Finkelstein Thompson LLP is one of the four Court-appointed lead counsel in In re Natural Gas Commodity Litigation, Master File No. 03 CV 6186, a class action alleging violation of the federal commodities laws.

The complaint alleges that over twenty defendants violated the federal commodity laws by knowingly and deliberately reporting inaccurate, misleading and false trading information -- including price and volume information -- to trade publications that compile and publish widely-followed indices of natural gas spot prices.  In addition, defendants engaged in a variety of fraudulent trade reporting strategies, including wash trades, whose purpose was to create the perception of increased liquidity and demand for natural gas, and thus to manipulate the spot prices of natural gas.

A Class comprising of all persons who purchased and/or sold NYMEX natural gas futures and options contracts between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2002, excluding defendants in the Action, their employees, any parents, subsidiaries, or affiliates of the defendants, any entity in which any of the defendants has or had a controlling interest during the Class Period, and the legal representatives, heir, successors or assigns of any of the defendants, was certified by the Court in October 2005.

On May 24, 2006, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted Final Judgment and an Order of Dismissal approving settlements with seventeen defendants for an aggregate of approximately $ 72.5 million for the benefit of the class.  You can view the settlement announcement here.