The Settlement Benefits What does the Settlement provide?
Payment of Settlement Amount (1) Within sixty (60) days of the Date of Execution, the Settling Defendants shall pay the Settlement Amount to Siskinds LLP for deposit into the Trust Account.
(2) Payment of the Settlement Amount shall be made by wire transfer. At least thirty (30) days prior to the Settlement Amount becoming due, Siskinds LLP will provide, in writing, the following information necessary to complete the wire transfer: name of bank, address of bank, ABA number, SWIFT number, name of beneficiary, beneficiary’s bank account number, beneficiary’s address, and bank contact details.
(3) The Settlement Amount and other consideration to be provided in accordance with the terms of this Settlement Agreement shall be provided in full satisfaction of the Released Claims against the Releasees.
(4) The Settlement Amount shall be all-inclusive of all amounts, including, without limitation, interest, costs, Administration Expenses, Class Counsel Fees and Class Counsel Disbursements.
(5) The Releasees shall have no obligation to pay any amount in addition to the Settlement Amount, for any reason, pursuant to or in furtherance of this Settlement Agreement, the Proceedings or any Other Actions.
(6) Once a Claims Administrator has been appointed, Siskinds LLP shall transfer control of the Trust Account to the Claims Administrator.
(7) Siskinds LLP and the Claims Administrator shall maintain the Trust Account as provided for in this Settlement Agreement.
(8) Siskinds LLP and the Claims Administrator shall not pay out all or any part of the monies in the Trust Account, except in accordance with this Settlement Agreement, or in accordance with an order of the Courts obtained after notice to the Parties.
Settlement Benefits Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, HESI shall provide the following “Settlement Benefits” in connection with the resolution of the New Class Action by the New Class and the resolution of the Assigned Claims against HESI by the DHEPDS Class:
(a) HESI shall make an Aggregate Payment of one billion twenty-eight million U.S. dollars (“USD”) ($1,028,000,000) (the “Aggregate Payment”) to resolve both the alleged liability to the New Class for Punitive Damages Claims, if any, and the alleged liability to the DHEPDS Class for the Assigned Claims against HESI under the DHEPDS. DHEPDS Class Counsel and the PSC have agreed to accept the Aggregate Payment from HESI, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, including the allocation of the Aggregate Payment by the Allocation Special Master described below.
(b) All Administrative Costs shall be paid from the Aggregate Payment. Under no circumstances shall HESI be liable for any Administrative Costs. At the request of the PSC or New Class Counsel, as applicable, and/or the DHEPDS Class Counsel, ▇▇▇▇ agrees to consult with them to explore methods to enhance the efficiency of the implementation and administration of the processes for the distribution of the Aggregate Payment amount pursuant to the provisions of the SA.
(c) Only as agreed to by the Parties in Section 23 of this SA, HESI shall pay the reasonable common benefit costs and fees of the PSC, New Class Counsel, as applicable, and DHEPDS Class Counsel and/or other common benefit attorneys who have submitted time and/or costs in accordance with Pre-Trial Order No. 9, as may be approved by the Court. In no event shall HESI be required to pay any common benefit costs or fees of the PSC, New Class Counsel, DHEPDS Class Counsel or any other common benefit attorneys, or any other person who claims a right to fees and costs, in excess of the amount agreed to by the Parties in Section 23 of this SA.
Payments from the Gross Settlement Amount Within 14 days after Defendant funds the Gross Settlement Amount, the Administrator will mail checks for all Individual Class Payments, all Individual PAGA Payments, the LWDA PAGA Payment, the Administration Expenses Payment, the Class Counsel Fees Payment, the Class Counsel Litigation Expenses Payment, and the Class Representative Service Payment. Disbursement of the Class Counsel Fees Payment, the Class Counsel Litigation Expenses Payment and the Class Representative Service Payment shall not precede disbursement of Individual Class Payments and Individual PAGA Payments.
4.4.1. The Administrator will issue checks for the Individual Class Payments and/or Individual PAGA Payments and send them to the Class Members via First Class U.S. Mail, postage prepaid. The face of each check shall prominently state the date (not less than 120 days after the date of mailing) when the check will be voided. The Administrator will cancel all checks not cashed by the void date. The Administrator will send checks for Individual Settlement Payments to all Participating Class Members (including those for whom Class Notice was returned undelivered). The Administrator will send checks for Individual PAGA Payments to all Aggrieved Employees including Non-Participating Class Members who qualify as Aggrieved Employees (including those for whom Class Notice was returned undelivered). The Administrator may send Participating Class Members a single check combining the Individual Class Payment and the Individual PAGA Payment. Before mailing any checks, the Settlement Administrator must update the recipients’ mailing addresses using the National Change of Address Database.
4.4.2. The Administrator must conduct a Class Member Address Search for all other Class Members whose checks are retuned undelivered without USPS forwarding address. Within 7 days of receiving a returned check the Administrator must re-mail checks to the USPS forwarding address provided or to an address ascertained through the Class Member Address Search. The Administrator need not take further steps to deliver checks to Class Members whose re-mailed checks are returned as undelivered. The Administrator shall promptly send a replacement check to any Class Member whose original check was lost or misplaced, requested by the Class Member prior to the void date.
4.4.3. For any Class Member whose Individual Class Payment check or Individual PAGA Payment check is uncashed and cancelled after the void date, the Administrator shall transmit the funds represented by such checks to the California Controller's Unclaimed Property Fund in the name of the Class Member thereby leaving no "unpaid residue" subject to the requirements of California Code of Civil Procedure Section 384, subd. (b). The Parties, Class Counsel and Defense Counsel represent that they have no interest or relationship, financial or otherwise, with the intended Cy Pres Recipient.
4.4.4. The payment of Individual Class Payments and Individual PAGA Payments shall not obligate Defendant to confer any additional benefits or make any additional payments to Class Members (such as 401(k) contributions or bonuses) beyond those specified in this Agreement. However, failure by a Participating Class Member and/or Aggrieved Employee to cash a check received in relation to this Agreement and/or Settlement does not result in him/her not being bound by and/or subject to this Agreement and/or Settlement. Rather, a Participating Class Member and/or Aggrieved Employee will be bound by and/or subject to this Agreement and/or Settlement regardless of whether he/she cashes any check(s) received in relation to same.
Gross Settlement Amount Except as otherwise provided by Paragraph 8 below, Defendant promises to pay $1,110,000.00 as the Gross Settlement Amount. Defendant will separately pay the employer's share of payroll taxes on the Wage Portion of the Individual Class Payments. Defendant has no obligation to pay the Gross Settlement Amount prior to the deadline stated in Paragraph 4.3 of this Agreement. The Administrator will disburse the entire Gross Settlement Amount without asking or requiring Participating Class Members or Aggrieved Employees to submit any claim as a condition of payment. None of the Gross Settlement Amount will revert to Defendant.