S. JAMES OTERO, District Judge.
WHEREAS, a consolidated class action is pending in this Court entitled In re CytRx Corporation Securities Litigation, Case No. 2:16-CV-05519-SJO-SK (the "Action");
WHEREAS, (a) Lead Plaintiff Gregory Callender, on behalf of himself and the Settlement Class (defined below), and (b) defendants CytRx Corporation ("CytRx"), Steven A. Kriegsman ("Kriegsman"), and John Y. Caloz ("Caloz") (collectively, "Defendants," and, together with Lead Plaintiff, the "Parties") have entered into a Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement dated May 4, 2018 (the "Stipulation"), that provides for a complete dismissal with prejudice of the claims asserted against Defendants in the Action on the terms and conditions set forth in the Stipulation, subject to the approval of this Court (the "Settlement");
WHEREAS, unless otherwise defined in this Judgment, the capitalized terms herein shall have the same meaning as they have in the Stipulation;
WHEREAS, by Order dated June 20, 2018 (the "Preliminary Approval Order"), this Court: (a) preliminarily approved the Settlement; (b) certified the Settlement Class solely for purposes of effectuating the Settlement; (c) ordered that notice of the proposed Settlement be provided to potential Settlement Class Members; (d) provided Settlement Class Members with the opportunity either to exclude themselves from the Settlement Class or to object to the proposed Settlement; and (e) scheduled a hearing regarding final approval of the Settlement;
WHEREAS, due and adequate notice has been given to the Settlement Class;
WHEREAS, the Court conducted a hearing on September 17, 2018 (the "Settlement Hearing") to consider, among other things, whether: (a) the terms and conditions of the Settlement are fair, reasonable and adequate to the Settlement Class, and should therefore be approved; and (b) a judgment should be entered dismissing the Action with prejudice as against the Defendants; and
WHEREAS, the Court having reviewed and considered the Stipulation, all papers filed and proceedings held herein in connection with the Settlement, all oral and written comments received regarding the Settlement, and the record in the Action, and good cause appearing therefore;
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED as follows:
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7. The Action and all of the claims in any complaint asserted against Defendants in the Action by Lead Plaintiff and the other Settlement Class Members are hereby dismissed with prejudice. The Parties shall bear their own costs and expenses, except as otherwise expressly provided in the Stipulation.
8. Upon the Effective Date, any and all persons or entities are permanently barred, enjoined, and restrained, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from commencing, continuing, prosecuting, or asserting, in any forum, any claim, cross-claim, counterclaim, third-party claim, or action for indemnity or contribution against any of the Released Defendants (or any other claim against any of the Released Defendants where the alleged injury is that person's or entity's actual or threatened liability to the Settlement Class or a Settlement Class Member in the Action), which is based upon, arises out of, or is related to the Released Plaintiffs' Claims, or have to do with the Settlement, this Stipulation and its exhibits, or any action taken by anyone pursuant to, or under color of, this Stipulation. Such aforementioned claims include, without limitation, any claims for allocation, recovery, or payment of settlement amounts or any other liability, whether arising under federal, state, local or foreign law, or equity, whether asserted in the Action, in this Court, in any federal or state court, or in any other court, arbitration proceeding, administrative agency, or other forum in the United States or elsewhere.
9. Except as provided in paragraph 12 below, each of the Released Defendants is permanently barred, enjoined, and restrained, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from commencing, continuing, prosecuting, or asserting, in any forum, any claim, cross-claim, counterclaim, third-party claim, or action for indemnity or contribution against any person or entity (or any other claim against any person or entity where the alleged injury is that Released Defendant's actual or threatened liability to the Settlement Class or a Settlement Class Member in the Action), which is based upon, arises out of, or is related to the Released Plaintiffs' Claims, or have to do with the Settlement, this Stipulation and its exhibits, or any action taken by anyone pursuant to, or under color of, this Stipulation. Such aforementioned claims include, without limitation, any claims for allocation, recovery, or payment of settlement amounts or any other liability, whether arising under federal, state, local or foreign law, or equity, whether asserted in the Action, in this Court, in any federal or state court, or in any other court, arbitration proceeding, administrative agency, or other forum in the United States or elsewhere.
