If the Settlement is approved, the Court will enter an order and final judgment (the “Judgment”). Pursuant to the Judgment, the claims asserted against Defendants in the Action will be dismissed with prejudice and the following releases will occur:
(i) Release of Claims by Plaintiffs and the Class: Upon the Effective Date, Plaintiffs and each of the other Class Members, on behalf of themselves and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, predecessors, successors, and assigns in their capacities as such, will be deemed to have, and by operation of law and of the Judgment will have, fully, finally, and forever compromised, settled, released, resolved, relinquished, waived, and discharged any and all Released Plaintiffs’ Claims (defined below) against Defendants and the other Released Defendants’ Persons (defined below), and will forever be barred and enjoined from prosecuting any and all Released Plaintiffs’ Claims against any of the Released Defendants’ Persons.
“Released Plaintiffs’ Claims” means all claims or causes of action, debts, demands, rights, or liabilities whatsoever, whether fixed or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, liquidated or unliquidated, at law or in equity, direct, derivative or class, whether arising under federal, state, or common law, including known claims and Unknown Claims (defined below), that Plaintiffs or any other member of the Class (i) asserted in the Complaint or (ii) could have asserted in the Complaint or in any other forum that are based upon the allegations, transactions, facts, matters or occurrences, representations, or omissions set forth in the Complaint and relate to the ownership of AVX common stock as of the closing of the Acquisition. Released Plaintiffs’ Claims do not include: (i) any claims relating to the enforcement of the Settlement or the Judgment; or (ii) any claims against the Released Defendants’ Persons arising from conduct occurring after the date of execution of this Stipulation (“Excluded Plaintiffs’ Claims”).
“Released Defendants’ Persons” means Defendants and their respective current and former family members, spouses, heirs, trusts, trustees, executors, estates, administrators, beneficiaries, distributees, foundations, agents, employees, fiduciaries, partners, partnerships, general or limited partners or partnerships, joint ventures, member firms, limited liability companies, corporations, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, associated entities, stockholders, principals, officers, directors (including, without limitation, Donald Christiansen, John Ballato, and David DeCenzo), managing directors, members, managing members, managing agents, predecessors, predecessors-in interest, successors, successors-in-interest, assigns, financial or investment advisors, consultants, investment bankers, entities providing any fairness opinion, underwriters, brokers, dealers, lenders, commercial bankers, attorneys (including, without limitation, Defendants’ Counsel), personal or legal representatives, accountants, insurers, co-insurers, reinsurers, and associates.
“Unknown Claims” means any Released Plaintiffs’ Claims which any Plaintiff or any other 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 Released Defendants’ Claims which any Defendant does not know or suspect to exist in his 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 decision(s) with respect to this Settlement. With respect to any and all Released Claims, the Parties stipulate and agree that, upon the Effective Date of the Settlement, Plaintiffs and Defendants shall expressly waive, and each of the other Class Members shall be deemed to have waived, and by operation of the Judgment 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 principle of common law or foreign law, which is similar, comparable, or equivalent to California Civil Code §1542, which provides:
A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.
Plaintiffs and Defendants acknowledge, and each of the other Class Members shall be deemed by operation of law to have acknowledged, that the foregoing waiver was separately bargained for and a key element of the Settlement.
(ii) Release of Claims by Defendants: Upon the Effective Date, Defendants, on behalf of themselves and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, predecessors, successors, and assigns in their capacities as such, will be deemed to have, and by operation of law and of the Judgment will have, fully, finally, and forever compromised, settled, released, resolved, relinquished, waived, and discharged any and all Released Defendants’ Claims (defined below) against Plaintiffs and the other Released Plaintiffs’ Persons (defined below), and will forever be barred and enjoined from prosecuting any and all Released Defendants’ Claims against any of the Released Plaintiffs’ Persons.
“Released Defendants’ Claims” means all claims or causes of action, debts, demands, rights, or liabilities whatsoever, whether fixed or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, liquidated or unliquidated, at law or in equity, whether arising under federal, state, or common law, including known claims and Unknown Claims, that arise out of, relate to, or are based upon the institution, prosecution, or settlement of the claims against Defendants in the Action. Released Defendants’ Claims do not include any claims relating to the enforcement of the Settlement.
“Released Plaintiffs’ Persons” means Plaintiffs, their attorneys (including, without limitation, Plaintiffs’ Counsel), and all other Class Members, and each of their respective current and former family members, spouses, heirs, trusts, trustees, executors, estates, administrators, beneficiaries, distributees, foundations, agents, employees, fiduciaries, partners, partnerships, general or limited partners or partnerships, joint ventures, member firms, limited liability companies, corporations, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, associated entities, stockholders, principals, officers, directors, managing directors, members, managing members, managing agents, predecessors, predecessors-in-interest, successors, successors-in-interest, assigns, financial or investment advisors, consultants, investment bankers, entities providing any fairness opinion, underwriters, brokers, dealers, lenders, commercial bankers, attorneys, personal or legal representatives, accountants, insurers, co-insurers, reinsurers, and associates.
By Order of the Court, all proceedings against Defendants in the Action, except for those related to the Settlement, have been stayed, and pending final determination of whether the Settlement should be approved, Plaintiffs and all other Class Members are barred and enjoined from commencing, prosecuting, instigating, or in any way participating in the commencement or prosecution of any Released Plaintiffs’ Claim, either directly, representatively, derivatively, or in any other capacity, against any Released Defendants’ Persons.
If the Settlement is approved and the Effective Date occurs, no Class Member will be able to bring another action asserting the Released Plaintiffs’ Claims against any of the Released Defendants’ Persons.