Berkery, Noyes & Co. advises Reed Elsevier on its sale of K.G. Saur Verlag to The Gale Group

New York, September 13, 2000 — The Gale Group, an operating unit of The Thomson Corporation (TSE:TOC), announced that it has acquired K.G. Saur Verlag from Reed Elsevier plc. Terms of the sale, which is subject to approval by the German Bundeskartellamt, were not disclosed.

K.G. Saur is a Munich-based reference publisher specializing in high quality reference information for use in libraries.

"K.G. Saur is a perfect fit with Gale Group’s growth strategy and publishing program. Like Gale, it’s an established leader in providing reference information; its reference specialties of humanities, biography and general reference fit with Gale’s product line, and it has a respected brand in the marketplace," said Gale Group CEO Allen Paschal. "But Saur’s presence is in different geographical areas. International expansion is one of our key growth strategies and this acquisition makes the Gale Group the leading international reference publisher."

The addition of K.G. Saur provides an important editorial and marketing hub in Continental Europe. Mr. Paschal notes that content from K.G. Saur databases will also play an important role in globalizing Gale’s ResourceCenter strategy. The company’s acclaimed Web-based ResourceCenter products bring together in one integrated interface the seminal resources required for research in a content area – e.g. reference sources, journals, primary source documents, images. The Resource Centers – on topics such as biography, history, literature, health – create e-solutions for libraries and academic institutions.

K.G. Saur will continue to operate as an independent unit at its Munich offices. Gale Group plans for the company include major commitments to product development, particularly in the creation of Web-based products. Gale Group officials note that access to information worldwide will change as consumers will have greater access to information that’s traditionally been focused in either the U.S. or Europe.

"I am personally delighted to join the Gale Group," said K.G. Saur Managing Director Klaus Saur. "It’s a great opportunity for growth with a company that shares our passion for creating quality information products for library and educational institutions worldwide."

K.G. Saur was founded in 1949 and now employs approximately 90 people. With offices in Munich and Leipzig, Germany, and Berne, Switzerland, it publishes nearly 2000 reference works in print, microfilm and electronic formats. Reed Reference Publishing purchased the company in 1987.

The Gale Group (www.galegroup.com) is a world leader in e-reference publishing for libraries, schools and businesses. Best known for its accurate and authoritative content as well as its intelligent organization of full-text magazine and newspaper articles, the company creates and maintains more than 600 databases that are published in electronic form, as well as in print and microform. The Gale Group includes such noted reference imprints as Macmillan Reference USA, Charles Scribner’s Sons, Primary Source Microfilm, UXL, Thorndike Press and Graham & Whiteside.

The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), with 1999 revenues of US$5.8 billion, is a global e-information and solutions company in the business and professional marketplace. The company’s common shares are listed on the Toronto and London stock exchanges.