Sage Holdings signs a definitive agreement to acquire Hallvarsson & Halvarsson

Thursday, July 31, 2008

New York & Stockholm, 31 July, 2008 – Sage Holdings LLC, the transatlantic stakeholder management and financial communications firm, announces a major regional expansion through the acquisition of leading Nordic consultancy Hallvarsson & Halvarsson (H&H). Sage has signed a definitive agreement which, subject to regulatory clearances, should see the transaction completed at the end of Q3 2008.

Founded in 1995, H&H employs over 100 consultants providing advice to over 100 clients in areas ranging from financial & strategic communications, to investor relations and web consulting. The H&H network extends further across the region with long-established links with consulting organizations in Denmark, Norway and Finland.

Dr. Oliver Niedermaier, President and CEO of Sage, commented:
”We are delighted to welcome H&H to the Sage family. H&H is an outstanding business with a heavyweight client list and real momentum. With a focus on Financial Communications, Investor Relations and Online Communications, underpinned by sophisticated web-based analytics and technology, the H&H service model closely mirrors that of Sage and is a logical acquisition for the Group. The Sage concept has been very well received by clients and potential partners and there are immediate synergies between H&H and our two existing businesses D.F. King and M:Communications. We look forward to working with the H&H team as we continue to build an international business of substantial value”.

Martin Petersson, CEO of H&H, commented:
”The Sage deal is excellent news for H&H, our people and our clients. Sage represents a unique opportunity to leverage the key strengths of our successful business model. Our clients will welcome the increased international capability that this transaction delivers as well as benefiting from the extra resources Sage has committed to develop our local service offering. We also look forward to working more closely with M:Communications and D.F.King where we see great opportunities to add value for clients.”

Senior H&H management join the Sage financial communications management and development committee and will also work closely with other Sage Directors to optimise the potential of H&H’s valuable proprietary software in the development of web-based solutions for IR and financial reporting.

Sage Holdings LLC:
Dr. Oliver Niedermaier, CEO +1 212 493 6954
Hugh Morrison +44 207 1531534

H&H
Martin Petersson +46 709 711 291

Notes to Editors

Sage Holdings LLC (www.sageholdings.com) is the leading transatlantic stakeholder management and financial communications firm. Formed in 2007, with Private Equity backing from Riverside (www.riversidecompany.com) Sage companies include leading international proxy solicitation company D.F. King (www.dfking.com) and Europe’s fastest growing financial communications firm M:Communications (www.mcomgroup.com). Sage Holdings employs over 900 professionals, with offices in New York, London, Dubai, Munich and now Stockholm.

Hallvarsson & Halvarsson (www.halvarsson.com) Hallvarsson & Halvarsson supports companies and organizations in creating value by developing communication services that provide understanding and build confidence. H&H works with strategic communication consultancy and production for both print and the web e.g. annual reports and corporate websites. H&H’s over 100 employees provide extensive experience and profound knowledge within areas such as Financial Communication, Media, Crisis Management, Investor Relations, Web Consultancy, CSR and Public Affairs.