Exhibit 10.38
UNITED STATES DISTRICT
COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF
TEXAS
SHERMAN DIVISION
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IN THE MATTER OF MICROTUNE, INC.
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Master
File No. 4:03-cv-409
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DERIVATIVE
LITIGATION
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(Judge
Brown)
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STIPULATION AND AGREEMENT OF
SETTLEMENT
This Stipulation and Agreement of
Settlement (the “Stipulation”) is submitted pursuant to
Rules 23.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Subject to the
approval of the Court, this Stipulation is entered into among
Plaintiffs Michael Blizman, Nathan Hostacky, Michael Morris, and
Phung Vu, derivatively on behalf of nominal defendant, Microtune,
Inc. and on behalf of the Microtune Shareholders, Nominal Defendant
Microtune, Inc. (“Microtune” or the
“Company”) and Individual Defendants James A. Fontaine,
James H. Clardy, William P. Tai, Harvey B. Cash, Walter S. Ciciora,
Steven Craddock, Anthony J. LeVecchio (collectively, the
“Director Defendants”), Douglas J. Bartek
(“Bartek”), William Housley (“Housley”),
Everett Rogers (“Rogers”), and Nancy A. Richardson
(“Richardson”), by and through their respective
counsel.
WHEREAS:
A. On and after October 30, 2003,
the following derivative suits were filed in the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Microtune, as a
nominal defendant, and certain of its present or former officers
and directors: Morris v. Fontaine, et al. , 4:03-cv-0409;
Hostacky v. Fontaine, et al. , 4:03-cv-0411; Vu v.
Bartek, et al. , 4:03-cv-0471; and Blizman v. Bartek, et
al. , 4:03-cv-0472.
B. By Orders dated December 29, 2003
and January 20, 2004, (the “Consolidation Orders”), the
Court consolidated the four separately filed derivative actions
listed above in paragraph A for all purposes into Morris v.
Fontaine, et al., 4:03-cv-0409 (the consolidated
derivative suits hereafter referred to as the
“Action”) and deemed the complaint in Morris v.
Fontaine, et al . the operative complaint for the Action
(“Derivative Complaint”). By Order dated January 20,
2004, the Court appointed Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman &
Robbins LLP (f/k/a Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP) as
Lead Counsel, and appointed the Provost Umphrey Law Firm and
Federman & Sherwood as Co-Liaison Derivative
Counsel.
C. The Derivative Complaint alleges
claims for breach of fiduciary duty, gross mismanagement, waste of
corporate assets, unjust enrichment, and disgorgement under the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
D. The Derivative Complaint further
alleges, among other things, that certain of the Individual
Defendants engaged in wrongdoing in connection with
Microtune’s accounting, auditing and financial reporting
practices which resulted in the restatement of Microtune’s
financial results for certain quarters in 2001 and 2002; sold
personally-held Microtune stock at artificially inflated prices
while in possession of material, non-public information; conducted
inadequate due diligence prior to Microtune’s acquisition of
Transilica Inc., which resulted in the write-down of goodwill and
wireless intangibles; approved loans and incentive compensation to
certain other Individual Defendants that have not been recovered;
approved a severance package in connection with the resignation of
one of the Individual Defendants that was improper and contrary to
the best interests of Microtune; and that this and other allegedly
improper conduct caused damage to Microtune and its
shareholders.
E. On February 6, 2004, the
Defendants moved to dismiss the Derivative Complaint. Plaintiffs
filed their opposition to the motions to dismiss on April 8, 2004.
The motions to dismiss are still pending.
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F. In July 2004, Microtune and
Plaintiffs began settlement discussions and on December 13, 2004,
mediated with Gary V. McGowan in a full-day mediation during which
an agreement to settle all claims alleged in the Derivative
Complaint was reached.
