TULSA, Okla., Oct. 1, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Pursuant to order of the Court in "In re Williams Securities Litigation," Case No. 02-72-cv-H(M) (WMB Subclass), United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma (consolidating a number of securities class actions originally filed in February, 2002), notice is hereby given that any "Purchaser" (defined below) of certain securities of The Williams Companies, Inc. ("WMB") between July 24, 2000 and July 22, 2002 may apply to be replacement "lead plaintiff" for the WMB Subclass, by filing an appropriate motion for "lead plaintiff" status with the Court Clerk, 333 West Fourth Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103, on or before October 28, 2004. A copy of the Consolidated Amended Complaint (WMB Subclass), filed October 7, 2002, is available from the Court. The Consolidated Amended Complaint (WMB Subclass) alleges causes of action under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Matters pertaining to service as "lead plaintiff" in a federal securities class action case are set forth in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Title 15 United States Code, Section 78u-4.
"Purchaser" is defined as follows:
1. Any purchaser of WMB common stock during the period July 24, 2000 and July 22, 2002.
2. Any purchaser of WMB common stock in or traceable to WMB's offering of common stock on or about January 16, 2001.
3. Any purchaser of WMB common stock issued or traceable to the exchange of WMB common stock for common stock of Barrett Resources Corporation on or about August 2, 2001.
4. Any purchaser of $750 million WMB 7.125% Notes due September 1, 2011 and/or of $750 million WMB 7.875% Notes due September 1, 2021, issued or traceable to the offering of such securities on or about August 16, 2001.
5. Any purchaser of WMB FELINE PACS issued or traceable to the offering of such securities on or about January 7, 2002.