California ``Click Fraud'' Class Action against Google Will Go Forward Despite Announced Settlement in Similar Arkansas Case, Says Kabateck Brown Kellner and Chitwood Harley Harnes

Business Wire, March 10, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Attorneys representing plaintiffs in a Northern California "click fraud" class action against Google say the purported settlement announced Wednesday in a similar case between Google and click fraud victims may have little impact on their case. A hearing for nationwide class certification in AIT v. Google will be held May 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Brian Kabateck, partner with Kabateck Brown Kellner LLP, and Darren Kaplan, partner with Chitwood Harley Harnes LLP, who represent Google's Adword customers in the United States in the AIT v. Google litigation, say they cannot comment on the Arkansas settlement and are reserving judgment on its merits until after they have seen the terms.

"Since the announcement provided little information as to the terms and conditions of the settlement, it is impossible to fairly evaluate the proposed settlement and to determine whether it is a good result for the class," says Kabateck. "Once we learn more, we will decide what, if anything, we are prepared to do in order to protect the interests of the Google customers we represent."

The proposed Arkansas settlement still must be preliminarily approved by the court and then finally approved by the class. "The U.S. District Court may end up certifying a nationwide class in our case before the settlement can be finally approved in Arkansas," says Kaplan. "If we are successful in certifying a class in our case in the U.S. District Court, the proposed settlement in Arkansas will not resolve anything."

About Kabateck Brown Kellner:

Kabateck Brown Kellner LLP is one of the foremost plaintiffs-only litigation law firms in the western United States, with attorneys recovering more than $500 million in judgments, verdicts and settlements on behalf of their clients, including more than 70 recoveries of over $1 million. Dozens of multi-million dollar awards have been achieved by using innovative and aggressive legal techniques in such areas as: consumer class actions, insurance bad faith and complex business litigation. Partner Brian Kabateck is the recipient of the 2005 Litigator of the Year Clay Award in California. Offices are located in Los Angeles, Newport Beach and Sacramento.

About Chitwood Harley Harnes:

Chitwood Harley Harnes is one of the nation's preeminent class action law firms, representing shareholders and consumers in litigation throughout the United States. In 2004 alone, the firm recovered $583 million for investors and was identified as the fourth most successful securities class action firm in terms of gross recoveries -- and the second most successful firm in terms of average recovery -- by Investor Shareholder Services ("ISS") in its Securities Class Action Services Alert ("SCAS 50"). The firm also represents consumers in complex class actions, with a particular focus on actions arising in the areas of personal and information technology. The firm has offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and Great Neck, New York, and employs 20 attorneys as well as in-house forensic accountants.