Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Headlines--- Archives--"Others Award" Goes to Kit Menkin ######## surrounding the article denotes it is a "press release"
Archives-November 22, 2000 "Others Award" Goes to Kit Menkin
The kettle will go out after Thanksgiving and the bells will be ringing by many volunteers, such as myself. It meant a lot to me to receive the Salvation Army "Others" Award. It is a high honor. I have been awarded the San Francisco District Award, "Silver Tambourine" several years ago for organization of the Santa Clara County Board . I have been active in all phases of Salvation Army work for over thirty years as a volunteer. For my two year service as chairman of the San Jose Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center Advisory Board, the Northern California District granted the "Others" Award. Our area takes in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, where we run a six month "free" rehabilitation program, solely supported by our Salvation Army Thrift Stores. I ended my term, increasing donations and sales at the thrift stores, increasing automobiles donation sales, developing and maintaining http://www.salvationthrift.com, helping to establish the largest retail store we believe on the West Coast (http://www.salvationthrift.com/sj_hillsdale.html ), activating a Speaker's Bureau program, implementing many programs along with a great board of advisors, active in the committee system to accomplish our goals. -------------------------------------------------------------- Classified Ads---Asset Management Austin, TX . Bloomfield Township, MI. Chicago , IL. Hartford, CT. Princeton, NJ. Sausalito, Ca Wilton, CT. For a full listing of all "job wanted" ads, please go to: http://216.66.242.252/AL/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm To place a free "job wanted" ad, please go to: http://216.66.242.252/AL/LeasingNews/PostingForm.asp -------------------------------------------------------------- Wheeler Says, "Fresno Bee story erroneous!"
EFG Leasing President Ken Wheeler says Fresno Bee reporter Sandy Nax interviewed him in his leasing office, but didn't get the facts correct about any "alleged fraud." He did confirm he was interviewed by the Fresno Police, but explained the three examples were not correct. He expects no legal action. The first from an un-named person regarding $15,000 centers around a $2.7 million lease secured with real estate that has run into some difficulties, but Wheeler was "still working on it, trying to over come some problems with it." The reporting of California Churros was not fully explained as the transaction came to them for equipment in Los Angeles, but later confirmed with the president and his attorney appeared in his office and told him that after a "site inspection," the equipment was to be shipped to the company's plant in Mexico. The third instance involved a transaction that he found out in the course of working on it that it had gone through three separate brokers before it reached him . His broker contract prohibited this action. He did admit business was down to $5 million for the current year, compared to close to $20 million the previous year. He also said he was difficult to reach as he is only in the office for a few hours each day. Vendors , seeking payment, who recently visited the office wrote Leasing News: "They are down to one inside sales person, and do not answer the phone. I am told Ken Wheeler comes in around 9:30 to 10:00am, stays to 11:00am, and then goes to his favorite restaurant-bar, returning at 2:00pm and then leaves around 3:00pm to 3:30pm every day. I am also told he has health problems." "The office was described to me as a front desk then an office for Steve Davis and one for Ken Wheeler and a room of 12 cubicles. There is only one salesman left." "...The receptionist Tamara said Steve Davis was sick and has not been in all week, but checking e-mails, " Peter Bowen of "The Bowen Group Inc dba Concord Funding, wrote. " It appears, and I can testify to this, that Ken Wheeler comes in between 9:45am and 10:00am, goes to his restaurant at 11:00am, returns around 2:00Pm, stays about an hour or so, then leaves for home." Leasing News confirmed from Ken Wheelers that his hours are generally 9:30am to 11am, then 2:00 or 2:30pm to 4pm, and that he does go almost every day for lunch at the Elbow Room Bar & Grill.
Note: many awards for this Fresno establishment: http://www.elbow-room.com/awards.shtml "I meet my attorney and accountants, and also go over business there, " Wheeler said. "I return to the office, work as long as I can, an hour to an hour and a half, then go home to bed." He states his red blood condition is incurable.
