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.
Class Notice The Settling Parties have presented to the Court proposed forms of Settlement Notice, which are appended hereto as Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4, respectively.
A. The Court finds that the proposed forms and the website referenced in the Settlement Notice fairly and adequately:
i. Describe the terms and effect of the Settlement Agreement and of the Settlement;
ii. Notify the Settlement Class concerning the proposed Plan of Allocation;
iii. Notify the Settlement Class that Class Counsel will seek compensation from the Settlement Fund for the Class Representatives, Attorneys’ Fees and Costs;
iv. Notify the Settlement Class that Administrative Expenses related to the implementation of the Settlement will be paid from the Settlement Fund;
v. Give notice to the Settlement Class of the time and place of the Fairness Hearing; and
vi. Describe how the recipients of the Class Notice may object to any of the relief requested and the rights of the Settling Parties to discovery concerning such objections.
B. The Settling Parties have proposed the following manner of communicating the notice to Class Members: the Settlement Administrator shall, by no later than sixty (60) days before the Fairness Hearing, cause the Settlement Notices, with such non- substantive modifications thereto as may be agreed upon by the Settling Parties, to be sent by electronic mail to all Class Members for whom the Settlement Administrator is provided a current email address and mailed, by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the last known address of each member of the Settlement Class for whom there is no current email address that can be identified through commercially reasonable means. The Court finds that such proposed manner is the best notice practicable under the circumstances and directs that the Settlement Administrator provide notice to the Settlement Class in the manner described. Defendants shall cooperate with the Settlement Administrator by providing or facilitating the provision of, in electronic format, the names, addresses, email addresses (to the extent available), and social security numbers or other unique identifiers of members of the Settlement Class. The names, addresses, email addresses (to the extent available), and social security numbers or other unique identifiers obtained pursuant to this Order shall be used solely for the purpose of providing notice of this settlement and as required for purposes of tax withholding and reporting, and for no other purpose.
C. For any Settlement Notice returned as undeliverable, the Settlement Administrator shall utilize the provided social security number or other unique identifier to attempt to determine the current address of the person and shall mail notice to that address.
D. At or before the Fairness Hearing, Class Counsel or the Settlement Administrator shall file with the Court a proof of timely compliance with the foregoing requirements.
E. The Court directs Class Counsel, no later than sixty (60) days before the Fairness Hearing, to cause the Settlement Notice to be published on the Settlement Website.
The Settlement Following mediation with a neutral party, a Settlement has been reached. As part of the Settlement, a Qualified Settlement Fund of $39,500,000 will be established to resolve the Class Action. The Net Settlement Amount is $39,500,000 minus any Administrative Expenses (including taxes and tax expenses), Court-approved Attorneys’ Fees and Costs, and Class Representative Compensation. The Net Settlement Amount will be allocated to Class Members according to a Plan of Allocation to be approved by the Court.
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.
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.
Objections to Settlement 7.7.1 Only Participating Class Members may object to the class action components of the Settlement and/or this Agreement, including contesting the fairness of the Settlement, and/or amounts requested for the Class Counsel Fees Payment, Class Counsel Litigation Expenses Payment and/or Class Representative Service Payment.
7.7.2 Participating Class Members may send written objections to the Administrator, by fax, email, or mail. In the alternative, Participating Class Members may appear in Court (or hire an attorney to appear in Court) to present verbal objections at the Final Approval Hearing. A Participating Class Member who elects to send a written objection to the Administrator must do so not later than 60 days after the Administrator’s mailing of the Class Notice (plus an additional 14 days for Class Members whose Class Notice was re-mailed).
7.7.3 Non-Participating Class Members have no right to object to any of the class action components of the Settlement.
Full Settlement; Resolution of Disputes (a) 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 provided in Section 6(a)(ii) of this Agreement, such amounts shall not be reduced whether or not the Executive obtains other employment. The Company agrees to pay promptly 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 under, any provision of this Agreement or any guarantee of performance thereof (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 the applicable Federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f)(2)(A) of the Code.
(b) If there shall be any dispute between the Company and the Executive (i) in the event of any termination of the Executive's employment by the Company, whether such termination was for Cause, or (ii) in the event of any termination of employment by the Executive, whether Good Reason existed, then, unless and until there is a final, nonappealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction declaring that such termination was for Cause or that the determination by the Executive of the existence of Good Reason was not made in good faith, the Company shall pay all amounts, and provide all benefits, to the Executive and/or the Executive's family or other beneficiaries, as the case may be, that the Company would be required to pay or provide pursuant to Section 6(a) of this Agreement as though such termination were by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any disputed amounts pursuant to this paragraph except upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Executive to repay all such amounts to which the Executive is ultimately adjudged by such court not to be entitled.
Loss Settlement In this Condition D., the terms "cost to repair or replace" and "replacement cost" do not include the increased costs incurred to comply with the enforcement of any ordinance or law, except to the extent that coverage for these increased costs is provided in E.11. Ordinance Or Law under Section I – Property Coverages. Covered property losses are settled as follows:
1. Property of the following types:
a. Personal property;
b. Awnings, carpeting, household appliances, outdoor antennas and outdoor equipment, whether or not attached to buildings;
c. Structures that are not buildings; and
d. Grave markers, including mausoleums;
2. Buildings covered under Coverage A or B at replacement cost without deduction for depreciation, subject to the following:
a. If, at the time of loss, the amount of insurance in this policy on the damaged building is 80% or more of the full replacement cost of the building immediately before the loss, we will pay the cost to repair or replace, without deduction for depreciation, but not more than the least of the following amounts:
(1) The limit of liability under this policy that applies to the building;
(2) The replacement cost of that part of the building damaged with material of like kind and quality and for like use; or
(3) The necessary amount actually spent to repair or replace the damaged building.
b. If, at the time of loss, the amount of insurance in this policy on the damaged building is less than 80% of the full replacement cost of the building immediately before the loss, we will pay the greater of the following amounts, but not more than the limit of liability under this policy that applies to the building:
(1) The actual cash value of that part of the building damaged; or
(2) That proportion of the cost to repair or replace, without deduction for depreciation, that part of the building damaged, which the total amount of insurance in this policy on the damaged building bears to 80% of the replacement cost of the building.
c. To determine the amount of insurance required to equal 80% of the full replacement cost of the building immediately before the loss, do not include the value of:
(1) Excavations, footings, foundations, piers, or any other structures or devices that support all or part of the building, which are below the undersurface of the lowest basement floor;
(2) Those supports described in (1) above which are below the surface of the ground inside the foundation walls, if there is no basement; and
(3) Underground flues, pipes, wiring and drains.
d. We will pay no more than the actual cash value of the damage until actual repair or replacement is complete. Once actual repair or replacement is complete, we will settle the loss as noted in 2.a. and b. above. However, if the cost to repair or replace the damage is both:
(1) Less than 5% of the amount of insurance in this policy on the building; and
(2) Less than $2,500;
