Kardonick v. JP Morgan Chase & Co. et al

Filing 18

Plaintiff's MOTION Memorandum of Law In Support of Joint Motion For Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement re 17 Joint MOTION Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement re 16 Stipulation,, 16 Stipulation, by David Kardonick. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1, # 2 Exhibit 2)(Gilbert, Robert)

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Kardonick v. JP Morgan Chase & Co. et al Doc. 18 Att. 2 Carney Williams Bates Bozeman & Pulliam, PLLC www.CarneyWilliams.com Dockets.Justia.com Table of Contents The Firm's Practice and Achievem ents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Professional Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Partners Curtis L. Bowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Allen Carney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darrin L. Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hank Bates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marcus N. Bozeman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randall K. Pulliam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associates James L. Kauffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Tiffany Wyatt Oldham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 T. Brent Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Litigation Consultants Eugene J. Brandao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Leadership Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 - 19 3 4 5 6 7 8 -i- The Firm's Practice and Achievements Carney Williams Bates Bozeman & Pulliam, PLLC ("Carney Williams") is a national law firm that represents investors and consumers in class action and corporate governance litigation. It is one of the country's premiere firms in the area of securities fraud, with in-house finance and forensic accounting specialists and extensive trial experience. The attorneys at Carney Williams are uniquely qualified to prosecute complex accounting and financial fraud cases. Several of the firm's attorneys are CPAs, including one with Big Four auditing experience. The firm's reputation for excellence in accounting fraud and other complex class actions has been recognized on repeated occasions by federal and state court judges who have appointed the firm to serve as lead or co-lead counsel in numerous cases pending throughout the country. In addition to its strong personnel, Carney Williams is well-capitalized, allowing it to dedicate considerable resources and to advance expenses on a contingency fee basis to the fullest extent necessary to achieve the best possible result for class members. As a result of its successful track record and strong capitalization, the firm enjoys a high level of respect and credibility with the defense bar and insurance carriers that often defend and insure corporations and their officers and directors. As a firm, Carney Williams values practicing in a small environment where professional and personal interaction among the partners, associates, paralegals, accounting staff and other personnel allow for a true "team approach" to litigation strategy that fosters an energetic exchange of ideas. The firm believes its size allows for a greater degree of independence, flexibility and satisfaction than a large firm environment, without sacrificing the quality of representation necessary to achieve successful results for its clients. The Firm's Partners CURTIS L. BOWMAN is a partner of the firm. Mr. Bowman earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Arkansas in May 1981, where he was recognized as the Outstanding Accounting Student in his class. Mr. Bowman is a Certified Public Accountant having worked for several years with Price Waterhouse. Mr. Bowman earned his juris doctorate with Highest Honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, School of Law, where he was an Editor of the Law Review and received multiple American Jurisprudence Book Awards for earning the highest grade in the school in several courses. Mr. Bowman began his legal career in 1986, with the Department of Justice Honors Program, a program created by Attorney General Robert Kennedy. Mr. Bowman worked for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, in W ashington, D.C. until October 1990. During his tenure with the DOJ, Mr. Bowman tried dozens of cases involving diverse and complex issues including tax fraud, amortization of core deposit intangibles, "Bivens" actions and judicial review ability of governmental action. While at the Justice Department, Mr. Bowman litigated a matter making it clear that certain action or inaction on the part of the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner is not subject to judicial review. See Horton Homes, Inc. v. United States of America, 727 F. Supp. 1450 (1990), affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and subsequently overturned prospectively by Congress. During his tenure at the Justice Department, Mr. Bowman was recognized as the "Outstanding Attorney" of