(NY-MILBERG-WEISS) Milberg Weiss Announces The Filing Of A Class
Action Suit Against FleetBoston Financial Corporation and certain
of its affiliates on behalf of Purchasers of the Securities of the
Columbia Family of Funds. NEW YORK, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The law
firm of Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP announces that
a class action lawsuit was filed in the District of Massachusetts
today, on behalf of purchasers of the securities of the Columbia
family of funds (the "Funds") operated byFleetBoston Financial
Corporation ("FleetBoston") , Columbia Management Group, Inc
("Columbia Group"), Columbia Management Advisors, Inc. ("Columbia
Advisors"), and Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("Columbia
Wanger") between February 13, 1999 and January 14, 2004, inclusive
(the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities Act of 1933 and the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940. A copy of the complaint filed in
this action is available from the Court, or can be viewed on
Milberg Weiss' website at:
http://www.milberg.com/cases/columbiafunds/ You can get more
information about alleged fraud in the mutual fund and hedge fund
industries, and Milberg Weiss' prosecution of such matters on
behalfof mutual fund investors, by visiting the following websites:
http://www.mutualfundslitigation.com/ and
http://www.mutualfundfraud.net/. The Funds, and the symbols for the
respective Funds named below, are as follows: Columbia Acorn Fund
(Sym: LACAX, LACBX, LIACX, ACRNX) Columbia Acorn Select (Sym:
LTFAX, LTFBX, LTFCX, ACTWX) Columbia Acorn USA (Sym: LAUAX, LAUBX,
LAUCX, AUSAX) Columbia Asset Allocation Fund (Sym: LAAAX, LAABX,
LAACX, GBAAX, GAAAX, GAATX) Columbia Balanced Fund (Sym: CBLAX,
CBLBX, CBLCX, CBLDX, CBALX) Columbia Common Stock Fund (Sym: CMSAX,
CMSBX, CCSCX, CMSDX, CMSTX) Columbia Disciplined Value Fund (Sym:
LEVAX, LEVBX, LEVCX, GEVBX, GALEX, GEVTX) Columbia Dividend Income
Fund (Sym: LBSAX, LBSBX, LBSCX,GEQBX, GEQAX, GSFTX) Columbia Growth
& Income Fund (Sym: CFGAX, CFGBX, CFGDX, LGISX) Columbia Growth
Fund (Sym: CGWAX, CGWBX, CGWCX, CGWDX, CGWGX, CLMBX) Columbia
Growth Stock Fund (Sym: CGSAX, CGSBX, CGSCX, SRFSX) Columbia Large
Cap Core Fund (Sym: LCCAX, LCCBX, LCCCX, GGRBX, SGIEX, SMGIX)
Columbia Large Cap Growth Fund (Sym: LEGAX, LEGBX, LEGCX, GBEGX,
GAEGX, GEGTX) Columbia Large Company Index Fund (Sym: LLIAX, LLIBX,
LLICX, ILCIX) Columbia Liberty Fund (Sym: COLFX, CCFBX, CTCCX,
CTCFX) Columbia Mid Cap Growth Fund (Sym: CBSAX, CBSBX, CMCCX,
CBSDX, CBSGX, CBSTX, CLSPX) Columbia Mid Cap Value Fund (Sym:
COLGX, COGBX, CSVCX, LSVSX) Columbia Real Estate Equity Fund (Sym:
CREAX, CREBX, CRECX, CREDX, CREEX) Columbia Small Cap Fund (Sym:
LSMAX, LSMBX, LSMCX, GBSMX, SSCEX, SMCEX) Columbia Small Cap Growth
Fund (Sym: CMSCX) Columbia Small Cap Value Fund (Sym: CSMIX, CSSBX,
CSSCX, CSCZX) Columbia Small Company Equity Fund (Sym: LSEAX,
LSEBX, LSECX, GERBX, GASEX, GSETX) Columbia Small Company Index
Fund (Sym: LBIAX, LBIBX, LBICX, ISCIX ) Columbia Strategic Investor
Fund (Sym: CSVAX, CSVBX, CSRCX, CSVDX, CSVFX) Columbia Tax-Managed
Aggressive Growth Fund (Sym: LTMAX, LTAGX, LTACX, LTAZX ) Columbia
Tax-Managed Growth Fund (Sym: STMAX, CTMBX, CTMCX, LMGZX) Columbia
Tax-Managed Growth Fund II (Sym: LTGAX, LTIIX, LTGCX, LTGZX)
Columbia Tax-Managed Value Fund (Sym: SRVAX, CTMVX, LTVCX, LTMZX)
