LONDON, October 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Global share registry and investor relations provider Link Group (Link) have reached an agreement with its North American partner, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (AST) to acquire 100% of the European business of D.F. King & Co., Inc, the leading provider of proxy solicitation services throughout North America and Europe.
As part of this transaction, Link will also acquire the rights to the D.F. King brand name outside the Americas.
Link and AST, both majority owned by funds managed by Pacific Equity Partners, have entered into a cooperation agreement to provide a seamless global service offering to corporate issuers.
David Geddes, CEO of Link Group Corporate Markets, the division that will be responsible for the D.F. King business, commented: "This is a very significant strategic step which will allow us with AST, to roll out a seamless global proxy solution to our many joint cross-border clients. In due course, we will be extending the D.F. King franchise into Asia and Australasia to sit alongside our highly regarded global investor relations business, Orient Capital."
Mark Healy, President and CEO of AST said: "This partnership with Link provides us with a unique opportunity to transform the D.F. King business we acquired in June into a global proxy powerhouse. D.F. King is one of the world's oldest and most respected proxy firms, with a track record second to none. We look forward to building on this reputation and experience."
The transaction is effective 1st November 2014.
About Link Group and Orient Capital
Link Group is a leading global third party financial record keeper, comprising four core businesses: Pension and Superannuation Administration, Corporate Markets, Information & Data Services, and Property Services. Link Group's Corporate Markets division comprises its global share registry and investor relations businesses, which are active in over 20 countries.Its investor relations activities are undertaken through Orient Capital which supports over 1,700 of the world's largest companies outside North America.
About D. F. King & Co., Inc.
Founded in 1942, D.F. King boastsindustry-recognized expertise in proxy contests, tender offers and exchange offers for corporate control. For over 70 years, D.F. King has been one of the leading and most trusted providers of proxy and other stakeholder services in the U.S. Today, we are one of the leading proxy solicitation providers in the mutual fund industry. http://www.dfking.com
For further information please contact:
Alison Owers, CEO EMEA, Orient Capital | +44(0)20-77-76-75-74 | http://www.orientcap.com
