Attorneys in $89 Million North Carolina Microsoft Settlement Set July 14 Media Conference Call.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Shanahan Law Group, of Raleigh, N.C., today announced a media conference call that will provide information about how North Carolina businesses can file a claim in the $89 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft. Because the current deadline for filing claims is July 26, 2004, businesses are being urged to file their claim as soon as possible so as not to leave money on the table.

"The Microsoft Product Settlement gives companies in North Carolina an opportunity to defray the cost of upgrading their existing hardware and software through the use of claimed vouchers," said Reef Ivey of the Raleigh-based Shanahan Law Group, lead counsel in the North Carolina suit. "For example, by choosing to file a claim, businesses can take advantage of the opportunity to add thousands to next year's technology budget."

Businesses and individuals that purchased stand alone Microsoft software or computers loaded with Microsoft Operating Systems (i.e., Windows or DOS) and/or Microsoft Applications (i.e., Office, Word or Excel) between December 1995 and December 2002 are eligible to submit claims by July 26, 2004. Claims will be paid on a "per license" basis, meaning that businesses with large numbers of computers can benefit greatly by participating in the settlement. Help for filing a claim is available via the internet and a toll-free number. Qualifying businesses may have claims worth thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

David Stellings, a partner in the law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein of New York and San Francisco explained, "If an eligible business with 1,000 employees in North Carolina replaced their computer operating systems and two software applications twice during the class period, it would have a $40,000 claim in the settlement." The law firm also is involved in anti-trust cases against Microsoft in several other states.

The law firms representing plaintiffs in the proceeding will conduct a conference call on Wednesday, July 14, 2004, to update North Carolina business media with a detailed overview of the settlement, including background of the case, settlement terms and benefits, eligibility requirements, and the process for joining the settlement. The media conference call will begin at 10:30 a.m., Eastern Time, on Wednesday, July 14; the dial-in number and other instructions for participating in the conference call are provided below.

Representatives of the law firms Shanahan Law Group, of Raleigh, North Carolina: Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, of New York and San Francisco: and Lerach Coughlin Stoia & Robbins, of San Diego will provide the settlement overview and answer questions from members of the North Carolina business media. The attorneys also will be available for one-on-one follow-up interviews via telephone. The conference call, and scheduling for subsequent one-on-one interviews, will be coordinated by Panorama Public Relations, of Birmingham, AL.

The proposed $89 million settlement of the proceeding titled In Re North Carolina Microsoft Litigation Settlement is the result of class action lawsuit alleging that Microsoft violated North Carolina's antitrust and unfair competition laws. On October 30, 2003, the parties settled the case, and the court gave preliminary approval of a Settlement Agreement. The court granted final approval of the settlement on May 27, 2004.

CONFERENCE CALL INSTRUCTIONS

For logistical purposes, and to ensure that all participating media are accommodated adequately, participation in the July 14 conference call will be limited to the first 25 media representatives who confirm their intention to participate by calling Sonja Lother at Panorama Public Relations, [phone] ext. 3, prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (3:00 p.m. Central Time) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004. Any preliminary questions regarding other aspects of the call should be directed to either Darlene Rotch or Stacey Strawn at Panorama.

To participate in the conference call on July 14, dial 1-888-273-9890, and respond "North Carolina Microsoft Settlement" when asked which call you are joining. You then will be placed on hold until all participants are on line. The attorneys will begin the conference call promptly at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time with a brief overview of the proceeding and settlement, with Q & A to follow, so participants are urged to call in as early as 10-15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.