Rumors that his son Sean Wheeler is the "wizard behind the curtain" are "untrue," he states. Sean, once head of" OneLease " (1lease-listed first in directories) who claimed when he turned the company over to a floral retail operator that they had reportedly "... over 240 satisfied brokers." Many fundors had "reps and warrants" issues with the company, Commercial Equipment Lease had called his lease to his company in default, Dun & Bradstreet had issues regarding what he has reported to him, the Fresno police were investigating regarding a fire to his "fish sitting" business, and he had many other problems, not including that he and his father Ken Wheeler has been expelled by the National Association of Equipment Brokers. http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/sean_wheeler.htm Several ex-employees of EFG, vendors who sent salesmen to wait in the office until they were paid, told Leasing News Steve Davis was really Ken Wheeler's son Sean Wheeler. A broker owed money, Peter Bowen of "The Bowen Group Inc dba Concord Funding, who was involved in several EFG deals, made this statement: " ...(our) rep was Brian Werner and I believed him to be a very straight forward guy. He told me that Steve Davis was Ken Wheeler's son." A recent e-mail in reaction to one of our stories: "From the start of my brief employment with them, something always "felt" amiss. Indeed, Steve Davis is simply a pseudonym. He is none other than Sean Wheeler and this can easily be ascertained by local marriage records in the Fresno County Hall of Records, County Clerk's Ken Wheeler stated that Steve Davis was married to his son's ex-wife, concluding that he was also no longer employee at EFG Ken said his son was confined to his house because, Sean has agoraphobia. According to Ken, Sean is completely housebound and is even afraid to leave his room. A telephone call to Sean at his house confirmed from Sean this was true, and he claimed not to be Steve Davis. Leasing News confirmed this with a very reliable source, who is very knowledgeable about Ken Wheeler: "I was aware that Sean has agoraphobia. According to Ken, Sean is completely housebound and is even afraid to leave his room. My father suffered from the same affliction in his later years, but he was able to get out for walks in the neighborhood. He just couldn't stand to be in unfamiliar surroundings." An ex-employee also stated," From the start of my brief employment with them, something always "felt" amiss...Indeed, Steve Davis is simply a pseudonym. A perfect textbook example can be found on their "Terms of Use" portion of their existing website. Steve Davis/Sean Wheeler has modeled the "new EFG" in the image of the successful East Coast Leasing company, Marlin Leasing. He went as far as outright plagiarism and basically copied word-for-word, some if not all of Marlin's ad copy, including their terms of use portions of their material. Ken Wheeler denied this, stating the web site was designed and is maintained by a professional company, which Leasing News was not able to reach at press time. He stated the leasing contract was written by a professional attorney, who we have contacted in the past, who told us he didn't want to confirm or deny, or discuss anything on this subject, "and don't you dare print my name." A vendor, who had sent a sales representative into the Fresno office, until he was paid for almost $100,000 for four leases via Ken Wheeler's "black" American Express card at $10,000 a day, the last one, originally denied by Ken Wheeler, but then allegedly paid, wrote: "I find it hard to believe that you trust anything any of those guys says...When... Mark Bixler (one of our employees)... was in Ken Wheelers office all day, Ken told him several times that Steve Davis was his son. He also said that he was the reason everything was messed up etc...We just thought that Steve Davis must have been a step son from his wife's previous marriage or something. Yesterday when I talked to their ex-sales manager he told me that Steve was Sean Wheeler (he offered this information to me, I didn't ask him for any of it). This makes much more sense now, especially since Ken Wheeler already told our rep that 'steve davis' was his son....it turns out he was telling the truth, but steve davis is really sean wheeler. "Why they went to such great lengths to hide this I do not know. I can only assume that "Sean Wheeler" has a bad name in the leasing industry so he could not use his own name." John Nadeau At one point, as the payments were being made at $10,000 a day, a requirement by American Express, and then a dispute over the fourth lease occurred, not only asked Leasing News to print his complaint, but wanted to pay for an advertisement so he could explain what was happening to his company. Our agreement as ombudsman that is the issue is resolved, vendor or broker paid or money returned to the applicant, the complaint is not printed. Leasing