the Tax Division (nationwide). -1- In 1990, Mr. Bowman returned to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he began his private practice of law with the firm of Jack, Lyon & Jones, P.A. In 1993, Mr. Bowman became a partner of Jack, Lyon & Jones and was head of the firm's complex commercial and white collar defense litigation sections. Mr. Bowman has been involved in a number of high profile cases, including the criminal defense of a complex "Whitewater" matter wherein the former governor of Arkansas and his attorney were indicted by the Whitewater prosecutor, Kenneth Starr. In that case, United States of America v. John H. Haley, 898 F. Supp. 654 (1995), Haley and Tucker successfully argued to the District Court that Kenneth Starr had exceeded his jurisdiction in prosecuting citizens of the State of Arkansas as opposed to officers of the Executive Branch with whom Attorney General Reno had a conflict of interest. That case was subsequently reversed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Bowman's litigation experience is broad and includes both the prosecution and defense of cases on behalf of individuals and classes involving death penalty matters; common law civil fraud; securities fraud; RTC savings and loan litigation; general commercial litigation; white collar crime; and tax matters. Mr. Bowman's class action experience includes the successful defense of a string of related class actions brought against Rapid Acceptance Corporation alleging that Rapid had charged consumers an amount of interest in excess of the amount allowed by law. Mr. Bowman is also actively involved in many of the firm's securities class actions, particularly those involving accounting fraud, and is taking the lead role for the firm in such cases as Rosa E. Garza v. J.D. Edwards & Co., U.S.D.C. District of Colorado, No. 99-1744, ( $15 million settlement); Betty M. Lynch v. JDN Realty Corp., et al., U.S.D.C. Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, No. 1:00-CV-2539 ( settled for more than $40 million in cash and stock with 11% of the total settlement allocated to Mr. Bowman's clients); In re Phycor Shareholder Litigation, U.S.D.C., Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, No. 3-99-0807 ($11.2 million cash settlement); and In re Vision America Securities Litigation, U.S.D.C., Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, No. 3-00-0279 ($5.9 million settlement). Mr. Bowman is currently working on one of the most significant securities cases to be brought in recent history, In re Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, 21 MC 92 (SAS) (S.D.N.Y.), which alleges that more than 50 investment banking firms, and over 300 companies and certain officers and directors manipulated the high tech initial public offering markets. J. ALLEN CARNEY is a partner of the firm. Mr. Carney is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, earning a degree in Finance. Subsequently, Mr. Carney graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Carney was a partner with Jack, Lyon & Jones, P.A. in the Little Rock, Arkansas office, where he practiced extensively in the areas of complex commercial litigation, labor and employment litigation, and business transactions. While at Jack, Lyon & Jones, Mr. Carney had the privilege of representing some of the State's and the nation's largest employers, including Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, American Standard, Inc., and Babcock & Wilcox. Mr. Carney has been involved in a number of high-profile cases, including the successful defense of Capital Cities/ABC News in an action brought by Tyson Foods regarding the secret videotaping of chicken -2- processing plants; representing a joint venture comprised of two Fortune 100 companies, during an energy shortage, involving the lease and alleged damage of several large electrical generators; and the successful defense before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals of an issue of first impression under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Mr. Carney is a frequent lecturer to human resources professionals and attorneys regarding litigation and employment matters. For approximately six years, he was a frequent contributor to Arkansas Employment Law Newsletter, a monthly publication with more than seven hundred (700) subscribers. Additionally, Mr. Carney co-authored and edited a twenty-seven chapter Employment Law Desk Book for Arkansas Employers (1997). The book highlights federal and state labor and employment laws, rules and regulations. Mr. Carney is actively involved in the firm's securities practice, having held leadership positions in numerous cases: In re Lernout & Hauspie Securities Litigation, No. 00-11589-PBS (D. Mass.) ($115 million settlement); In re NewPower Securities Litigation, No. 2-CV-1550 (S.D.N.Y.) ($41 million settlement); In re DQE, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 01-1851 (W.D. Pa.); In re Ashanti Goldfields Securities Litigation, No. CV-00-9717 (DGT) (RML) (E.D.N.Y.); In re Central Parking