Proposed Acquisition Of LEA

Informa plc, the leading global information specialists, today announces that its Academic & Scientific division has agreed to acquire, subject to the receipt of regulatory clearances, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers (LEA) of New Jersey.

LEA which publishes more than 100 journal titles and 200 new books a year under the imprints of Lawrence Erlbaum Associates and The Analytic Press will become a part of Informa’s Taylor & Francis business. LEA is well known for its extensive range of academic titles particularly in behavioural science and education, where Taylor & Francis also has core strengths under the Routledge and Psychology Press imprints.

Roger Horton, CEO of the Taylor & Francis Group said: “In addition to making an excellent fit with our publishing business, strategically the acquisition of LEA will significantly support our expansion in two important subject areas – psychology and education – particularly in the important US market. LEA will be a very welcome addition to the Taylor & Francis Group.”

Being part of Informa will provide LEA with access to a wider range of customers, content and opportunities. In addition, Informa will enable LEA to expand faster into newer and progressive digital formats in journals, books and combined offerings.

Lawrence Erlbaum, who founded LEA in 1973, said: “I have taken great care to build my company into the force in academic publishing that it is today. It is now time for LEA to benefit from being part of a larger and more global academic publisher, and I am pleased that Taylor & Francis and I have come to this agreement.”

Informa has annual sales in excess of £200 million in the academic and scientific publishing sector. LEA’s sales for the year ended 31 December 2005 were $21m (£11.5m).

Berkery, Noyes & Co., LLC initiated the transaction on behalf of LEA , acted as its financial advisor, and represented it in its negotiations with Informa plc.

Enquiries:

Taylor & Francis Group Tel: 020 7017 6262
Roger Horton, Chief Executive
 
Informa plc Tel: 020 7017 5000
Peter Rigby, Chief Executive
David Gilbertson, Group Managing Director
Tony Foye, Finance Director
Susanna Kempe, Chief Marketing Officer
 
Financial Dynamics Tel: 020 7831 3113
Tim Spratt / Charles Palmer / Darrel Connell