Columbia Technology Fund (Sym: CTCAX, CTCBX, CTHCX, CTCDX, CMTFX)
Columbia Thermostat Fund (Sym: CTFAX, CTFBX, CTFDX, COTZX )
Columbia Utilities Fund (Sym: CUTLX, CUTBX, CUTFX, LUFZX) Columbia
Young Investor Fund (Sym: LYIAX, LYIBX, LYICX, SRYIX) Columbia
Acorn International Fund (Sym: LAIAX, LIABX, LAICX, ACINX )
Columbia Acorn International Select Fund (Sym: LAFAX, LFFBX, LFFCX,
ACFFX) Columbia Europe Fund (Sym: NEUAX, LNEBX, LNECX, LNEZX )
Columbia European Thematic Equity Fund (Sym: LSREX) Columbia Global
Equity Fund (Sym: CGUAX, CGUBX, CGUCX ) Columbia Global Thematic
Equity Fund LSRGX Columbia International Equity Fund (Sym: LIEAX,
LIEBX, LIECX, GBIEX, GAIEX, GIETX ) Columbia International Stock
Fund (Sym: CISAX, CISBX, CSKCX, CISDX, CMISX) Columbia Newport Asia
Pacific Fund (Sym: NWAPX, LNABX, LNACX, LAPSX ) Columbia Newport
Japan Opportunities Fund (Sym: NJOAX, NJOBX, NJOCX, LNJZX) Columbia
Newport Greater China Fund (Sym: NGCAX, NGCBX, NGCCX, LNGZX )
Columbia Newport Tiger Fund (Sym: CNTAX, CNTBX, CNTDX, CNTTX, CNTZX
) Columbia Contrarian Income Fund (Sym: CHINX, LCIBX, LCICX, LCIZX
) Columbia Corporate Bond Fund (Sym: LBCAX, LBCBX, LBCCX, GCBTX )
Columbia Daily Income Company Fund CDIXX Columbia Federal
SecuritiesFund (Sym: CFSAX, CFSOX, CFSCX, LFSZX) Columbia Fixed
Income Securities Fund (Sym: CFIAX, CFIBX, CISCX, CFIDX, CFISX)
Columbia Floating Rate Advantage Fund (Sym: XSFRX, XSFBX, XLACX,
XLAZX) Columbia Floating Rate Fund (Sym: XLFAX, XLSBX, XLFCX, XLFZX
) Columbia High Yield Fund (Sym: CHGAX, CHGBX, CHDCX, CHGDX, CMHYX
) Columbia High Yield Opportunity Fund (Sym: COLHX, COHBX, CHYCX,
LHYZX ) Columbia Income Fund (Sym: LIIAX, CIOBX, CIOCX, SRINX )
Columbia Intermediate Bond Fund (Sym: LIBAX, LIBBX, LIBCX, SRBFX)
Columbia Intermediate Government Income Fund (Sym: LIGAX, LIGBX,
LIGCX, GGIBX, GALBX, GIBTX ) Columbia Money Market Fund (Sym:
CMMXX, CMBXX, CMCXX, LMZXX ) Columbia Quality Plus Bond Fund (Sym:
LQPAX, LQPBX, LQPCX, GBHQX, GAHQX, GHQTX ) Columbia Short Term Bond
Fund (Sym: CTBAX, CTBBX, CSHCX, CTBDX, CTBGX, CTBTX, CUGGX )
Columbia Strategic Income Fund (Sym: COSIX, CLSBX, CLSCX, LSIZX )
Columbia US Treasury Index Fund (Sym: LUTAX, LUTBX, LUTCX, IUTIX )
Columbia California Tax-Exempt Fund (Sym: CLMPX, CCABX, CCAOX)
Columbia Connecticut Intermediate Municipal Bond (Sym: LCTAX,
LCTBX, LCTCX, GCBBX, GCBAX, SCTEX ) Columbia Connecticut Tax-Exempt
Fund (Sym: COCTX, CCTBX, CCTCX) Columbia Florida Intermediate
Municipal Bond Fund (Sym: LFIAX, LFIBX, LFICX, SFTEX ) Columbia
High Yield Municipal Fund (Sym: LHIAX, CHMBX, CHMCX, SRHMX )
Columbia Intermediate Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (Sym: LITAX, LITBX,
LITCX, GIMBX, GIMAX, SETMX) Columbia Managed Municipals Fund (Sym:
LMMAX, LMMBX, LMMCX, SRMMX) Columbia Massachusetts Intermediate
Municipal Bond Fund (Sym: LMIAX, LMIBX, LMICX, GMBBX, GMBAX, SEMAX
) Columbia Massachusetts Tax-Exempt Fund (Sym: COMAX, CMABX, COMCX
) Columbia Municipal Money Market Fund (Sym: CXMXX, CMNXX, CMXXX,
CMZXX) Columbia National Municipal Bond Fund (Sym: CNLAX, CNLBX,
CNBCX, CNLDX, CLNMX) Columbia New Jersey Intermediate Municipal
Bond Fund (Sym: LNIAX, LNIBX, LNICX, GNJBX, GNJAX, GNJTX ) Columbia
New York Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (Sym: LNYAX, LNYBX,
LNYCX, GBNYX, GANYX, GNYTX ) Columbia New York Tax-Exempt Fund
(Sym: COLNX, CNYBX, CNYCX ) Columbia Oregon Municipal Bond Fund