Corporation Securities Litigation, No. 03-CV-0546 M.D. Tenn.); In re Keyspan Securities Litigation, No. CV-01-5852 (ARR) (MDG) (E.D.N.Y.); Paul Ruble, et. al. v. Rural Metro Corp., et. al., No. CV-99-822-PHX-RGS (D. Ariz.). Mr. Carney is licensed to practice law in Arkansas state courts, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third and Eighth Circuits. Mr. Carney has argued before the Arkansas Supreme Court. Additionally, Mr. Carney has appeared in numerous federal and state courts across the nation via admission pro hac vice. DARRIN L. WILLIAMS is a partner of the firm. Mr. Williams received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Mr. Williams earned his juris doctorate degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law. While at Vanderbilt, Mr. Williams served as the Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board, received the American Jurisprudence Book Award for earning the highest grade in Torts, and was an Earl Warren Scholar, NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Mr. Williams also earned his Master of Law in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center. While working on his Master of Law, he worked in the General Counsel's Office of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Williams, a principal institutional investor contact for the firm, devotes a substantial portion of his practice to representing institutional investors seeking financial recovery for losses suffered as a result of securities fraud. Mr. Williams heads up the Institutional Monitoring Department for the firm, handling all asset monitoring and case start-ups, including Lead Plaintiff motions. Most recently Mr. Williams has obtained Leadership positions in In re Bisys Group Inc. Securities Litigation, 04-CV3840 (LTS) (S.D.N.Y.); In re Cardinal Health Securities Litigation, No. C2-04-575 (E.D. Ohio). Mr. Williams is a member of several institutional investor organizations, including: the Council of Institutional Investors, the National Association of Public Pension Fund Attorneys, the National Conference of Public Employee Retirement Systems and the National Association of Securities Professionals. Immediately prior to joining the firm, Mr. Williams was the Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Arkansas, where he directed all of the legal work of the office, including the representation of the state's constitutional offices, agencies, boards and commissions. During his time in the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General, Mr. Williams' legal skill and leadership resulted in the office recovering millions of dollars on behalf of Arkansas consumers. Because of Mr. Williams' work to protect senior consumers from fraud, -3- he was invited to testify before the United States House of Representatives Committee on W ays and Means. Mr. W illiams has also served as an aide to a United States Senator and the United States Senate Sergeant at Arms, as well as general counsel to a business consulting corporation. Mr. W illiams' professional associations include membership in the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association and the Arkansas Bar Association, where he is a member of the Jurisprudence and Law Reform and the Legal Services Committees. Mr. Williams was named Outstanding Government Lawyer by the W. Harold Flowers Law Society, Distinguished Alumnus at Hendrix College, and to Arkansas Business' "Forty under Forty." Mr. Williams is licensed to practice in the State of Arkansas, the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, as well as the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Williams is also active in community, civic and political matters. Presently, M r. W illiams serves as a commissioner on the Little Rock Planning Commission, Chairman of the First Tee of Arkansas - Jack Stephens Youth Golf Academy, on the Board of Governors for Hendrix College, as a board member for the Little Rock Central High 50 th Anniversary Commission, and as a member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders. HANK BATES is a partner of the firm. Mr. Bates received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Literature from Harvard University in 1987 where he was a National Merit Scholar and graduated with honors. After college, Mr. Bates was awarded a Rotary International Fellowship to the University of Manchester, Manchester, Great Britain. Mr. Bates received his juris doctorate from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1992, where he was awarded the Andrew Ewing Scholarship, graduated Order of the Coif, served as Articles Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and on the Moot Court Board, received American Jurisprudence Awards or "top paper" in five classes, authored Note, "Out of Focus: The Misapplication of Equitable Remedies in the Nontraditional Arena of School Desegregation," 44 Vanderbilt Law Review 1315, 1991; and served as Symposium Editor and authored the Introduction for the 1992 Symposium Issue of the Review, "A Reevaluation of the Canons of Statutory Interpretation," 45 Vanderbilt Law Review No. 3, 1992. