NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Kaplan Fox (kaplanfox.com) has filed a class action against Citigroup Inc. ("Citigroup"), Salomon Smith Barney Inc. ("Salomon") and Jack Grubman, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc. ("Metromedia" or the "Company") (Pink Sheets:MFNXQ) between November 25, 1997 and July 25, 2001, inclusive (the "Class Period").
The complaint alleges that Defendants violated the federal securities laws by issuing analyst reports regarding Metromedia that recommended the purchase of Metromedia common stock and which set price targets for Metromedia common stock, without any reasonable factual basis. The complaint further alleges that, when issuing its Metromedia analyst reports, Defendants failed to disclose significant, material conflicts of interest which it had, in light of Defendants' Metromedia reports, to obtain investment banking business for Salomon. Furthermore, in issuing Metromedia reports, in which it recommended the purchase of Metromedia common stock, Defendants failed to disclose material, non-public, adverse information which they possessed about Metromedia. Throughout the Class Period, Defendants maintained a "BUY" recommendation on Metromedia in order to obtain and support lucrative financial deals for Salomon.
The Class Period begins on November 25, 1997 the date when Salomon "initiated coverage" of and issued their first report on Metromedia. The Class Period ends on July 25, 2001, the date Defendants belatedly downgraded Metromedia from a "Buy" to a "Neutral."
As a result of Defendants' false and misleading analyst reports, Metromedia common stock traded at artificially inflated levels during the class period.
Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of the Class and is represented by Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP. Our firm, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and New Jersey, has many years of experience prosecuting investor class actions and actions involving financial fraud. For more information about Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, you may visit our website at www.kaplanfox.com
If you are a member of the Class, you may move the court no later than December 6, 2002 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the Class. In order to serve as a lead plaintiff, you must meet certain legal requirements.
If you have any questions about this Notice, the action, your rights, or your interests, please e-mail us at mail@kaplanfox.com or contact:
Frederic S. Fox, Esq. Donald R. Hall, Esq. Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP 805 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor New York, NY 10022 (800) 290-1952 (212) 687-1980 Fax: (212) 687-7714 E-mail address: mail@kaplanfox.com Laurence D. King, Esq. Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP 601 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 772-4700 Fax: (415) 772-4707 E-mail address: mail@kaplanfox.com
More information on this and other class actions can be found on the Class Action Newsline at www.primezone.com/ca