Court Dismisses Involuntary Petition against Ritchie Multi-Strategy Global, L.L.C.
LISLE, Ill. & NEW YORK--(Business Wire)-- At a hearing today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, the Honorable Susan Sonderby dismissed the involuntary bankruptcy petition filed against the onshore feeder to the Ritchie Multi-Strategy Fund (the "Fund") by Benchmark Plus Partners, Benchmark Plus Institutional Partners and Sterling Low Volatility Fund on December 26, 2007. "We are obviously pleased with Judge Sonderby's ruling this afternoon. We won today because the facts were on our side. As Judge Sonderby found, the Fund is fully and timely meeting all of its financial obligations and Ritchie Capital has acted in good faith. Moreover, Ritchie Capital has gone above and beyond the usual standards for hedge funds in providing financial information to their investors," commented Ritchie's attorney Tom Cauley. Ritchie Capital always believed that the petition was wholly without merit and was a misuse of the Bankruptcy Court. The petitioners have received all payments to which they are entitled under the operative agreements of the Fund that Benchmark Plus and its counsel negotiated and approved along with other investors. Ritchie CEO, Thane Ritchie said, "This is an expected but gratifying victory for all investors in the Fund, and a vindication of our actions. Riding out the storm of tumultuous markets is never easy but we have a disciplined strategy and it is working. Maximizing value for all our investors has been and will be our primary mission. We will always vigorously defend the interests of our investors, and we will not walk away from our responsibility as other investment managers have done." Ritchie Capital remains committed to preserving and maximizing the value of the Fund's remaining investments for all of its investors and intends to hold the petitioners responsible for the costs of this wrongful filing. Ritchie Capital will also continue to seek to recover damages from Coventry First for the losses it has caused. Neither Ritchie Capital nor any of its funds have ever been in bankruptcy. The Fund had an indirect interest in two special purpose entities that purchased life insurance policies from Coventry First and filed for bankruptcy in June 2007 following the New York Attorney General's complaint against Coventry First for fraudulent bidding practices. These policies were sold at auction in January 2008. Ritchie Capital and other plaintiffs are pursuing an action against Coventry First. About Ritchie Capital Ritchie Capital is a diversified alternative asset management firm established in 1997 with interests in hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, insurance, energy and real estate and with offices in Lisle, IL, New York, and Menlo Park, CA. River Communications Justin Meise, 845-226-8970 jmeise@riverinc.com Copyright Business Wire 2008
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