NEW YORK, April 21, 2008 (Lawfuel) — Pomerantz Haudek Block
Grossman & Gross LLP (www.pomerantzlaw.com) (“Pomerantz”) has Commenced
an antitrust class action against various investment banks including,
Bank of America, N.A., JP Morgan Chase & Co., Piper Jaffray & Co., UBS
AG, and Wachovia Bank N.A., concerning municipal derivatives. A
municipal derivative is one of a variety of tax exempt vehicles that
government entities use to invest the proceeds of bond offerings in
their possession. Municipal derivatives are generally grouped into two
categories pertaining to either (i) the investment of bond proceeds or
(ii) the bond’s underlying interest rate obligation.

The class action complaint alleges that the Defendants rigged bids in
order to force class members to receive lower interest rates on
contracts than they would have in a competitive market. Any state,
local or municipal government entity, independent government agency or
private entity that purchased by competitive bidding or auction
municipal derivatives directly from a Defendant, or through a broker,
at any time from January 1, 1992 through the present in the United
States and its territories, is a class member and may have a claim for
damages.

If you wish to review a copy of the complaint, to discuss this action,
or have any questions, please contact Michael M. Buchman
(mbuchman@pomlaw.com) of the Pomerantz Firm at 888.476.6529 (or
888.4POMLAW).

The Pomerantz Firm, which has offices in New York, Chicago, Washington,
D.C., Columbus, Ohio and the San Francisco Bay area, is acknowledged as
one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and
antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz,
known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered
the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 70 years later,
the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting
for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of
fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered
numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members.

Washington, D.C. – April 21, 2008 (Lawfuel) – Pepper Hamilton LLP announced that Frank C. Razzano, a trial lawyer with 36 years of experience representing clients in Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement, securities litigation, broker-dealer regulation and white-collar criminal defense matters, has joined the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group as a partner in the Washington office.

“Frank is a ‘go to’ SEC enforcement and criminal defense lawyer who has handled a number of high-profile cases for clients ranging from a billion-dollar hedge fund to a major league sports team and prominent corporate executives,” said George A. Lehner, co-chair of Pepper Hamilton’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department.

He continued, “Frank also is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and trial attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission, making him a natural fit for our commercial litigation and white collar and corporate investigations practices. He is a welcome addition to our Washington office.”

Mr. Razzano represents individual and corporate clients in civil, commercial and criminal litigation. Recent matters he has handled include obtaining an acquittal in a criminal insider trading case; a judgment after trial dismissing an SEC cease-and-desist proceeding against the managing director of a major bank involving late trading and market timing; and a dismissal of a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplinary proceeding against the CEO of a major broker-dealer. He also has represented executives of Fortune 500 companies in grand jury investigations and SEC investigations.

Mr. Razzano has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, where he handled political corruption and mail and wire fraud cases, and as Assistant Chief Trial Attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he tried “cooked books” and “pump and dump” cases.

He joined Pepper Hamilton from Dickstein Shapiro LLP in Washington, where he had been a partner since 1996. He started his legal career at Shea & Gould, of which he eventually became managing partner of the Washington office.

“I look forward to helping grow Pepper’s SEC enforcement and white collar practices, which already have a terrific foundation,” said Mr. Razzano. “The firm provides me with the perfect platform to cross-sell services, and I expect our collective clients will benefit from this move.”

In addition to practicing law, Mr. Razzano serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a frequent commentator for national news outlets on SEC enforcement and white-collar crime issues, and he has written numerous articles on those topics for trade, legal and other publications.

A leader in a number of organizations, Mr. Razzano has served as chairman of the Litigation Section of the District of Columbia Bar, chairman of the Criminal Laws Committee of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section, and president of the Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni, of which he is currently a director.

Mr. Razzano received his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University (B.A. 1969) and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center (J.D. 1972).

About Pepper Hamilton

Pepper Hamilton LLP (www.pepperlaw.com) is a multi-practice law firm with more than 500 lawyers in seven states and the District of Columbia. The firm provides corporate, litigation and regulatory legal services to leading businesses, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout the nation and the world. The firm was founded in 1890.

The firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group, with more than 100 lawyers, represents clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country.