Felix Santore v. Ixia

          FINAL ORDER AND JUDGMENT [135, 136]

          DOLLY M. GEE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

         WHEREAS, on July 29, 2016, a hearing was held before this Court to determine: (1) whether the terms and conditions of the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement (the “Settlement Agreement”) are fair, reasonable and adequate for the settlement of all claims asserted by the Class against the Defendants in this Action and in the best interests of the Class, including the release of the Defendants and the Releasees as defined in the Settlement Agreement, and should be approved; (2) whether the Settlement Class should be certified pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; (3) whether judgment should be entered dismissing the Complaint on the merits and with prejudice in favor of the Defendants as against all persons or entities who are members of the Class herein who have not requested exclusion therefrom; (4) whether to approve the Plan of Allocation as a fair and reasonable method to allocate the settlement proceeds among the members of the Class; and (5) whether and in what amount to award counsel for Lead Plaintiffs and the Class fees and reimbursement of expenses.

         WHEREAS, on February 29, 2016, this Court, pursuant to Rules 23(a) and (b)(3) granted preliminary approval of the Settlement Agreement and preliminarily certified a class consisting of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of Ixia between February 4, 2011 and April 3, 2013, inclusive and who were damaged thereby. [Doc. # 130.] Excluded from the Class are (a) Defendants; (b) members of the immediate families of the Individual Defendants; (c) any subsidiaries of Defendants; (d) any affiliate, as that term is defined by the federal securities laws, of Ixia or any other Defendant, including the 401(k) plans of Ixia; (e) any person or entity who is a partner, executive officer, director or controlling person of Ixia (including any of their subsidiaries or affiliates) or any other Defendant; (f) any entity in which any Defendant has a controlling interest; (g) Defendants’ directors’ and officers’ liability insurance carriers, and any affiliates or subsidiaries thereof; and (h) the legal representative, heirs, successors and assigns of any such excluded party. Also excluded from the Class are the persons and/or entities who requested exclusion from the Class as listed on Schedule 1 annexed hereto.

         WHEREAS, the Court has considered all matters submitted to it at the hearing and otherwise; and it appearing that a Notice of the hearing substantially in the form approved by the Court was mailed to all persons or entities reasonably identifiable who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of Ixia between February 4, 2011 and April 3, 2013, inclusive, except those persons or entities excluded from the definition of the Class, and that a Publication Notice of the hearing substantially in the form approved by the Court was published in Investor’s Business Daily and the PR Newswire pursuant to the specifications of the Court; and the Court has considered and determined the fairness and reasonableness of the award of attorneys’ fees and expenses requested.

         NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, as follows:

         1. For purposes of this Order, all terms used herein have the meanings as set forth and defined in the Settlement Agreement.

         2. The Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the Securities Class Action, the Lead Plaintiffs, all other Class Members and the Defendants.

         3. The Court hereby certifies the Action as a class action for purposes of the Settlement, pursuant to Rule 23(a) and (b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of Ixia between February 4, 2011 and April 3, 2013, inclusive and who were damaged thereby. Excluded from the Class are (a) Defendants; (b) members of the immediate families of the Individual Defendants; (c) any subsidiaries of Defendants; (d) any affiliate, as that term is defined by the federal securities laws, of Ixia or any other Defendant, including the 401(k) plans of Ixia; (e) any person or entity who is a partner, executive officer, director or controlling person of Ixia (including any of their subsidiaries or affiliates) or any other Defendant; (f) any entity in which any Defendant has a controlling interest; (g) Defendants’ directors’ and officers’ liability insurance carriers, and any affiliates or subsidiaries thereof; and (h) the legal representative, heirs, successors and assigns of any such excluded party. Also excluded from the Class are persons and entities who submitted valid and timely requests for exclusion in accordance with the Notice, who are listed on Schedule 1 hereto.

         4. The Court finds and concludes that, for settlement purposes, the prerequisites to class action certification under Rule 23(a) and (b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure have been satisfied in that: (a) the number of Class Members is so numerous that joinder thereof is impracticable; (b) there are questions of law and fact common to the Class; (c) the claims of Lead Plaintiffs are typical of the claims of the Class they seek to represent; (d) Lead Plaintiffs and their counsel have and will fairly and adequately represent the interests of the Class; (e) the questions of law and fact common to the Class Members predominate over any questions affecting only individual Class Members; and (f) a class action is superior to other available methods for the fair and efficient adjudication of the controversy.

         5. The Court hereby finds and concludes that pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Lead Plaintiffs are adequate class representatives and certifies them as class representatives for the Class.

         6. Pursuant to and in accordance with the requirements of Rule 23, the Settlement as set forth in the Settlement Agreement is approved as fair, reasonable and adequate, and in the best interests of the Class, and the Class Members and the parties are directed to consummate the Settlement Agreement in accordance with its terms and provisions.

         7. The distribution of Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement, Application of Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses, and Settlement Fairness Hearing (“Notice”) and the publication of Summary Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action and Settlement Hearing (the “Publication Notice”) constituted the best notice practicable under the circumstances to all Class Members, and fully met the requirements of Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, due process, the United States Constitution, and any other applicable law.

         8. The Complaint is hereby dismissed with prejudice and without costs, except as provided in the Settlement Agreement, against the Defendants, their past or present subsidiaries, parents, affiliates, partners, successors and predecessors, officers, directors, shareholders, insurers, reinsurers, agents, employees, attorneys, advisors, and investment advisors, auditors, accountants and any person, firm, trust, corporation, officer, director or other individual or entity in which any Defendant has a controlling interest or which is related to or affiliated with any of the Defendants, and the legal representatives, heirs, successors in interest or assigns of the Defendants. The above-captioned action is hereby dismissed with prejudice.

         9. The Court permanently bars and enjoins (i) all Class Members and their heirs, executors, administrators, trustees, predecessors, successors, Affiliates, representatives, and assigns - and anyone else purporting to act on behalf of, for the benefit of, or derivatively for any of them - from filing, commencing, prosecuting, intervening in, participating in (as class members or otherwise), or receiving any benefits or other relief from any other lawsuit, arbitration, or administrative, regulatory, or other proceeding (as well as a motion or complaint in intervention in the Securities Class Action if the person or entity filing such motion or complaint in intervention purports to be acting as, on behalf of, for the benefit of, or derivatively for any of the above persons or entities) or order, in any jurisdiction or forum, that is based upon, arises out of, or relates to any Released Plaintiffs’ Claim as to any Releasee, including any Claim that is based upon, arises out of, or relates to the Securities Class Action or the transactions and occurrences referred to in the Complaint, and (ii) all persons and entities from filing, commencing, or prosecuting any other lawsuit as a class action or other proceeding (including by seeking to amend a pending complaint to include class allegations or by seeking class ...