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Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Files Class Action Suit against Central Vermont Public Service Corp.

^{Published on 2011-09-15 11:52:37 - Market Wire}
 

SAN DIEGO--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP (aRobbins Gellera) ([ http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/cvps/ ]) today announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Vermont on behalf of a proposed class of Central Vermont Public Service Corp. (aCVPSa) (NYSE:CV) shareholders who held CVPS shares during the period beginning May 30, 2011 through and including the closing of the proposed acquisition of CVPS by Gaz M©tro Limited Partnership (aGaz M©troa).

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than 60 days from today. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiffsa™ counsel, Darren Robbins of Robbins Geller at 800/449-4900 or 619/231-1058, or via e-mail at [ djr@rgrdlaw.com ]. If you are a member of this class, you can view a copy of the complaint as filed or join this class action online at [ http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/cvps/ ]. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

The complaint charges CVPS and its Board of Directors (the aBoarda) with breaches of fiduciary duty and aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty under Vermont state law, and CVPS, the Board and Gaz M©tro with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (a1934 Acta). CVPS operates as an electric utility company.

The complaint alleges that the Board, aided and abetted by CVPS, in bad faith and for self-interested reasons, tilted the sales process for the Company in favor of Fortis Inc. and against Gaz M©tro and thereby obligated the Company to improperly pay Fortis a termination fee of $19.5 million when the merger agreement with Fortis was later terminated after Gaz M©tro made a superior proposal that was accepted by the Board. The end result of CVPS and the Boarda™s misconduct was to destroy shareholder value in the same amount of the termination fee, or approximately $1.57 per share. The complaint seeks damages for the Boarda™s breaches of fiduciary duty in this regard.

The complaint further alleges that on August 29, 2011, CVPS filed a Form DEFM 14A Proxy Statement (the aProxya) that omitted or misrepresented material information regarding the proposed Fortis and Gaz M©tro acquisitions in violation of 14(a) and 20(a) of the 1934 Act and in contravention of the Boarda™s fiduciary duties under state law. The Proxy fails to disclose, among other things, material information regarding: (i) the Companya™s current and future value; (ii) details about the sales process, including details concerning the favored treatment of Fortis, and the conflicts of interests faced by the persons involved; and (iii) the financial analysis conducted by the Companya™s financial advisor. Without this material information, the Companya™s public shareholders are precluded from casting a fully informed vote. The complaint seeks injunctive relief in connection with defendantsa™ violations of 14(a) and 20(a) of the 1934 Act.

Plaintiffs seek injunctive, monetary and other equitable relief on behalf of all shareholder of CVPS who held CVPS common stock during the period beginning May 30, 2011 through and including the closing of the proposed acquisition of CVPS by Gaz M©tro (the aClassa). The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has expertise in prosecuting investor class actions and extensive experience in actions involving financial fraud.

Robbins Geller, a 180-lawyer firm with offices in San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boca Raton, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta, is active in major litigations pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States and has taken a leading role in many important actions on behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and companies, as well as victims of human rights violations. The Robbins Geller Web site ([ http://www.rgrdlaw.com ]) has more information about the firm.