NEW YORK, September 10, 2003 — Joseph Berkery, President of Berkery, Noyes & Co., announced today that the firm represented Reed Elsevier Inc. (NYSE: RUK – News) in its sale of Marquis Who’s Who and certain National Register Publishing titles to WL Ross & Co.  Marquis Who’s Who, founded in 1899, is the preeminent U.S. publisher of biographical information on notable individuals for reference and consumer markets.  Flagship products include Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.  National Register Publishing produces specialty directories including The Official Catholic Directory and The Official Museum Directory.  The company, which is located in New Providence, New Jersey, publishes 23 directories.

Berkery, Noyes specializes in investment banking for the information, publishing and communications industries. Among the most recent transactions completed by Berkery, Noyes are Pearson’s divestiture of Forum to Institute for International Research, ProQuest Company in its purchase of SIRS Publishing, Inc., National Physicians DataSource, Inc. (The Little Blue Book) on its Sale to WebMD Corp, Advanstar Communications’ acquisition of HT Magazine from Niche Publishing and Delta Education’s acquisition of Educators Publishing Service.

Berkery, Noyes & Co. clients range from small firms, often seeking a buyer, to most of the major international information companies, who use the firm’s expertise in locating, analyzing and negotiating with acquisition candidates, as well as in managing divestitures. The firm operates with a staff of twenty-two professionals serving the information and publishing industry from offices in New York, Boston, and San Francisco.