Court to Notify Those Who Made a Purchase or a Return at a TJX Store about a Class Action Settlement

BOSTON, Feb. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- A notification program began today inthe United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, as ordered by the United StatesDistrict Court for the District of Massachusetts, to alert people who madea purchase or return to a TJX store about a proposed settlement reachedwith The TJX Companies, Inc. and Fifth Third Bancorp ("Defendants") in aclass action lawsuit against them about the computer system intrusions intopersonal and financial information at TJX retail stores. The settlementprovides benefits to those shoppers who may have been damaged in some way. The lawsuit challenges TJX's prior retention of customers' personalinformation on its computer system. Plaintiffs claim that Defendants failedto adequately safeguard those systems and, as a result, unauthorized peoplegained access to customers' personal information. The Defendants deny thatthey did anything wrong, and the settlement is not an admission ofwrongdoing or an indication that any law was violated. The Class includes everyone in the United States, Puerto Rico andCanada who made a purchase or return at a T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx'n More, Marshalls MegaStore, The Maxx, HomeGoods, A.J. Wright, Winners orHomeSense, believe their personal or financial data was stolen or placed atrisk of being stolen from TJX's computer systems, and think they weredamaged from it. This includes those who made returns without a receipt andwere previously notified by TJX that their name, address and driver'slicense or military, state or tax identification number were compromised. Notices informing members of a portion of the settlement Class abouttheir legal rights will be mailed, and otherwise are scheduled to appear innewspapers and/or magazines all over the United States, Canada, and PuertoRico leading up to a hearing on July 15, 2008, when the Court will considerwhether to approve the settlement. The Court has appointed Ben Barnow, Barnow and Associates, P.C. ofChicago, Illinois; Lester L. Levy, Wolf Popper LLP of New York, New York;and Sherrie R. Savett, Berger & Montague, P.C., of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania as Settlement Class Co-Lead Counsel to represent the Class. Those affected by this settlement can send in a claim form to ask forbenefits, if eligible, or they can ask to be excluded from, or object to,the settlement and its terms. The deadline for exclusions and objections isJune 24, 2008. The earliest deadline to file claims is May 29, 2008. A toll-free number, 1-866-523-6770, has been established in the case(called In re TJX Companies Retail Security Breach Litigation, CivilAction, No. 07-10162, MDL No. 1838) along with a website,http://www.TJXsettlement.com, where notices, claim forms, and the settlementagreement may be obtained. Those affected may also write to TJX Settlement,PO Box 3775, Portland, OR 97208- 3775.