$2.0 Billion Settlement By J.P. Morgan Chase, Bringing New Settlement Total To 6 Billion In WorldCom Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit

Jersey City, NJ, March 17, 2005 - HGK Asset Management, Inc. reported that on March 16, 2005, J.P. Morgan Chase and certain of its affiliates agreed to pay $2-billion in settlement of claims asserted against them in the WorldCom class action litigation.

The amount to be paid by J.P. Morgan Chase represents a premium of about 50% over the settlement formula used by the Citigroup Defendants in May 2004 to settle the bond portions of the claims against them. J.P. Morgan Chase is the second largest U.S. bank and the last major financial institution to settle the class-action lawsuit.

If the J.P. Morgan Chase settlement is approved by the Court, the total amount recovered for WorldCom investors will be $6,001,500,000 - by far the largest class action settlement in U.S. history.

"This is wonderful news for WorldCom's former shareholders and bondholders, and brings the case near final resolution," said Jeffrey T. Harris, Chairman of HGK Asset Management, Inc. ("HGK"). "When the defendants' wrongful conduct damaged our clients, we felt duty-bound to come aggressively to their defense, said Harris. "And the best way to do that was to participate in the litigation and recover as much of our clients investment as possible," Harris concluded. Since the passage of Private Securities Litigation Reform Act in 1995, only a handful of professional asset management organizations have stepped forward to lead a class action suit, and HGK's success in this litigation is unparalleled. HGK is participating in the case as an Additional Named Plaintiff and Certified Class Representative.

Remaining defendants in the ongoing case include WorldCom's former auditor, Arthur Andersen LLP, and 12 former company directors.

The class action lawsuit was brought on behalf of all persons or organizations that purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded securities of WorldCom during the period April 29, 1999 through June 25, 2002, inclusive.

HGK, a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, is an employee-owned organization with about $3-billion under management whose clients consist primarily of multi-employer benefit funds. HGK was represented in this litigation by the New York-based law firm, Schoengold Sporn Laitman & Lometti, P.C..

Recent Settlements

· In re Nicor, Inc. Securities Litigation, 02-CV-5168 (N.D. Ill.)
July 9, 2004 - $39 million cash settlement
(Sole Lead Counsel)

· In re Westar Energy, Inc. Securities Litigation, 03-CV-4003 (D. Kansas)
September 1, 2005 - $30 million cash settlement
(Sole Lead Counsel)

· In re PNC Finacial Services Group, Inc. Securities Litigation, 02-CV-271(W.D. Penn.)
April 12, 2007 - $46.675 million recovery
(Co-lead Counsel)

· In re SPX Corp. Securities Litigation, 3:04-CV-99 (W.D.N.C.)
April 13, 2007 - $10 million cash settlement
(Sole Lead Counsel)

Client Resources

· Map Management, LLC
MAP Management, LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor providing services to Individuals, multi-employer Taft-Hartley plans, Corporate Pension plans, Estates, and Foundations. By offering fixed fee arrangements, MAP provides unbiased and independent opinions, as well as helpful recommendations and education. Through a very personal process, MAP will develop a portfolio and a plan for your investments that is individualized to
your needs.

· HGK Asset Management
Since 1983, HGK Asset Management has been making the right decisions for investors in conservative fixed income and value equity portfolios. With about $3 billion currently under its management and more than 80 client relationships, HGK has expanded its original business that specialized in Taft-Hartley benefit and pension funds to include corporate pension, institutional and individual investment accounts.