Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C., Announces Class Action Suit Against Merrill Lynch and Henry Blodget

Business Wire, May 21, 2002

Business Editors & Legal Writers

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2002

Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C., announces that a securities fraud class action suit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of purchasers of the common stock of GoTo.com, Inc. ("GoTo," and now known as Overture Services, Inc.) (Nasdaq:OVER) between the period of January 11, 2001, through June 6, 2001 (the "Class Period"), against Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and its internet analyst Henry Blodget.

Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C., is also involved in other cases against Merrill Lynch and Blodget on behalf of purchasers of Infospace, Internet Capital Group (ICGE), Aether Systems (AETH), Excite@Home (ATHQE.OB) and 24/7 Real Media, Inc. (TFSM).

The Complaint alleges that to maintain and enhance Merrill Lynch's investment banking relationships with GoTo, defendants issued analyst reports with positive ratings on GoTo which were materially misleading as they were inconsistent with their own contemporaneous, private adverse assessments of GoTo. For example, the very day of the initiation of coverage, Blodget admitted in an e-mail that there was nothing interesting about GoTo except banking fees. The Complaint also describes how defendants made their proposed rating to GoTo more palatable to GoTo management by downgrading a GoTo competitor. However, when defendants learned that GoTo had awarded its underwriting business to another bank, defendants downgraded GoTo in retribution.

Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C., has significant experience in prosecuting investor class actions and actions involving financial fraud. The firm has offices in Washington, D.C., Seattle, Washington, and New York, and is active in major litigation pending in federal and state courts throughout the nation. You may visit our website at www.cmht.com.

The firm's reputation for excellence has been recognized on repeated occasions by courts which have appointed the firm to lead positions in complex multi-district or consolidated litigation. Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C., has taken a lead role in numerous important cases on behalf of defrauded investors, and has been responsible for a number of outstanding recoveries which, in the aggregate, total over a billion dollars.

If you purchased GoTo common stock during the period from January 11, 2001, through June 6, 2001, inclusive, you may, no later than July 19, 2002, move to be appointed as a Lead Plaintiff.

If you have any questions about this notice or the action, or with regard to your rights as lead plaintiff or as a member of the class, please see contact information below.