10. Accordingly, to the full extent provided by Section 21D(f)(7)(A) of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("PSLRA"), 15 U.S.C. §78u-4(f)(7)(A), and other applicable law, the Court hereby bars all barred claims against and by the Released Defendants as provided herein and in the Stipulation.
11. Any final verdict or Judgment obtained by or on behalf of Lead Plaintiff or the Settlement Class against any person or entity, other than the Defendants, relating to the Released Plaintiffs' Claims, shall be reduced by the greater of (i) an amount that corresponds to the percentage of responsibility of the Defendants, or (ii) the amount paid to the Lead Plaintiff or the Settlement Class on behalf of the Defendants in the Settlement.
12. Nothing in this complete bar order shall prevent the persons and entities listed on Exhibit 1 hereto, who or which submitted a timely and valid request for exclusion from the Settlement Class, from pursuing any Released Plaintiffs' Claim against any Defendants or any of the Defendants' Releasees. If any such person or entity pursues any such Released Plaintiffs' Claim against any Defendants or Defendants' Releasees, nothing in this complete bar order or in the Stipulation shall operate to preclude such Defendants or other Defendants' Releasees from asserting any claim of any kind against such person or entity, including any Released Defendants' Claims (or seeking contribution or indemnity from any such person or entity).
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a) Without further action by anyone, and subject to paragraph 15 below, upon the Effective Date of the Settlement, Lead Plaintiff and each of the other Settlement Class Members, on behalf of themselves, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, predecessors, successors, and assigns in their capacities as such, shall be deemed to have, and by operation of law and of this Judgment shall have, fully, finally and forever compromised, settled, released, resolved, relinquished, waived and discharged each and every Released Plaintiffs' Claim against each and all of the Released Defendants (as defined in the Stipulation), and shall forever be enjoined from prosecuting any or all of the Released Plaintiffs' Claims against any of the Released Defendants, regardless whether or not such Settlement Class Member executed and delivered a Claim Form. This Release shall not apply to any of the Excluded Claims (as that term is defined in paragraph 1(u) of the Stipulation).
b) Without further action by anyone, and subject to paragraph 15 below, upon the Effective Date of the Settlement, Defendants, on behalf of themselves, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, predecessors, successors, and assigns in their capacities as such, shall be deemed to have, and by operation of law and of this Judgment shall have, fully, finally and forever compromised, settled, released, resolved, relinquished, waived and discharged each and every Released Defendants' Claim against Lead Plaintiff and the other Plaintiffs' Releasees, and shall forever be enjoined from prosecuting any or all of the Released Defendants' Claims against any of the Plaintiffs' Releasees. This Release shall not apply to any person or entity listed on Exhibit 1 hereto.
c) "Released Plaintiffs' Claim(s)" means all claims, suits, actions, appeals, causes of action, damages (including, without limitation, compensatory, punitive, exemplary, rescissory, direct, consequential, or special damages, and restitution and disgorgement), demands, rights, debts, penalties, costs, expenses, fees, injunctive relief, attorneys' fees, expert or consulting fees, prejudgment interest, indemnities, duties, liabilities, losses, or obligations of every nature and description whatsoever, whether known claims or Unknown Claims, whether or not concealed or hidden, fixed or contingent, direct or indirect, anticipated or unanticipated, whether legal, contractual, rescissory, statutory, or equitable in nature, whether arising under federal, state, common, or foreign law, that are based upon, arise from, or relate to: (a) the subject matter of, or any facts alleged in, the SAC and any other complaints filed in this Action; or (b) any facts that could have been alleged in the SAC or any other complaints filed in this Action and relate to the purchase or acquisition of CytRx Common Stock or CytRx Call Options, or sale of CytRx Put Options during the Settlement Class Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, "Released Plaintiffs' Claim(s)" does not include (i) any claims relating to the enforcement of the Settlement; (ii) claims asserted in the shareholder derivative action filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery, entitled Zyontz v. Kriegsman et al., Case No. 2017-0738-JRS; and (iii) any claims relating to the enforcement of the Settlement, and any claims of the persons or entities listed in Exhibit 1 hereto, who or which submitted a timely and valid request for exclusion from the Settlement Class.
