BALA CYNWYD, Pa., Sept. 10, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The following statement was issued today by the law firm of Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP:
Notice is hereby given that a class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on behalf of all purchasers, redeemers and holders of shares of the Strong Growth Fund (NASDAQ: SGROX, SGRKX), Strong Large-Cap Growth Fund (NASDAQ:STRFX), Strong Growth 20 Fund (NASDAQ: SGTWX, SGRTX, SGRAX, F00B67, SGRNX), Strong Advisor Mid-Cap Growth Fund (NASDAQ: F005LQ, F005M1, F005LO, SMDCX), Strong Dividend Income Fund (NASDAQ: SDVIX, F008VY), and other funds managed by Strong Capital Management, Inc. (collectively, the "Strong Funds") between October 26, 2002 and September 3, 2003 (the "Class Period").
The following funds may be subject to the above class action lawsuit:
Strong Advisor Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SVBDX, SADBX, SABCX, SIBNX, F008W1,
SBDIX)
Strong Advisor Municipal Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SAMAX, SMBBX, F00BH8)
Strong Advisor Municipal Select Fund (NASDAQ: SMUIX, STAEX, F005LZ,
F005M9)
Strong Advisor Short Duration Bond A Fund (NASDAQ: STSDX, SSDKX,
SSHCX, STGBX)
Strong Advisor Common Stock Fund (NASDAQ: SCSAX, SCSKX, STSAX, STCSX)
Strong Advisor Endeavor Large Cap Fund (NASDAQ: STALX, F008GO)
Strong Advisor Focus Fund (NASDAQ: F005MO, F005M7, F005LT)
Strong Advisor International Core Fund (NASDAQ: F008GQ, F008GR,
F008GS)
Strong Advisor Large Company Core Fund (NASDAQ: SLGAX, F00AO2,
F00AO3, SLCKX)
Strong Advisor Small Cap Value Fund (NASDAQ: SMVAX, SMVBX, SMVCX,
SSMVX)
Strong Advisor Strategic Income Fund (NASDAQ: SASAX, F005L7, SASCX)
Strong Advisor Technology Fund (NASDAQ: SASCX, F005LM, F005LM)
Strong Advisor U.S. Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund (NASDAQ: F009D0,F009D1)
Strong Advisor U.S. Value (NASDAQ: F005M2, F005M5, F005MA, SEQKX,
SEQIX)
Strong Advisor Utilities and Energy Fund (NASDAQ: SUEAX, F00AED,
F00AEE, F009D5)
Strong All Cap Value Fund (NASDAQ: F009D5)
Strong Asia Pacific Fund (NASDAQ: SASPX)
Strong Balanced Fund (NASDAQ: STAAX)
Strong Blue Chip Fund (NASDAQ: SBCHX)
Strong Discovery Fund (NASDAQ: STDIX)
Strong Dow 30 Value Fund (NASDAQ: SDOWX)
Strong Endeavor Fund (NASDAQ: SENDX)
Strong Energy Fund (NASDAQ: SENGX)
Strong Enterprise Fund (NASDAQ: SENAX, F04ANX, SENTX, SEPKX)
Strong Growth & Income Fund (NASDAQ: SGNAX, SGNIX, SGRIX, SGIKX)
Strong Index 500 Fund (NASDAQ: SINEX)
Strong Large Cap Core Fund (NASDAQ: SLCRX)
Strong Large Cap Growth Fund (NASDAQ: STRFX)
Strong Large Company Growth Fund (NASDAQ: SLGIX, F04ANY)
Strong Mid Cap Disciplined Fund (NASDAQ: SMCDX)
Strong Multi-Cap Value Fund (NASDAQ: SMTVX)
Strong Opportunity Fund (NASDAQ: SOPVX, SOPFX, F00AH2)
Strong Overseas Fund (NASDAQ: F00B4I, SOVRX)
Strong Small Company Value Fund (NASDAQ: F009D3)
Strong Technology 100 Fund (NASDAQ: STEKX)
Strong U.S. Emerging Growth Fund (NASDAQ: SEMRX)
Strong Value Fund (NASDAQ: STVAX)
Strong Life Stages - Aggressive Portfolio Fund (NASDAQ: SAGGX)
Strong Life Stages - Conservative Portfolio Fund (NASDAQ: SCONX)
Strong Life Stages - Moderate Portfolio Fund (NASDAQ: SMDPX)
Strong Corporate Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SCBDX, SCBNX, STCBX)
Strong Corporate Income Fund (NASDAQ: SCORX)
Strong High-Yield Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SHBAX, SHYYX, STHYX)
Strong Government Securities Fund (NASDAQ: SGVDX, F00B66, SGVIX,
STVSX)
Strong High-Yield Municipal Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SHYLX)
Strong Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SIMBX)
Strong Municipal Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SXFIX)
Strong Minnesota Tax-Free Fund (NASDAQ: F00B64, F00B65, F00B63)
Strong Wisconsin Tax-Free Fund (NASDAQ: F0068K)
Strong Short-Term High-Yield Municipal Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SSHMX,
SSTHX, STHBX)
Strong Short-Term Municipal Bond Fund (NASDAQ: F00B62, STSMX)
Strong Short-Term Income Fund (NASDAQ: F00B1K)
Strong Short-Term Bond Fund (NASDAQ: SSTVX, SSHIX, SSTBX)
Strong Ultra Short-Term Income Fund (NASDAQ: SADAX, SADIX, STADX)
Strong Ultra Short-Term Municipal Income Fund (NASDAQ: SMAVX, SMAIX,
SMUAX)
Strong Florida Municipal Money Market Fund (NASDAQ: SLFXX)
Strong Heritage Money Fund (NASDAQ: SHMXX)
Strong Money Market Fund (NASDAQ: SMNXX)
Strong Municipal Money Market Fund (NASDAQ: SXFXX)
Strong Tax-Free Money Fund (NASDAQ: STMXX)
If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Schiffrin & Barroway, LLP (Marc A. Topaz, Esq. or Stuart L. Berman, Esq.) toll free at 1-888-299-7706 or 1-610-667-7706, or via e-mail at info@sbclasslaw.com.
The complaint charges the Strong Capital Management, Inc., the Strong Funds, and certain of its investment advisors with violations of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and common law breach of fiduciary duties in return for substantial fees and other income for themselves and their affiliates. The Complaint alleges that during the Class Period, the Strong Funds and the other defendants engaged in illegal and improper trading practices, in concert with certain institutional traders, which caused financial injury to the shareholders of the Strong Funds. According to the Complaint, the Defendants surreptitiously permitted certain favored investors, including Defendant Canary Capital Partners, LLC and Canary Investment Management, LLC (collectively, "Canary") to illegally receive the prior day's price for orders placed after 4:00 p.m. This allowed Canary and other mutual fund investors who engaged in the same wrongful course of conduct to capitalize on post 4:00 p.m. information, while those who bought their mutual fund shares lawfully could not.
The complaint further alleges that defendants permitted Canary and other favored investors to engage in "timing" of the Strong Funds whereby these favored investors were permitted to conduct short-term, "in and out" trading of mutual fund shares, despite explicit restrictions on such activity in the Strong Funds' prospectuses.
Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of class members and is represented by the law firm of Schiffrin & Barroway, which prosecutes class actions in both state and federal courts throughout the country. Schiffrin & Barroway is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered in excess of a billion dollars on behalf of institutional and high net worth individual investors. For more information about Schiffrin & Barroway, or to sign up to participate in this action online, please visit http://www.sbclasslaw.com/cgi/signup.cgi.