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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution - 121564B - Settlement Offer By General Electric Company - 12_15_1964 FOS:jlm { RESOLUTION r^ WHEREAS. the City of Lubbock has heretofore asserted claims against General Electric Company more particularly set forth in the complaints in Civil Actions Nos. 2777 and 2784 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division„ and WHEREAS,, General Electric Company has denied any liability to the City o Lubbock in respect of the claims, and WHEREAS., General Electric Company and the City of Lubbock recognize that continued litigation of the claims to judgment would be long, costly, and of un- certain outcome,} and WHEREAS,, General Electric Company has offered to settle the claims of the City of Lubbock, as made under the above described complaints, without any express admission of liability in the sum of SIX THOUSAND AND NO1100 {$6,000. } DOLLARS, and WHEREAS, the City Council is of the opinion that said sum is adequate in settlement of said claims against General Electric Company. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LUBBOCK.* THAT for and in consideration of the premises herein stated the offer of payment of $6,000. 00 made by General Electric Company to settle the claims of the City of Lubbock set out in above described complaints, to which reference is here made and made a part hereof by such reference as though copied herein, be and is hereby accepted on behalf of the City of Lubbock, and the Mayor be and is hereby authorized to execute any and all instruments necessary to effect settlemen on behalf of the City of Lubbock. Passed by the City Council this 15th day of December , 1964. Ak-TDJMIOREJ, Mayor ATT ol L enia Lowe, My Secretary-Treasurer APPROVED; Fred O. Senter, Jr., Ci Attorney I • J AGREEMENT between CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as.of the day of 1964 by and between CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS (hereinafter referred to as "Customer") and GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY (hereinafter referred to as "GE"). WITNESSETH: A. Whereas, there are pending certain civil actions brought by Customer against'GE and other corporations which seek recoveries under the Clayton Act on account of purchases by Customer of certain products, said actions and the products to which they relate being listed below 2777 ' Power transformers 2784 Power switchgear assemblies; circuit breakers; power switching equipment; industrial control equipment; turbine-generator units B. Whereas, the following products were the subject of certain indictments returned against GE and others during the year 1960 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Customer may have claims against GE and others by reason of purchases of some or all of such products: (1) Large outdoor oil and air circuit breakers (2) Power switchgear assemblies (3) Power transformers (4) Turbine-generator units (5) Insulators (6) Distribution transformers (7) Low voltage distribution equipment (8) Low voltage power circuit breakers (9) Watthour and demand meters (10) Industrial control equipment (11) Instrument transformers (12) Network transformers (13) Power capacitors (14) Power switching equipment (15) Lightning arresters and lightning arrester accessories (16) Isolated phase bus and isolated phase bus structures j (17) Bushing's and bushing accessories (18) Navy and marine switchgear (19) Open fuse cutouts and open fuse cutout accessories -2- a NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises "and the mutual undertakings and promises of the parties as hereinafter set forth, it is agreed as follows: 1. The following definitions of terms shall be applicable to this Agreement: (a) "General Electric Company" or IIGEII shall mean the General Electric Company and all of its subsidiaries, affiliated companies and agents. (b) "Customer"shall mean the City of Lubbock, Texas. (c) "Product" shall mean any product mentioned in the preambles of"this Agreement. (d) "Product of GE origin" shall mean a product manufactured by the General Electric Company or sold under the General Electric trademark. (e) "Purchase" when used as a noun shall mean a contract to purchase and when used as a verb shall mean entry into a contract to purchase, in either case without regard to whether delivery of the product has been accomplished. 2. GE shall, within ten (10) days after final execution of this Agreement, pay Customer the sum of $ 6 000 in settlement of the civil actions set forth in Paragraph A.and in settlement of any other claim Customer might -3- ' r 1 • assert against GE under the Clayton Act or any other provision of a state or federal antitrust law in connection with any purchases made or contracted for by Customer at any time not later than December. 31, 1960 of any of the products mentioned in the preambles of this Agreement. 3. Upon,receipt of the amounts payable by GE hereunder, Customer will execute a covenant not to sue in the form annexed hereto as Exhibit I. and hereby made a part hereof and, within thirty (30) days after such execution, Customer will move the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Texas for an order. (1) dismissing, without prejudice, as against GE, each civil action described in Preamble A. without court costs to either party, and (2) dismissing as against all other defendants in such actions so much of each action as asserts claims for damages based upon purchases by Customer of products of GE origin. 