d) "Unknown Claims" means any of the Released Plaintiffs' Claims which Lead Plaintiff and/or any other Settlement Class Member does not know or suspect to exist in his, her or its favor at the time of the release of such claims, and any of the Released Defendants' Claims which any Released Defendant does not know or suspect to exist in his, her, or its favor at the time of the release of such claims, which, if known by him, her or it, might have affected his, her or its settlement with and release of the Releasees, or might have affected his, her, or its decision(s) with respect to this Settlement or decision not to object to this Settlement. With respect to any and all Released Claims, the Parties stipulate and agree that, upon the Effective Date of the Settlement, Lead Plaintiff and Defendants shall expressly waive, and each of the other Settlement Class Members and each of the Defendants' Releasees shall be deemed to have waived, and by operation of the Judgment or the Alternate Judgment, if applicable, shall have expressly waived the provisions, rights, and benefits of California Civil Code §1542, which provides:
Lead Plaintiff and Defendants shall expressly waive and each of the other Settlement Class Members and each of the Defendants' Releasees shall be deemed to have, and by operation of the Judgment or the Alternate Judgment, if applicable, shall have, expressly waived any and all provisions, rights, and benefits conferred by any law of any state or territory of the United States or any foreign country, or any principle of common law or foreign law, which is similar, comparable or equivalent in substance to California Civil Code § 1542. Lead Plaintiff, any other Settlement Class Member, Defendants and each of the Defendants' Releasees may hereafter discover facts in addition to or different from those which such party now knows or believes to be true with respect to the Released Claims, but the Parties stipulated and agreed that, upon the Effective Date of the Settlement, Lead Plaintiff and each of the Defendants shall expressly waive and release, and each Settlement Class Member and Defendants' Releasees, shall be deemed to have, and by operation of the Judgment or the Alternate Judgment, if applicable, shall have, fully, finally, and forever, expressly waived and released any and all Released Claims without regard to the subsequent discovery or existence of such different or additional facts. Lead Plaintiff and each of the Defendants acknowledges and the Settlement Class Members and the Defendants' Releasees shall be deemed by operation of law and the Judgment or the Alternate Judgment, if applicable, to have acknowledged, that the foregoing waiver and release was separately bargained for and a key element of the Settlement of which this waiver and release is a part.
15. Notwithstanding paragraph 14 above, nothing in this Judgment shall bar any action by any of the Parties to enforce or effectuate the terms of the Stipulation or this Judgment.
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a) shall not be offered or received against or to the prejudice of any Defendant or Defendants' Releasee for any purpose other than in an action to enforce the terms of the Term Sheet, the Stipulation, and the Settlement, and in particular do not constitute, and shall not be described as, construed as, or otherwise offered or received against any Defendant or Defendants' Releasee as evidence of (or deemed to be evidence of) any admission, concession, or presumption by any of the Defendants or Defendants' Releasees with respect to: (i) the truth of any allegation in any complaint filed, or any amended complaint proposed to be filed, in this Action; (ii) the validity of any claim that has been or could have been asserted in this Action or in any litigation or proceeding in any forum; (iii) the deficiency of any defense that has been or could have been asserted in this Action or in any other litigation or proceeding in any forum; or (iv) any liability, damages, negligence, fault, or wrongdoing of any Defendant or Defendants' Releasee whatsoever.
b) shall not be offered against any of the Plaintiffs' Releasees, as evidence of, or construed as, or deemed to be evidence of any presumption, concession or admission by any of the Plaintiffs' Releasees that any of their claims are without merit, that any of the Defendants had meritorious defenses, or that damages recoverable under the Complaint would not have exceeded the Settlement Amount or with respect to any liability, negligence, fault or wrongdoing of any kind, or in any way referred to for any other reason as against any of the Plaintiffs' Releasees, in any civil, criminal or administrative action or proceeding, other than such proceedings as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of the Stipulation; and
c) shall not be construed against any of the Releasees as an admission, concession, or presumption that the consideration to be given hereunder represents the amount which could be or would have been recovered after trial; provided, however, the Parties and the Releasees and their respective counsel may refer to the Stipulation to effectuate the protections from liability granted hereunder or otherwise to enforce the terms of the Settlement.
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22. Separate orders shall be entered regarding approval of a plan of allocation and the motion of Lead Counsel for an award of attorneys' fees and reimbursement of Litigation Expenses. Such orders shall in no way affect or delay the finality of this Judgment and shall not affect or delay the Effective Date of the Settlement.
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SO ORDERED.