G. The Defendants (as hereinafter
defined) deny any wrongdoing whatsoever, and this Stipulation shall
in no event be construed or deemed to be evidence of, or an
admission or concession on the part of, any Defendant with respect
to any claim of any fault, liability, wrongdoing or damage
whatsoever, or any infirmity in the defenses that the Defendants
have asserted. The parties to this Stipulation recognize and
acknowledge, however, that the Action is being voluntarily settled
after advice of counsel and that the Settlement is fair, adequate,
reasonable, and in the best interest of Microtune and the Microtune
Shareholders. This Stipulation shall not be construed or deemed to
be a concession by any Plaintiff of any infirmity in the claims
asserted in the Action;
H. Plaintiffs’ Counsel have
conducted an investigation relating to the claims and the
underlying events and transactions alleged in the Derivative
Complaint. Plaintiffs’ Counsel have analyzed the information
learned during the investigation and have researched the applicable
law with respect to the claims against the Defendants and the
potential defenses thereto;
I. Plaintiffs, by their counsel,
have conducted discussions and arm’s length negotiations with
counsel for Defendants and have participated in a mediation before
Gary V. McGowan with respect to a compromise and settlement of the
Action against the Defendants with a view to settling the issues in
dispute and achieving the best relief possible consistent with the
interests of Microtune and its shareholders ; and
J. Based upon their investigation,
Plaintiffs’ Counsel have concluded that the terms and
conditions of this Stipulation are fair, reasonable and adequate to
Plaintiffs, Microtune, and
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Microtune’s shareholders, and in their
best interests, and Plaintiffs have agreed to settle the
“Settled Claims” (as defined below), pursuant to the
terms and provisions of this Stipulation, after considering (a) the
substantial benefits that Microtune and its shareholders will
receive from settlement of the Action, (b) the attendant risks of
litigation, and (c) the desirability of permitting the Settlement
(as hereinafter defined) to be consummated as provided by the terms
of this Stipulation.
NOW THEREFORE, without any admission
or concession on the part of Plaintiffs of any lack of merit of the
Action whatsoever, and without any admission or concession of any
fault, liability, wrongdoing or damage whatsoever, or lack of merit
in the defenses whatsoever, by the Defendants, it is hereby
STIPULATED AND AGREED, by and among the parties to this
Stipulation, through their respective attorneys, subject to
approval of the Court pursuant to Rule 23.1 of the Federal Rules of
Civil Procedure, in consideration of the benefits flowing to the
parties hereto from the Settlement, that all Settled Claims (as
hereinafter defined) against the Released Parties (as hereinafter
defined) and all Settled Defendants’ Claims (as hereinafter
defined) shall be compromised, settled, released and dismissed with
prejudice, upon and subject to the following terms and
conditions:
CERTAIN
DEFINITIONS
1. As used in this Stipulation, the
following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Defendants” means
Microtune, the Director Defendants, Bartek, Housley, Rogers, and
Richardson.
(b) “Defendants’
Counsel” means the law firms of Baker Botts L.L.P. and
Siebman, Reynolds & Burg, LLP for Microtune; Thompson &
Knight LLP for the Director Defendants; Haynes and Boone, LLP for
Bartek; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP for Housley;
Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P. for Rogers;
and Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP for Richardson.
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(c) “Effective Date of
Settlement” or “Effective Date” means the date
upon which the Settlement contemplated by this Stipulation shall
become effective, as set forth in ¶ 12 below.
(d) “Insurance Carriers”
means the insurance carriers that issued policies of directors and
officers insurance to or on behalf of the Defendants covering the
claims asserted in the Action, namely, Sheffield Insurance Company,
Westchester Fire Insurance Company, and Greenwich Insurance
Company, and including their directors, officers, employees, and
attorneys.
(e) “Microtune
Shareholders” means, for the purposes of this Stipulation
only, the beneficial holders of Microtune stock as of the date this
Stipulation is signed.
(f) “Notice
Administrator” means Garden City Group, Inc..
