On January 29, 2010, the three month long securities fraud trial against Vivendi Universal, S.A., culminated with a jury verdict finding Vivendi liable for securities fraud on all 57 material misstatements. The Vivendi case is just one of nine securities class actions tried to verdict based on wrongs committed following the passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act in 1995. The Hon. Richard J. Holwell, of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, presided over this litigation and the trial.

Since 2002, Abbey Spanier Rodd & Abrams, LLP has represented the class plaintiffs in this long pending class action against defendants Vivendi Universal, S.A., and its two most senior officers, Jean Marie Messier (the company's CEO and Chairman until his ouster in July 2002) and Guillaume Hannezo (the company's CFO until July 9, 2002). From 2000 through 2002, defendants embarked on a $77 billion acquisition binge, turning a small French water utility company into a global media, communications and environmental services conglomerate.

The jury, after deliberating for three weeks, found defendant Vivendi violated the federal securities laws by making false and misleading statements concerning Vivendi's liquidity and overall performance between October 30, 2000, and August 14, 2002 (the "Class Period"). The class consists of all persons from the United States, France, England and the Netherlands who purchased or otherwise acquired ordinary shares or American Depository Shares ("ADS's") of Vivendi during the Class Period. See Class Notice at www.vivendiclassaction.com.