News has two current complaints in the works, but they are from the vendor of the two separate deals. In each case, when the vendor was not paid, they took the lease elsewhere and used their own money for the advance payments. In each case, our requirement was for the complaint to come from the original party, as they are the party who signed the lease, and to be prepared that the contract may allow EFG to keep the advance rental as they went elsewhere. It also is our experience that the original party, the lessee, generally does not want their name printed, and more than likely is annoyed at the vendor, as they were the ones who started the process. At one point, Ken Wheeler contacted Leasing News that he had retained an attorney to file an "anti-trust" suit against the National Association of Equipment Brokers for what was being said about his company on their list serve. He later back out of the action, he told us, not only due to the cost involved, but the ability to prove what was harmful to he and his company that was said on the list serve. Previous stories on EFG Leasing: http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/EFG_Rumors.htm -------------------------------------------------------------- IFC Credit "Letter to the Editor"... ELTnews: (Equipment Leasing Association ) "Last Monday, November 14th, ELT's E-News Daily contained a news item from the Chicago Tribune, "FTC Debt Inquiry Seeks Court Help," which involved IFC Credit Corporation and the NorVergence case. The item was picked up from the news wires and run without knowing that there was a larger story, or that IFC Credit was singled out only because it is headquartered in Chicagoland, making it an item of local interest. ELT regrets any false impression this may have created." Matt Philbin, editor The Letter: IFC has sent the following letter responding to the article, and addressing its specific content. ELA continues to monitor the situation around the NorVergence case, and has communicated with the FTC to make sure the Commission uses great care in dealing with the basic issue of defining the line between purely consumer-oriented transactions and commercial transactions with small businesses. The association has several initiatives underway to address this issue. LETTER TO THE EDITOR The FTC action filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, as reported in the Chicago Tribune on November 11, 2005, relates solely to a Civil Investigative Demand that the FTC sent to IFC, and many other equipment lessors. The Civil Investigative Demand is basically a subpoena request for information about IFC's Norvergence leases. The FTC's action relates solely to its Civil Investigative Demand for information and any statements therein or in any other source to the effect that IFC has been uncooperative are simply untrue. Despite statements by the FTC's attorney to the contrary, IFC has been cooperating with FTC in all respects, and provided an initial response to the FTC's request on October 8, 2004 and a supplemental response on January 12, 2005. Insofar as those responses were sent via Fed Ex overnight delivery, IFC has been able to confirm that both responses were received at the FTC. IFC's October response was signed for by K. Docher of the FTC, and its January supplemental response was signed for by G. Fondow of the FTC. IFC's counsel also contacted the FTC's attorney on a number of occasions during this time period concerning IFC's cooperation and responses. In addition to IFC's two prior responses to requests for production of October, 2004, and January, 2005, (we have written confirmations of delivery), IFC has been cooperating with the FTC on another supplemental request from the FTC for additional information and IFC is in the process of obtaining and assembling such information from third-parties for forwarding to the FTC. That information and other materials requested by the FTC are expected to be delivered to the FTC very soon which should resolve the requests of the FTC's Civil Investigative Demand. IFC, along with many other leasing companies have been impacted by the Norvergence bankruptcy. IFC continues to look to the FTC and the courts for fair and impartial treatment in this regard. -------------------------------------------------------------- ...but not to the FTC by Christopher Menkin FTC Senior Attorney Randall H. Brook, who was not available on Monday for a comment to see if the federal government was singling out "Chicagoland," must be laughing too hard to respond to the the latest IFC communiqué. IFC Credit is located in Morton Grove, Illinois. If that's "Chicagoland," don't tell the Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce. Here is a map showing the geographical location of Morton Grove to Chicago, Illinois: Seriously, there were a number of legal faux pas's in this latest "spin." It should be noted in our November 16, 2005 interview, by