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Bates served as a law clerk for the Honorable Danny J. Boggs, Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1992 and 1993. Following his clerkship, Mr. Bates moved to California where he focused his practice on public interest environmental law and worked as an Associate Attorney with EarthJustice Legal Defense Fund. Mr. Bates was involved in highprofile and significant litigation involving, among other issues, preservation of western streams that provide habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead trout, remediation of contamination at decommissioned military bases, preservation of old-growth forest habitat for the Spotted Owl and other endangered species, protection of California coastal lands from over-development and oil exploration, and the establishment of emissions trading programs for industries in southern California. In 1998, Mr. Bates returned home to Little Rock, Arkansas where his practice has included a broad spectrum of environmental litigation, including industrial pollution, groundwater pollution from underground storage tanks and other facilities, air pollution, toxic exposures, oil and gas exploration and production waste, crop damage and personal injury from pesticides, as well as claims against federal and local governmental agencies that have not fulfilled statutory mandates to protect the environment. Mr. Bates has represented numerous individuals and entire communities (numbering hundreds of households) in complex and high-profile -4- litigation involving air pollution, groundwater pollution and toxic exposures resulting in multi-million dollar recoveries and agreements and court orders requiring remediation of contamination and compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations in the future. Mr. Bates is a frequent lecturer on subjects related to environmental law and toxic torts. In addition, Mr. Bates is involved in the firm's consumer protection class action litigation. Mr. Bates is an active member of the bar, serving as Vice-Chairman of the American Bar Association's Committee on Pesticides, Chemical Regulation, and Right-to-Know; on the Governing Board of the Environmental Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association; and as Arkansas State Coordinator for Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. In addition, he is a member of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the California Bar Association. Mr. Bates is licensed to practice in the State of Arkansas, the State of California, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eight and Ninth Circuits, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and W estern Districts of Arkansas, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of California. MARCUS N. BOZEMAN is a partner of the firm. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Arkansas, Mr. Bozeman attended law school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) School of Law. Mr. Bozeman graduated first in his law school class and was also selected as Editor-in-Chief for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Journal. The recipient of American Jurisprudence Awards or "top paper" designations in eight of his law school classes, Mr. Bozeman additionally authored the Note, "Miranda Comes Out from under a Stone," 16 U. Ark. Little Rock L.J. 259 (1994). Following law school, Mr. Bozeman served for two years as a law clerk for the Honorable Floyd R. Gibson, Circuit Judge from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Mr. Bozeman subsequently entered private practice at the Kansas City, Missouri defense firm of Rouse Hendricks German May. Mr. Bozeman then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he practiced at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, and Berkowitz before joining Carney W illiams. In addition to participating in multiple jury trials, Mr. Bozeman has extensive experience in litigating complex commercial and class action cases. Mr. Bozeman is currently representing individual and institutional investors seeking recovery for losses suffered as a result of securities fraud. Mr. Bozeman has held a leadership position in the following securities fraud class settlements: Valuepoint Partners, Inc. v. ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc., No. 03-989 (C.D. Ca.); In re National Golf Properties, Inc. Securities Litigation, 92-1383-GHK (RZx) (W .D. Ca.) ($4.175 million settlement); In re Interpublic Securities Litigation, 02-CV-6527 (DLC) (S.D.N.Y.) ($115 million total settlement package of cash and stock); In re Fleming Companies, Inc. Securities and Derivative Litigation, 5-030MD-1530 (TJW) (E.D. Tex.); In re Loral Space & Communications Ltd. Securities Litigation, No. 01CV-1388 (JGK) (S.D.N.Y.). Mr. Bozeman is licensed to practice in the state courts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. He is also admitted to appear before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, the District of Kansas, the Western District of Missouri, and the Western District of Tennessee, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Sixth, Eighth, Tenth, and Federal Circuits. Included among Mr. Bozeman's reported cases are: S.W.3d 805 (Ark. Ct. App. 2001); W. Tenn. Chapter of -5- Associated Builders & Contractors v. City of Memphis, 138 F. Supp. 2d 1015 (W.D. Tenn., 2000); KCJ Corp. v. Kinetic Concepts, Inc., 39 F. Supp. 2d 1286 (D. An., 1999); KCJ Corp. v. Kinetic Concepts, Inc., 30 F. Supp. 2d 1319 (D. An., 1998); KCJ Corp. v. Kinetic Concepts, Inc., 18F. Supp. 2d 1212 (D. An. 1998); New Hampshire Ins. Co. v. Westlock Hardware, Inc., 11 F. Supp. 2d 1298 (D. An. 1998). RANDALL K. PULLIAM is a Partner of the firm. Mr. Pulliam graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, where he was nominated for Outstanding Management Student in the university's School of Business. Mr. Pulliam later earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Arkansas, with an emphasis in Finance. Mr. Pulliam earned his juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) School of Law where he received multiple American Jurisprudence Awards. Mr. Pulliam has substantial experience in many areas of the securities industry, holding his Series 7 General Securities Representative license. Mr. Pulliam worked for Stephens, Inc. as an Equity Trader for four years, where he executed in excess of $2 billion in securities transactions each year and participated in the firm's underwriting and Initial Public Offering allocation decisions. Prior to working at Stephens, Mr. Pulliam worked as an investment banker for Crews and Associates, Inc., where he was responsible for buying municipal bonds for both individual and institutional investors. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Pulliam had a successful law practice in a variety of legal areas, including commercial litigation, where he gained extensive courtroom experience, successfully trying several jury trials. Mr. Pulliam's practice focuses primarily upon representing investors seeking financial recovery for losses suffered as a result of securities fraud, including derivative lawsuits filed against corporate boards, seeking to impose corporate governance reforms aimed at protecting shareholders and eliminating corporate waste and abuse. Mr. Pulliam has been appointed lead or co-lead counsel in dozens of cases throughout the country. Additionally, Mr. Pulliam is one of the firm's principal individual investor client contacts and serves as a liaison to the firm's institutional clients. The Firm's Associates JAMES L. KAUFFMAN is an associate of the firm. Mr. Kauffman earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida, receiving a dual degree in Financial Management and Insurance. Subsequently, Mr. Kauffman graduated with Honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. During his law school career, Mr. Kauffman practiced as a certified legal intern within the Virgil C. Hawkins Civil Clinic, assisting indigent clients file pro se lawsuits. Additionally, Mr. Kauffman was distinguished as the top student in Trial Practice. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Kauffman worked as a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. -6- While at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Kauffman underwent comprehensive Series 7 training, which included option strategies, margin accounts, and underwriting of initial public offerings. Mr. Kauffman left Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in Fall of 1999 to pursue his law degree. Mr. Kauffman is licensed to practice in the State of Arkansas and the Eastern and Western Districts of the United States District Court in Arkansas and in Florida. He is a member of the American and Arkansas Bar Associations. Mr. Kauffman's areas of expertise include securities law, corporate law, mediation, and arbitration. His practice with the firm focuses primarily upon representing investors seeking financial recovery for losses suffered as a result of securities fraud. Mr. Kauffman is one of the firm's principal attorneys working on what has been called one of the nation's largest and most significant securities fraud cases. In re Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, 21MC 92(SAS)(S.D.N.Y.). TIFFANY WYATT OLDHAM is an associate of the firm. Ms. Oldham graduated cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School of Law in 2001. She served as a member of the Board of Advocates and the W.B. Putman Inns of Court. In addition, Ms. Oldham served as President of Phi Delta Phi honors fraternity. During her law school career, Ms. Oldham participated in various trial competitions and moot court, where she was selected as a semi-finalist in the spring rounds. Ms. Oldham has a Bachelors of Arts in English from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Oldham worked for the Japanese municipal government in Urasoe City, Okinawa, Japan. While abroad, Ms. Oldham's primary focus was on international