Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Merrill Corporation Acquires WordWave, Inc.
Acquisition Extends Merrill's Legal Services Offering

St. Paul, Minn. - Merrill Corporation, a leading global provider of technology-enabled services for the legal, financial, real estate and other corporate markets, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of WordWave, Inc., a leading provider of litigation support, court reporting, captioning and transcription services for law firms, courts, governmental agencies and corporations worldwide.

The company also announced the integration of WordWave with its Document Management Services business unit to form Merrill Legal Solutions, extending Merrill's position as a leading global provider of technology-enabled on-demand and on-site business solutions to the world's largest law firms.

"We are very optimistic about the potential for the integrated business unit and believe it will have a significant impact on Merrill's continuing strategic diversification and international expansion efforts," said John Castro, Chairman and CEO, Merrill Corporation. The acquisition expands Merrill's services, its geographic reach, and further solidifies its position as a premier solutions provider.

The legal profession is experiencing change driven by technology, client demands and the regulatory environment. Merrill is expanding their solution set to meet the needs of the profession, and support the critical transition to streamlined business processes.

Merrill has historically provided a wide range of solutions to help litigators increase productivity and effectiveness and help law firms improve their efficiency and grow their practice. The purchase of WordWave provides additional legal products and services to Merrill's product offering.

"We're excited about joining forces with Merrill, a company with a long, successful record of providing end-to-end, industry-specific business solutions." stated Perry Solomon, former CEO of WordWave and new President of Merrill Legal Solutions. "With our combined global resources, we are well positioned to deliver ever greater value to our clients, with an extensive suite of solutions for every phase of the litigation process - from discovery to case resolution."

This acquisition is Merrill's single largest strategic business transaction to date. For this transaction Sagent Advisors, Inc. acted as financial advisor to the company. Specific details of the agreement have not been disclosed.

About Merrill Corporation
Founded in 1968, Merrill Corporation (www.merrillcorp.com) is a leading global provider of technology-enabled service solutions for the financial, legal, real estate and other corporate markets. Merrill combines deep industry expertise with superior service and infrastructure to deliver world-class document, brand marketing, print, fulfillment, language and e-business solutions. With more than 4,400 people in 60 locations, Merrill empowers the communications of the world's leading companies.

Merrill Corporation's Document Management Services business (www.merrillcorp.com/law) is a leading provider of single-source document and information management solutions for legal and other professional services firms. Merrill's litigation support services, including electronic discovery and Web-based data repositories, delivers sophisticated technology solutions to enhance speed, efficiency and accuracy of the litigation process. Large-scale litigation copying and document imaging and coding are provided on a transactional basis. Professionally staffed and equipped Document Service Centers provide clients with comprehensive, on-site services tailored to their specifications, from basic copying, mailroom management and equipment leasing to complex, technology-based document services such as desktop publishing and electronic scanning.

About WordWave, Inc
WordWave (www.wordwave.com) is a privately-held, international provider of litigation support, captioning and subtitling, and court reporting and transcription services. Services include simplifying and expediting information capture and creating an effective asset for law firms, media and entertainment companies, businesses, and public sector organizations around the world. WordWave is comprised of three business units, LegaLink, VITAC, and WordWave International, that leverage similar technologies, resources, and skill sets to capture, transcribe, and disseminate the spoken word across a range of industries.

WordWave's litigation support division, LegaLink, (www.legalink.com) is the global leader in court reporting, legal videography, and trial services. LegaLink is the number one choice for clients involved in complex, high-stakes litigation, providing one-stop convenience, the best reporters in the business, and cutting-edge technology. With 30 offices and over 400 affiliates worldwide, LegaLink supports law firms and corporations wherever litigation takes them-all with the convenience of one call scheduling with their local office.

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