4. It is understood and agreed that neither this Agreement nor the covenant not to sue to be executed in connection herewith shall constitute or be construed as a release or discharge from liability of GE or any other person, firm, or .corporation as to any claim or cause of action and Customer hereby reserves all rights against GE and any and all co-defendants and alleged co-conspirators of GE except as set forth in said covenant. S. It is expressly understood and agreed (a) that GE does not concede, and it expressly denies, any liability of GE to Customer, -4_ (b) that any amount to be paid hereunder does not constitute any measure of liability of GE and/or of any other defendant in the civil actions heretofore described, (c) that the amount to be paid hereunder is less than the amount by which Customer has computed it was overcharged by GE for orders placed during the periods identified in the complaints in the civil actions listed in Preamble A. and (d) that this Agreement is made as a voluntary adjustment in order to dispose of a matter of possible contention between the parties. 6. This Agreement cannot be changed or terminated orally and merges all prior understandings, representations and undertakings between the parties hereto. 7. This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed by, and construed according to, the law of the State of New- York, S. Attached hereto and made a part hereof is a certified copy of a board resolution or other certificate verifying that the governing body of. Customer has authorized the settlement of these claims by.the officer signing this Agreement and Covenant on behalf of .Customer. .5_ IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the day and year first above written. CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS BY 12�? _lL MAX TIDMORE Title Mayor Attest: A nornay rh►of Lubbodoe ) AcretorpTreasww GENERAL EL T C MPANY By • -q Hoyt Steele Title Vice President Atte st: (Corporate Seal) Attesting Secretary -6. EXHIBIT I. COVENANT WITNESSETH, that for and in consideration of the payment by the GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY of the sum of one dollar and other valuable considerations to: CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS (hereinafter referred to as Customer), the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, Customer hereby covenants and agrees that it will forever refrain from instituting, prosecuting, maintaining, pressing, collecting or proceeding against the General Electric Company, or any of its subsidiary companies or affiliated companies or agents, upon any claims, controversies, actions, 'causes of action, obligations and liabilities of any nature whatsoever whether or not now or hereafter known, suspected or claimed which Customer, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies or agents ever had, now has, or hereafter can, shall or may have or alleged against the General Electric Company or its subsidiary companies or affiliated companies or agents based upon allegations of fraud, collusion, conspiracy or false claims which might be asserted under the Clayton Act or otherwise, with respect to or in con- nection with any purchases made or contracted for by Customer at any time not later than December 31, 1960, of any of the following products: Large oil and air circuit breakers Power switchgear assemblies Power transformers Turbine-generator units Insulators Distribution transformers Low voltage distribution equipment Low voltage power circuit breakers Watthour and demand meters ' Industrial control equipment Instrument transformers Network transformers and network protectors Power capacitors Power switching equipment Lightning arresters and lightning arrester accessories Isolated phase bus and isolated phase bus structures Bushings and bushing accessories Navy and marine switchgear Open fuse cutouts and open fuse cutout accessories i ' And Customer hereby further covenants an'c agrees that it will for- ever refrain from instituting, permitting, maintaining, pressing, collecting or proceeding against any other person, firm or corporation upon any claims, controversies, actions, causes of action, obligations and liabilities of any nature whatsoever, whether or not now or hereafter known, suspected or claimed, 'which Customer, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies, ever had, now has or hereafter can, shall or may have or alleged based upon allegations of fraud, collusion, conspiracy or false claims which might be asserted under the Clayton Act, or otherwise, with respect to or in con- nection with any purchases made or contracted for by it at any time not later than December 31, 1960 of any of the aforesaid products which were manu- factured by the General Electric Company, or its subsidiaries, or affiliated' companies, or agents, or sold by the General Electric Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies or agents under the General Electric trademark. It is expressly understood that this instrument shall not be construed as a release of the General Electric Company or anyone else as to any claim or cause of action; that the sum paid by the General Electric Company, as hereinabove stated, does not represent and shall not be construed as compensa- tion for the damages claimed to have been suffered by Customer with respect to purchases or contracts for the purchase of the products and for the period hereinabove enumerated and-that Customer does not in any manner or respect waive or relinquish its right to proceed against any person, firm or corporation, other than the General Electric Company and all of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies or agents, in respect to claims arising out of purchases of the aforesaid products, except to the extent expressly set forth herein. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS has caused this Covenant to be executed this day of 1964. CITY OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS KEII nn Title Mayor j Attest: �1Forsn,f�Pvovod E Corporate-Se ) ff0y of LuWxxr4scrotary-Trsosorw - Z -