CHICAGO, Jan. 10, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Plaintiff's attorneys announced today that H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) may have left the public with an improper impression by issuing a press release on Wednesday that stated that Judge Marcella A. Holland had stayed a Maryland class action lawsuit over Block's Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) program -- similar to class action cases filed in other states -- until a Chicago trial court has ruled on the fairness of a pending nationwide settlement in another RAL class action case and all appeals.
Plaintiff's lawyers Michael B. Hyman and Steven E. Angstreich attempted to correct this impression by stating that the Maryland case has only been stayed pending the outcome of the fairness hearing in the nationwide settlement. "Block failed to note that the Maryland judge indicated that if the Chicago trial court did not approve the nationwide settlement, that a status conference would be scheduled to get the Maryland case back on track," Hyman and Angstreich stated.
Michael B. Hyman is a partner at the law firm of Much Shelist and a trial and appellate lawyer with more than twenty years' experience in complex and class action litigation. He has led numerous cases in which plaintiffs were awarded billions of dollars. In addition to his leadership role in several of the H&R Block cases, Hyman has served as co-counsel in landmark settlements and verdicts against Prudential Insurance, American Airlines and State Farm Insurance Company.
Steven E. Angstreich is a partner at Levy, Angstreich, Finney, Baldante, Rubenstein & Coren P.C. Philadelphia Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill New Jersey. The Levy firm specializes in complex litigation, including sophisticated consumer and commercial litigation matters. Mr. Angstreich has over thirty (30) years experience in business and sophisticated commercial litigation matters. Within the past several years he has successfully litigated or concluded class action litigation in the securities, commercial fraud and mass tort areas.