LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS [Abstract]

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

On March 20, 2007, the Paul Bergeron Trust ("Bergeron") commenced a derivative action on behalf of the Trust, in Suffolk County Superior Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Bergeron joined the Trust and affiliated entities, including the Managing Shareholder and a person who is an officer of the Managing Shareholder, alleging that the allocation of the proceeds from the sale of certain assets of the Trust and affiliated entities was unfair. The derivative plaintiffs later amended the complaint to add a claim that the defendants breached fiduciary duties to the Trust and The Ridgewood Power Growth Fund ("Growth Fund"), by forming affiliated funds to finance the expansion of underlying projects in which each of the Trust and Growth Fund had an interest, rather than using alternative financing, which allegedly resulted in a misallocation of sale proceeds. In December 2011, the defendants agreed to a settlement agreement with the derivative plaintiffs, subject to approval by the Court. The defendants disputed the allegations, asserted that the financing transactions were fair and denied all wrongdoing, but agreed:

· with participation from the Managing Shareholder's primary insurer, Twin City Fire Insurance Company, part of the Hartford Insurance Group, to cause a cash payment to be made to the Trust and Growth Fund, less attorneys' fees awarded by the court to the plaintiffs' attorneys and a reimbursement to the Managing Shareholder as partial reimbursement for operating expenses of the Trust and Growth Fund,

· to assign to the derivative plaintiffs, on behalf of the Trust and Growth Fund, all of the defendants' rights and claims for coverage from, and any claims for damages against, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company ("Liberty"), the Managing Shareholder's excess insurance carrier,

· for the Managing Shareholder and any affiliated entities to waive any rights to any future distributions by the Trust and Growth Fund,

· for the Managing Shareholder to waive the bulk of the Managing Shareholder's management fees for 2011, as well as all management fees on a going-forward basis, and for the Managing Shareholder to pay the on-going normal and recurring operating expenses of the Trust and Growth Fund until the two funds are liquidated.

In January 2012, the Court gave its final approval of the settlement. The Court did not determine the merits of the plaintiff's allegations, rendered no verdict and the settlement agreement is not an admission of any of the facts alleged by the plaintiffs or of any wrongdoing by the defendants. In March 2012, the cash portion of the settlement was made to the two funds, allocated in accordance with the agreement, and distributions made to their respective shareholders. The amount of cash distributed to the Trust shareholders totaled $1,011.

The derivative plaintiffs are responsible for the managing, and ultimate disposition, of any claims against Liberty, and as a result, the Managing Shareholder is not able to predict when there will be a resolution of the claims, or if such resolution will include a payment to the Trust and Growth Fund. In June 2012, the derivative plaintiffs filed an amended claim in Suffolk County Superior Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to pursue claims against Liberty that were assigned as part of the above-mentioned settlement.