(Sym: COEAX, COEBX, CORCX, COEDX, CMBFX) Columbia Pennsylvania
Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (Sym: LPIAX, LPIBX, LPICX, GTPAX)
Columbia Rhode Island Intermediate Municipal Bond Fund (Sym: LRIAX,
LRIBX, LRICX, GRBBX, GRBAX, GRITX ) Columbia Tax-Exempt Fund (Sym:
COLTX, CTEBX,COLCX ) Columbia Tax-Exempt Insured Fund (Sym: CEXIX,
CEIBX, CEINX) The action, numbered 04-10315-PBS, is pending in the
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
before the Honorable Patti B. Saris, against defendants
FleetBoston, Columbia Group, Columbia Management, Columbia Wanger,
Columbia Funds Distributors, Inc. ("Columbia Distributor"), each of
the Columbia mutual funds and their registrants, and John Does
1-100. The Complaint alleges that defendants violated Sections 11
and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933; Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated
thereunder; and Section 206 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
The Complaint charges that, throughout the Class Period, certain of
the defendants failed to disclose that they improperly allowed
certain favored investors "timing" of the Funds' securities. Timing
is excessive, arbitrage trading undertaken to turn a quick profit
and which ordinary investors are told that the funds police. Timing
injures ordinary mutual fund investors -- who are not allowed to
engage in such practices -- and are acknowledged as improper
practices by the Funds. In return for receiving extra fees from
favored investors, FleetBoston, Columbia Group, Columbia
Management, Columbia Wanger, and Columbia Distributor allowed and
facilitated timing activities in the Funds, to the detriment of
class members, who paid, dollar for dollar, for improper profits
made by privileged investors. These practices were undisclosed in
the prospectuses of the Funds, which falsely represented that the
Funds actively police against timing and that premature redemptions
will be assessed a charge. If you bought the securities of any of
the Funds between February 13, 1999 and January 14, 2004,
inclusive, and sustained damages, you may, no later than April 13,
2004, request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. A lead
plaintiff is a representative party that acts on behalf of other
class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed
lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's
claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the
class member will adequately represent the class. Under certain
circumstances, one or more class members may together serve as
"lead plaintiff." Your ability to share in any recovery is not,
however, affected by the decision whether or not to serve as a lead
plaintiff. You may retain Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach
LLP, or other counsel of your choice, to serve as your counsel in
this action. Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP
(http://www.milberg.com/) is a 190-lawyer firm with offices in New
York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boca Raton,
Philadelphia and Seattle, and is active in major litigations
pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States.
Milberg Weiss has taken a leading role in many important actions on
behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and others, and has been
responsible for more than $20 billion in aggregate recoveries.
