NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- A class action complaint has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. ("Goodyear" or the "Company") securities (NYSE: GT) during the period between October 22, 1998 and October 22, 2003, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). The Complaint names Goodyear, Robert J. Keegan, and Robert W. Tieken as defendants.
To discuss this action, this announcement, or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff's counsel, Eric J. Belfi or Gregory Linkh at Rabin, Murray & Frank LLP, 275 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, by telephone at (800) 497-8076 or (212) 682-1818, by facsimile at (212) 682-1892, or by e-mail at info@rabinlaw.com. The Complaint alleges that defendants violated section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, the Complaint alleges that defendants failed to disclose and/or misrepresented the following adverse facts, among others: (1) that the Company's implantation of an enterprise resource planning accounting system in 1999 caused Goodyear to materially overstate its net income and earnings by up to $100 million; (2) that the Company's financial statements were not prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"); (3) that the Company lacked adequate internal controls and was therefore unable to ascertain the true financial condition of the Company; and (4) that as a result, the value of the Company's net income and financial results were materially overstated at all relevant times.
On October 22, 2003, after the market had closed, Goodyear announced that it would restate its financial results for the years 1998-2002 and for the first and second quarters of 2003, and that the restatement would result in a decrease in net income over the restatement period by up to $100 million. Market reaction to this news was swift and fast. Shares of Goodyear fell more than 10 percent during inter-day trading and traded as low as $5.55 per share on extremely heavy volume.
Plaintiff is represented by the law firm of Rabin, Murray & Frank LLP. Rabin, Murray & Frank LLP and its predecessor firms have devoted its practice to shareholder class actions and complex commercial litigation for more than thirty years and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for shareholders in class actions throughout the United States.
If you purchased or otherwise acquired Goodyear securities during the Class Period described above, you may, no later than December 22, 2003, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff. To serve as lead plaintiff, however, you must meet certain legal requirements. You can join this action as a lead plaintiff online at www.rabinlaw.com. Contact plaintiff's counsel Eric J. Belfi or Gregory Linkh of Rabin, Murray & Frank LLP to further discuss this action, this announcement, or your rights or interests.