(g) “Order and Final
Judgment” means the proposed order to be entered approving
the Settlement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
B.
(h) “Plaintiffs” means
the named plaintiffs in the four consolidated derivative actions,
Michael Blizman, Nathan Hostacky, Michael Morris, and Phung
Vu.
(i) “Plaintiffs’ Lead
Counsel” means the law firm of Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller
Rudman & Robbins LLP.
(j) “Plaintiffs’
Counsel” means any counsel who have appeared on behalf of any
of the Plaintiffs in the Action.
(k) “Plaintiffs’
Co-Liaison Counsel” means the Provost Umphrey Law Firm and
Federman & Sherwood.
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(l) “Preliminary Order”
means the proposed order preliminarily approving the Settlement and
approving and directing notice of the Settlement to the Microtune
Shareholders substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
A.
(m) “Released Parties”
means any and all of the Defendants and the Insurance Carriers,
their past, present or future subsidiaries, parents, successors and
predecessors, including Transilica Inc., and any of their past,
present or future officers, directors, agents, accountants,
employees and attorneys, 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 any
such party.
(n) “Settled Claims”
means any and all claims, debts, demands, rights or causes of
action or liabilities (including, but not limited to, any claims
for damages, interest, attorneys’ fees, expert or consulting
fees, and any other costs, expenses or liability), whether based on
federal, state, local, statutory or common law or any other law,
rule or regulation, whether fixed or contingent, accrued or
unaccrued, liquidated or unliquidated, at law or in equity, matured
or unmatured, whether class, individual, or derivative in nature,
including both known claims and Unknown Claims (as defined below),
(i) that have been asserted in this Action by Plaintiffs or their
attorneys or any of them against any of the Released Parties, or
(ii) that could have been asserted in any forum by the Microtune
Shareholders or their attorneys or any of them or the successors
and assigns of any of them against any of the Released Parties
which arise out of or are based upon or relate in any way to the
allegations, transactions, facts, matters or occurrences,
representations or omissions involved, set forth, or referred to in
the Derivative Complaint and which relate to the ownership of
shares of the common stock of Microtune. “Settled
Claims” does not include the claims asserted in the
securities class action styled, Angeloni v. Microtune, Inc., et
al. , Civil Action No. 4:03-cv-56, which are the subject of a
separate settlement.
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(o) “Settled Defendants’
Claims” means any and all claims, rights or causes of action
or liabilities whatsoever, whether based on federal, state, local,
statutory or common law or any other law, rule or regulation,
including both known claims and Unknown Claims, that have been or
could have been asserted in the Action or any forum by the
Defendants or any of them or the successors and assigns of any of
them against any of the Plaintiffs, Microtune Shareholders, or
their attorneys, which arise out of or relate in any way to the
institution, prosecution, or settlement of the Action, except for
claims to enforce the Settlement. The Settled Defendants’
Claims do not include any claims, rights or causes of action or
liabilities arising out of or relating to any confidentiality,
employment, severance, or other agreements between Microtune and
any of the Microtune Shareholders.
(p) “Settlement” means
the settlement contemplated by this Stipulation.
(q) “Settlement Notice”
means the Notice of Proposed Settlement of Shareholder Derivative
Action and Hearing, which is to be sent to the Microtune
Shareholders substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1
to Exhibit A.
(r) “Unknown Claims”
means any and all Settled Claims which any Plaintiff or Microtune
Shareholder does not know or suspect to exist in his, her or its
favor at the time of the release of the Released Parties, and any
Defendants’ Claims which any Defendant does not know or
suspect to exist in his, her or its favor. With respect to any and
all Settled Claims and Settled Defendants’ Claims, the
parties stipulate and agree that upon the Effective Date, the
Plaintiffs and the Defendants shall expressly, and each Microtune
Shareholder shall be deemed
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to have, and by operation of the Order and Final
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, which is similar,
comparable, or equivalent to Cal. Civ. Code § 1542,