Case 2:17-cv-06684 Document 1 Filed 09/11/17 Page 1 of 26 Page ID #:1 1 Rosemary M. Rivas (State Bar No. 209147) Email:
[email protected] 2 LEVI & KORSINSKY, LLP 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 650 3 San Francisco, California 94104 Telephone: (415) 291-2420 4 Facsimile: (415) 484-1294 5 Counsel for Plaintiff Merry Axelrod 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 MERRY AXELROD, individually and on Case No. 2:17-cv-6684 behalf of all others similarly situated, 11 CLASS ACTION Plaintiff, 12 CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT FOR v. VIOLATION OF SECTIONS 14(d)(4), 13 14(e), AND 20(a) OF THE KITE PHARMA, INC., ARIE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 14 BELLDEGRUN, DAVID BONDERMAN, 1934 FARAH CHAMPSI, IAN CLARK, ROY 15 DOUMANI, FRANZ HUMER, JOSHUA JURY TRIAL DEMANDED A. KAZAM, RAN NUSSBAUM, JON 16 PEACOCK, STEVEN B. RUCHEFSKY, OWEN N. WITTE, GILEAD SCIENCES, 17 INC., and DODGE MERGER SUB, INC., 18 Defendants. 19 20 Plaintiff Merry Axelrod (“Plaintiff”), by her attorneys, alleges upon information 21 and belief, except for her own acts, which are alleged on knowledge, as follows: 22 INTRODUCTION 23 1. Plaintiff brings this action on behalf of herself and the public stockholders 24 of Kite Pharma, Inc. (“Kite” or the “Company”) against Kite and members of its Board 25 of Directors (collectively, the “Board” or the “Individual Defendants,” as further defined 26 below, and together with the Company “Defendants”) for violations of Section 14(d)(4), 27 15 U.S.C. § 78n(d)(4), of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), 28 U.S.