In re Galena Biopharma, Inc.

83 F. Supp. 3d 1033, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14075, 2015 WL 454868
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedFebruary 4, 2015
DocketCase No. 3:14-cv-382-SI
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 83 F. Supp. 3d 1033 (In re Galena Biopharma, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Galena Biopharma, Inc., 83 F. Supp. 3d 1033, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14075, 2015 WL 454868 (D. Or. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER ON MOTION TO STAY

MICHAEL H. SIMON, District Judge.

This shareholder derivative action is brought by shareholders (“Plaintiffs”) of nominal defendant Galena Biopharma, Inc. (“Galena” or “Company”). Plaintiffs allege that certain members of Galena’s Board of Directors (“Board”) and executive officers of Galena (collectively, “Defendants”) breached their fiduciary duties and were unjustly enriched by engaging in a scheme to artificially inflate the price of Galena’s stock. Plaintiffs further allege that many of the Defendants sold their personally-owned Galena stock at artificially inflated prices, in a classic “pump and dump” insider trading scheme.

Before the Court is a motion to stay filed by Defendants Rudolph Nisi, Sanford Hillsberg, Steven Kriegsman, Stephen Gal-liker, Richard Chin, Mark Schwartz, Ryan Dunlap, and William Ashton (collectively, “Director Defendants”), which was joined by Defendant Mark J. Ahn (collectively “Moving Defendants”).1 For the following reasons, the motion to stay is granted in part.

BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

A more detailed factual background, as alleged in the Verified Amended Consolidated Shareholder Derivative Complaint (“Amended Complaint”), is set out in the Court’s opinion on the motions to dismiss. The Court does not repeat those facts here but discusses only the limited background relevant to the motion to stay.

Galena is a biotechnology company based in Portland, Oregon. The Company focuses on the development and commercialization of targeted oncology treatments that address major unmet medical needs to advance cancer care. Galena is ¡pursuing the development of cancer therapeutics, including its main product candidate, NeuVaxTM, for the treatment of breast cancer and other tumors. The Amended Complaint alleges that Defendants engaged in improper conduct to artificially inflate the value of Galena stock and that most of the Defendants then sold much of their personally-owned stock at the inflated prices.

In February 2014 and March 2014, articles appeared in the financial news media discussing the alleged misconduct. On February 17, 2014, Galena’s Board formed a Special Committee of the Board of Directors (“Special Committee”), consisting of Defendants Kriegsman, Galliker, Ash-ton, and Hillsberg, to investigate the allegations of wrongdoing being reported in the press. On March 14, 2014, Irving Einhorn joined Galena’s Board. At approximately the same time that Einhorn joined the Board, the Special Committee [1037]*1037was reconstituted to include only two members: Einhorn and Ashton (neither of whom had sold any shares during the relevant period).

On March 17; 2014, Galena announced that it was under investigation by the Securities Exchange Commissioner (“SEC”), stating in its Form 10-K annual report: “In February 2014, we learned that the SEC is investigating certain matters relating to our company and an outside investor-relations firm that we retained in 2018. We have been in contact with the SEC staff through our counsel and are cooperating with the investigation.” Upon disclosure of the SEC investigation, Galena’s common stock share price dropped to $2.68, representing a 16.5 percent loss in a single day.

On or about February 27, 2014, the first lawsuit was filed against Galena: a shareholder derivative action filed in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Multnomah. On March 5, 2014, a federal securities class action was filed in this District Court, and on March 7, 2014, the first lawsuit in this consolidated shareholder derivative action was filed. Additional securities class action lawsuits were filed in this Court on March 10, 2014 and March 12, 2014. In addition, other derivative lawsuits, ultimately consolidated into this action, were filed on March 31, 2014, and one additional securities class action lawsuit was filed in this Court on April 4, 2014.

The Special Committee consisting of Einhorn and Ashton investigated the allegations contained in the press reports and in the derivative and class action complaints filed in this Court and the Multno-mah County Circuit Court. On May 29, 2014, additional derivative actions were filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The Delaware actions allege substantially similar facts and claims as alleged in the Oregon actions.

On July 15, 2014, the Special Committee completed its report, concluding that Galena and its officers and directors did not violate any law or breach any applicable fiduciary duties and that Galena should not pursue any litigation.2 On July 21, 2014, Galena’s Board disbanded the Special Committee. The Board then appointed a new, “fully empowered” single-member Special Litigation Committee (“SLC”) consisting only of Einhorn. This single-member SLC was authorized by the Board to: (1) investigate and evaluate the allegations and issues raised in the Oregon and Delaware lawsuits; (2) prepare reports, arrive at decisions, and take other actions in connection with these lawsuits as the SLC deems appropriate and in the best interests of Galena and its stockholders, in accordance with Delaware law; and (3) engage accountants and advisors, including independent legal counsel, that the SLC deems necessary or desirable in order to assist it in the discharge of its responsibilities. In August 2014, the SLC retained the law firm of Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor, LLP to act as its counsel. The SLC, with the assistance of its counsel, is investigating the allegations contained in the various lawsuits.

B. Procedural Background

1. Previous motions

On August 6, 2013, Galena’s Board attempted to amend Galena’s Bylaws through unanimous written consent of the [1038]*1038Board, adding a forum selection clause that requires a Delaware forum for certain actions, including shareholder derivative lawsuits. On April 18, 2014, Galena and the individual Defendants filed a motion to dismiss this consolidated derivative action, asserting that the forum selection clause adopted by the Board was valid and enforceable and required dismissal of the action before this Court. After this motion was fully briefed, but before oral argument, the Court asked the parties to address certain questions and provide certain information. Shortly thereafter, Defendants withdrew their motion.

Under Delaware law, a board is prohibited from unilaterally amending a corporation’s bylaws unless the company’s Certificate of Incorporation specifically allows such an amendment. As Plaintiffs later explained, counsel for Plaintiffs raised the fact with then-counsel for Defendants that in Galena’s Certificate of Incorporation there is no authority for the Board unilaterally to amend Galena’s Bylaws; instead, the Certificate requires a shareholder vote with not less than 75 percent voting to approve any proposed amendment to the Bylaws. The motion was then withdrawn.

A few months later, Galena filed a motion to stay this action until after Galena’s SLC, consisting only of Einhorn, finished its investigation and report. The Court denied this motion. Galena moved for reconsideration, which the Court denied.

2. Pending motions

On November 13, 2014, the Director Defendants filed a motion to dismiss and a motion to stay.

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Bluebook (online)
83 F. Supp. 3d 1033, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14075, 2015 WL 454868, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-galena-biopharma-inc-ord-2015.