relations. In addition, Ms. Oldham worked as an intern for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western Division of Arkansas, where she assisted in researching bankruptcy issues and administrating bankruptcy proceedings. Ms. Oldham is licensed to practice in the Arkansas state courts and the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She is currently a member of the American, Arkansas and Pulaski County Bar Associations. Ms. Oldham has experience in a multitude of legal fields including securities law, corporate law, business litigation, real estate transactions, and insurance regulation. Ms. Oldham has had significant involvement: In re Fleming Companies, Inc. Securities and Derivative Litigation, 5-030MD-1530 (TJW) (E.D. Tex.); In re Keyspan Securities Litigation, No. CV-01-5852 (ARR) (MDG) (E.D.N.Y.); Freidman v. Rayovac Corporation, No. 02-CV-0308 (W.D. WI); In re IXL Enterprises, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 1:00-CV2347-CC (N.D. Ga.); Asher v. Baxter International, Inc., et. al., No. 02-CV-5608 (N.D. Il). T. BRENT WALKER is an associate of the firm. -7- Mr. Walker earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the University of Mississippi. He earned his Master's degree in business from Mississippi State University and completed his juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. While in law school, Mr. Walker earned the Top Paper in several courses. Mr. Walker is a CPA with substantial experience in public accounting and business management. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Walker obtained over seven years of public accounting experience in taxation, audit and management advisory services. In addition, Mr. Walker worked for a division of Prudential Financial primarily acquiring and managing real estate investment properties for institutional clients. Mr. Walker is licensed to practice law in the state of Arkansas. He is also a member of the American and Arkansas Bar Associations as well as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. His practice with the firm focuses primarily upon representing investors seeking financial recovery for losses suffered as a result of securities fraud. Mr. Walker has had significant involvement in: In re Lernout & Hauspie Securities Litigation, No. 00-11589-PBS (D. Mass.) ($115 million settlement); In re Vision America, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 3-00-279 (M.D. Tenn.); State of Wisconsin Investment Board, et.al. V. Ruttenberg, et.al., No. CV 99-B4-3129-S (N.D. Ala.); In re DQE, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 01-1851 (W.D. PA.). Litigation Consultant EUGENE J. BRANDAO is a forensic accountant of the firm. Mr. Brandao has performed accounting, auditing and forensic analysis since 1988. His experience includes a Big Five accounting firm background providing auditing and tax services. Mr. Brandao served as controller for a Houston law firm, and has performed forensic accounting analysis for law firms nationwide. Mr. Brandao has been a Certified Public Accountant since May 1989, licensed in the state of Texas. He is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. His responsibilities have included audit engagements for brokers and dealers in securities, banks, bank holding companies, savings and loan organizations, energy companies and not-for-profit organizations. Prior to joining Carney Williams, Mr. Brandao provided litigation consulting services with Moore, Tyler & Company from March 1992 through March 2002. Among Mr. Brandao's assignments were engagements involving breach of contract and dispute settlement, auditing malpractice, and assessment of officer and director fraud and mismanagement. He has provided consultation and analysis on securities fraud as well as lost profits and business valuation engagements in multiple industries, and has also performed services for various businesses to calculate damages sustained as a result of embezzlement and other types of fraud and mismanagement. In addition, Mr. Brandao served as controller for Moore, Tyler & Company, handling accounting, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, budgeting and -8- tax reporting. Mr. Brandao received his Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Law from Louisiana Tech University. After eight years as a field service representative in the petroleum and natural gas industry, Mr. Brandao earned a Masters of Science in Accountancy from the University of Houston. Leadership Positions Cases where the attorneys of Carney Williams has held a leadership position of Lead or Co-Lead Plaintiffs' Counsel or as a member of the Executive Committee of Counsels: Martin Gaynor v. Thorne, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois County, Dept of Chancery, Case No. 07-CH-14381 Pierce v. Ryerson Inc. et al., Illinois Circuit Court, Cook County, Case No. 07 CH 21060 Pennsylvania Avenue Funds v. Gerard H. Brandi, et al., Common Wealth of Massachusetts Superior Court, Middlesex County, Case No. CV 08-1057 Middlesex County Retirement