Kirby McInerney & Squire, LLP and Levy Angstreich Announce that the United States Supreme Court Has Denied Defendants' Petition to Review the Certification of Racketeering Class Action Claims against H&R Block and Household International, Inc.

NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The law firms of Kirby McInerney & Squire, LLP and Levy Angstreich Finney Baldante, Rubenstein & Coren, P.C. announce that the United States Supreme Court today denied defendants' petition to review the certification of a nationwide class asserting federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") claims against H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) and Household International, Inc. (successor to Beneficial Corporation), now a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings PLC (NYSE:HBC). The plaintiff class alleges that defendants, among other things, deceived customers seeking tax refunds into obtaining high interest loans.

The nationwide plaintiff class is represented by Kirby McInerney & Squire, LLP, and Levy Angstreich, et al. The firms specialize in complex litigation, including consumer and securities class actions. The firms' efforts on behalf of consumers and shareholders have resulted in recoveries totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, and their achievements and quality of service have been chronicled in published decisions.