Please contact the Milberg Weiss website for more information about
the firm. If you wish to discuss this action with us, or have any
questions concerning this notice or your rights and interests with
regard to the case, please contact the following attorneys: (LACAX
LACBX LIACX ACRNX LTFAX LTFBX LTFCX ACTWX LAUAX LAUBX LAUCX AUSAX
LAAAX LAABX LAACX GBAAX GAAAX GAATX CBLAX CBLBX CBLCX CBLDX CBALX
CMSAX CMSBX CCSCX CMSDX CMSTX LEVAX LEVBX LEVCX GEVBX GALEX GEVTX
LBSAX LBSBX LBSCX GEQBX GEQAX GSFTX CFGAX CFGBX CFGDX LGISX CGWAX
CGWBX CGWCX CGWDX CGWGX CLMBX CGSAX CGSBX CGSCX SRFSX LCCAX LCCBX
LCCCX GGRBX SGIEX SMGIX LEGAX LEGBX LEGCX GBEGX GAEGX GEGTX LLIAX
LLIBX LLICX ILCIX COLFX CCFBX CTCCX CTCFX CBSAX CBSBX CMCCX CBSDX
CBSGX CBSTX CLSPX COLGX COGBX CSVCX LSVSX CREAX CREBX CRECX CREDX
CREEX LSMAX LSMBX LSMCX GBSMX SSCEX SMCEX CMSCX CSMIX CSSBX CSSCX
CSCZX LSEAX LSEBX LSECX GERBX GASEX GSETX LBIAX LBIBX LBICX ISCIX
CSVAX CSVBX CSRCX CSVDX CSVFX LTMAX LTAGX LTACX LTAZX STMAX CTMBX
CTMCX LMGZX LTGAX LTIIX LTGCX LTGZX SRVAX CTMVX LTVCX LTMZX CTCAX
CTCBX CTHCX CTCDX CMTFX CTFAX CTFBX CTFDX COTZX CUTLX CUTBX CUTFX
LUFZX LYIAX LYIBX LYICX SRYIX LAIAX LIABX LAICX ACINX LAFAX LFFBX
LFFCX ACFFX NEUAX LNEBX LNECX LNEZX LSREX CGUAX CGUBX CGUCX LSRGX
LIEAX LIEBX LIECX GBIEX GAIEX GIETX CISAX CISBX CSKCX CISDX CMISX
NWAPX LNABX LNACX LAPSX NJOAX NJOBX NJOCX LNJZX NGCAX NGCBX NGCCX
LNGZX CNTAX CNTBX CNTDX CNTTX CNTZX CHINX LCIBX LCICX LCIZX LBCAX
LBCBX LBCCX GCBTX CDIXX CFSAX CFSOX CFSCX LFSZX CFIAX CFIBX CISCX
CFIDX CFISX XSFRX XSFBX XLACX XLAZX XLFAX XLSBX XLFCX XLFZX CHGAX
CHGBX CHDCX CHGDX CMHYX COLHX COHBX CHYCX LHYZX LIIAX CIOBX CIOCX
SRINX LIBAX LIBBX LIBCX SRBFX LIGAX LIGBX LIGCX GGIBX GALBX GIBTX
CMMXX CMBXX CMCXX LMZXX LQPAX LQPBX LQPCX GBHQX GAHQX GHQTX CTBAX
CTBBX CSHCX CTBDX CTBGX CTBTX CUGGX COSIX CLSBX CLSCX LSIZX LUTAX
LUTBX LUTCX IUTIX CLMPX CCABX CCAOX LCTAX LCTBX LCTCX GCBBX GCBAX
SCTEX COCTX CCTBX CCTCX LFIAX LFIBX LFICX SFTEX LHIAX CHMBX CHMCX
SRHMX LITAX LITBX LITCX GIMBX GIMAX SETMX LMMAX LMMBX LMMCX SRMMX
LMIAX LMIBX LMICX GMBBX GMBAX SEMAX COMAX CMABX COMCX CXMXX CMNXX
CMXXX CMZXX CNLAX CNLBX CNBCX CNLDX CLNMX LNIAX LNIBX LNICXGNJBX
GNJAX GNJTX LNYAX LNYBX LNYCX GBNYX GANYX GNYTX COLNX CNYBX CNYCX
COEAX COEBX CORCX COEDX CMBFX LPIAX LPIBX LPICX GTPAX LRIAX LRIBX
LRICX GRBBX GRBAX GRITX COLTX CTEBX COLCX CEXIX CEIBX CEINX)
DATASOURCE: Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP CONTACT:
Steven G. Schulman, Peter E. Seidman, Andrei V. Rado, all of
Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP, +1-800-320-5081, Web
site: http://www.milberg.com/
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