System v. Semtech Corp. et al, United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, Case No. 07-Civ-7183 (DC) In Re: Sterling Financial Corporation Securities Class Action, United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, Case No. CV 07-2171 Sheet Metal Workers Local 28 Pension Fund v. Office Depot, Inc. et al., United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Case No. 07-81038-CIV-Hurley/Hopkins City of Pontiac General Employees' Retirement System v. CBS Corp, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Case No. 08-CV-10816 (LBS) Desert Orchid Partners, LLC v. Transaction Systems Architects, Inc., United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, Case No. 02-CV-553 (Co-Lead Counsel; $24.5 million settlement) In re Ashanti Goldfields Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, No. CV-00-0717 (DGT) (RML) (Co-Lead Counsel; $15 million settlement) -9- Brian Asher v. Baxter International, Inc., et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, Case No. 02 C 5608 (Co-Lead Counsel) In re Beverly Enterprises, Inc. Derivative Litigation, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Western Division, No. LR-C-99-826 (Co-Lead Counsel) In re Blockbuster, Inc. Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, No. 3:03-CV-03098-M LEAD (Co-Lead Counsel) Lynne H. Sinay, et al. v. Boron LePore & Assocs., Inc., et al., United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, No. 99-2231 (DRD) (Co-Lead Counsel; $4.7 million settlement) In re DQE, Inc. Securities Litigation, United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, No. 01-1851 (Co-Lead Counsel; $12 million settlement) In re Dynacq International, Inc. Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, No. H-02-0377 (Co-Lead Counsel) In re Eaton Vance Corporation Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Civil Action No. 01-10911-EFH (Co-Lead Counsel; $5 million settlement) In re Keyspan Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, No. CV-01-5852 (ARR) (MDG) (Co-Lead Counsel; $13.75 million settlement) Todd Holley, et al. v. Kitty Hawk Inc., et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Div., No. 3-00-CV-0828-P (Co-Lead Counsel; $2.75 million settlement) In re Lernout & Hauspie Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, No. 00-CV-11589-PBS (Co-Lead Counsel; $115 million settlement) In re Loral Space & Communication Ltd. Securities Litigation, United State District Court for the Southern District of New York, Master File No. 01-CV-1388 (JGK) (Co-Lead Counsel) Isabel J. Griffin, et al. v. MedPartners, Inc., et al., Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, No. CV-98-00297 (Lead Counsel for purchasers of TAPS Securities; $25 million settlement for TAPS purchasers, $65 million total settlement) In re Monterey Pasta Company Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 3:03 CV 00632 MJJ (Co-Lead Counsel) -10- Harold Hicks v. Morgan Stanley & Co., et al., United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Civil Action No. 01 CV 10071 (Co-Lead Counsel; $10 million settlement) In re National Golf Properties, Inc. Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, No. 02-1383-GHK(RZx; $4.175 million settlement) In re NewPower Holdings Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Civil Action No. 01civ1550 (CLB) (Co-Lead Counsel; $41 million settlement) In re Phycor Shareholder Litigation, United States District Court for the Middle District Tennessee, No. 3:990807 (Co-Lead Counsel; $11.2 million settlement) Richard Slatten v. Rayovac Corporation, et al., United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Case No. 02 C 0325 C (Co-Lead Counsel; $4 million settlement) Yvon DuPaul v. H. Edwin Trusheim, et al. (Rehabcare Group), Circuit Court of the county of St. Louis, Missouri, No. 02 CC 3039 (Lead Derivative Counsel) In re Supervalu, Inc. Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, No. 02-CV-1738 (JEL/JGL) (Co-Lead Counsel; $4 million settlement) George Lehocky v. Tidel Technologies, Inc. et al., United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, No. H-01-3741 (Executive Committee) David Montalvo v. Tripos, Inc. et al., United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division, No. 4:03CV995SNL (Co-Lead) In re U.S. Liquids Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, No. H-99-2785 (Co-Lead Counsel) Irene Abrams v. VanKampen Funds, Inc., et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, No. 01 C 7538 (Co-Lead Counsel; $30 million settlement) In re Vision America Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, No. 3-00-0279 (Co-Lead Counsel; $5.9 million settlement) In re Fleming Corporation Securities Litigation, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division, No. 5-02-CV-178 (Co-Lead Counsel for 33 Act Claims; $93.75 million settlement) -11- David Slone, et.al. v. Fifth Third, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, No. 03-CV-00211 ($15 million settlement) -12-

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