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Four California Armenian Charities to Receive $333,000

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  • Four California Armenian Charities to Receive $333,000

    OK... WHY IS THIS RESURFACING NOW. I THOUGHT THEY ALREADY RECEIVED
    THE MONEY. I REMEMBER POSTING IT A MONTH AGO.

    KAY


    Business Wire (press release), CA
    Feb 23 2005

    Four California Armenian Charities to Receive $333,000 Each from a
    $20 Million Class Action Settlement

    For Monday (Feb. 28)

    PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2005--

    WHAT: Ceremony in which four California Armenian charities will
    receive $333,000 each from a $20 million class action
    settlement between New York Life and descendants of the
    1915
    Armenian Genocide.

    WHEN: Monday, February 28, 2005, 10:00 a.m.

    WHERE: 215 South Grand Ave.
    Pasadena, CA 91105 (residence)

    DIRECTIONS: 134 Freeway North, exit and turn right on Orange
    Grove
    Blvd., turn right on West Green Street; turn left on
    South Grand Ave.

    WHO: Martin Marootian, age 89 and lead plaintiff in the class
    action against New York Life, class attorneys Brian S.
    Kabateck, Vartkes Yeghiayan, Mark J. Geragos and William
    Shernoff, California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi,
    Bill Werfelman from New York Life and representatives from
    the Armenian charities

    The four organizations receiving $333,000 each are:


    -- Armenian Church of North America Western Diocese, Archbishop
    Hovnan Derderian, Burbank, California

    -- Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop
    Moushegh Mardirossian, Los Angeles, California

    -- Armenian Educational Foundation, Glendale, California

    -- Armenian Relief Society, Maro Minassian, Anahid Meymerian,
    Watertown, Mass. (headquarters)

    Background: Before 1915, New York Life sold life insurance policies
    to thousands of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. New York Life
    policyholders were among the 1.5 million Armenians massacred during
    the Armenian Genocide at that time. In the ensuing chaos, many of the
    rightful policy heirs were unable to obtain insurance proceeds while
    others were unaware that they were entitled to benefits. During
    litigation, New York Life acknowledged its records indicated an
    estimated 2,400 policies sold to Armenians before the Genocide may
    remain unpaid. The class includes Armenians living in the United
    States and abroad who are descendants and heirs of policyholders.
    They will share the bulk of the settlement.

    Legal and Political Significance: The class action is the oldest
    resolved case in U.S. history--90 years have passed between the
    original events and the settlement. It is also the first recorded
    case addressing issues involving the Armenian Genocide. The United
    States and Turkish governments have never officially acknowledged the
    Armenian Genocide despite overwhelming evidence and eyewitness
    accounts. In direct contrast, a private company (New York Life)
    acknowledged the tragedy and fulfilled its obligation to the victims.


    The class action was originally filed in November 1999 in Federal
    District Court in Los Angeles (Martin Marootian, et al. v. New York
    Life Insurance Company). Class co-counsel includes California
    attorneys Brian S. Kabateck, Kabateck Brown Kellner LLP, Vartkes
    Yeghiayan, Yeghiayan & Associates, Mark J. Geragos, Geragos & Geragos
    and William Shernoff, Shernoff, Bidart & Darras.

    Deadline: Descendants have until March 15, 2005 to make a claim for a
    portion of the settlement. Details are available at
    www.ArmenianInsuranceSettlement.com.
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