura nor any other Releasee under this Agreement shall have any responsibility for, or interest in, or liability whatsoever with respect to the allocation among Settlement Class Counsel, and/or any other person who may assert some claim thereto, of any Fee and Expense Award that the Court may make in the Action.
Settlement Fund All payments under this Section IV shall be made into the Settlement Fund, except that, where specified, they shall be made into the Settlement Fund Escrow. The Settlement Fund shall be allocated and used only as specified in Section V.
Full Settlement; Legal Fees The Company's obligation to make the payments provided for in this Agreement and otherwise to perform its obligations hereunder shall not be affected by any set-off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other claim, right or action which the Company may have against the Executive or others. In no event shall the Executive be obligated to seek other employment or take any other action by way of mitigation of the amounts payable to the Executive under any of the provisions of this Agreement and except as specifically provided in Section 6(a)(ii), such amounts shall not be reduced whether or not the Executive obtains other employment. The Company agrees to pay as incurred, to the full extent permitted by law, all legal fees and expenses which the Executive may reasonably incur as a result of any contest (regardless of the outcome thereof) by the Company, the Executive or others of the validity or enforceability of, or liability or entitlement under, any provision of this Agreement or any guarantee of performance thereof (whether such contest is between the Company and the Executive or between either of them and any third party, and including as a result of any contest by the Executive about the amount of any payment pursuant to this Agreement), plus in each case interest on any delayed payment at 120% of the applicable Federal rate (that applies to the time period of the delay) provided for in Section 7872(f)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), compounded annually.
Settlement Method Election Physical Settlement, Cash Settlement, or Net Share Settlement, at the election of Counterparty as set forth in a Settlement Notice that satisfies the Settlement Notice Requirements; provided that Physical Settlement shall apply (i) if no Settlement Method is validly selected, (ii) with respect to any Settlement Shares in respect of which Dealer is unable, in good faith and in its commercially reasonable discretion, to unwind its commercially reasonable hedge by the end of the Unwind Period (taking into account any Additional Transactions with overlapping “Unwind Periods” (as defined in the applicable Additional Confirmations)) (A) in a manner that, in the reasonable discretion of Dealer, based on advice of counsel, is consistent with the requirements for qualifying for the safe harbor provided by Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act (“Rule 10b-18”) or (B) in its commercially reasonable judgment, due to the occurrence of five or more Disrupted Days or to the lack of sufficient liquidity in the Shares on any Exchange Business Day during the Unwind Period, (iii) to any Termination Settlement Date (as defined under “Termination Settlement” in Paragraph 7(g) below) and (iv) if the Final Date is a Settlement Date other than as the result of a valid Settlement Notice, in respect of such Settlement Date; provided, further, that, if Physical Settlement applies under clause (ii) immediately above, Dealer shall provide written notice to Counterparty at least two Scheduled Trading Days prior to the applicable Settlement Date.
Qualified Settlement Fund The Administrator shall establish a settlement fund that meets the requirements of a Qualified Settlement Fund (“QSF”) under US Treasury Regulation section 468B-1.
Certification of the Settlement Class For purposes of this Settlement only, the Parties stipulate to the certification of the Settlement Class, which is contingent upon the Court entering the Final Approval Order and Judgment of this Settlement and the occurrence of the Effective Date.
Settlement Method Election Date The third Scheduled Trading Day immediately preceding the First Expiration Date.