adding "unnamed" leasing companies, Brook did confirm other leasing companies were under active investigation, not just IFC Credit. The FTC was obviously not singling out just one company. Here is Mr. Brook's interview with dates, facts, and legal filings: http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/Novergence_139.htm The "Letter to the Editor" states they have complied with material requested, but then also states at the end, "That information and other materials requested by the FTC are expected to be delivered to the FTC very soon which should resolve the requests of the FTC's Civil Investigative Demand." If they compiled, why are they sending "That information and other materials requested by the FTC?" Is this another goof? It should be brought to Leasing News reader's attention that John J. Estok IFC CREDIT CORPORATION is one of the members of the ELA Small Ticket BC Steering Committee. It should be also noted out of the 14 member committee, 12 have been listed by various states attorney general offices as having NorVergence leases; several of the group have already accepted or are considering accepting states attorneys general settlements. ELA being a trade organization may then be considered to be representing its members and thus the "spirit" on the story is to support their member(s.) In the letter from IFC Credit, which most likely came or was reviewed by the IFC attorney, to begin with "... communicated with the FTC to make sure the Commission uses great care in dealing with the basic issue of defining the line between purely consumer-oriented transactions and commercial transactions with small businesses" was way off the reality of the situation. Leasing News has pointed out in many of its stories on this subject that the FTC does not "legally" differentiate between a commercial or consumer issue, as many state laws may in specific states. Perhaps IFC Credit should consider better legal representation and maybe they wouldn't be in the mess they are today. In closing, Leasing News appreciates Pat Myers Executive Assistant to Rudy Trebels sending us a copy of the letter to ELTnews. We would be glad to receive any comment and hope he seeks more appropriate legal advice than he is apparently receiving as others say he is much smarter than the above correspondence indicates. --------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------- Agility Solutions added to "Story Credit Lessor" List
To view the entire list, please go here: http://www.leasingnews.org/Story_Credit/Story_Credit.htm --------------------------------------------------------------
New Mexico added "Loan/Lease Broker Statutes" "Could you include the State of New Mexico? "New Mexico currently requires Brokers to register for Licensing under the NM Mortgage loan Company or Loan Broker Act with the Financial Institutions Division of the State of New Mexico. "Prior to licensing applicants must submit the Following: "Articles of Incorporation Listing of all principals (including management) A full financial Package (to meet their minimum requirements of liquidity) Personal financial statements on all principals Disclosure of all current or past suits (civil or criminal) Attach a corporate surety bond Include a $400.00 registration fee renewable yearly "Banks with Brick and Mortar within the State of New Mexico are exempt." Bob Underwood, (Leasing News has added New Mexico to the list: http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-21-05.htm#loan (Readers have asked why we stopped at South Carolina, and specifically did not include Texas. We have found it too confusing, and when time permits, trying to obtain all the states laws. If there are any corrections or a reader has a paragraph definition that is easy for all of us to understand, please send "on" or "off the record." kitmenkin@leasingnews.org) -------------------------------------------------------------- Da Bears Left Out "Don't forget Da Bears. Big win over Carolina this week with the defensive line getting 8 sacks. Reminded me of the '85 Bears with the way they were getting after people. It's like they smelled blood, and they were a pack of Coyotes." (Name with Held) (In our Monday morning wrap-up of football games as reported by the "home team" newspaper, the Chicago Bears were left out. It was a technical difficulty. Here is the story: Right on target Bonus story (Chicagoland???): Chicago's not in top 10 most dangerous cities (Tribune head) (also see News Briefs) -------------------------------------------------------------- Classified Ads---Help Wanted
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These ads were designed by Maria-Martinez Wong. Let her construct and design your ad with the goal to keep your costs down. ---------------------------------------------------------------
Top Stories---November 14-18
These are the top ten stories most "opened" by readers last week. (1) NetBank reports $3.5MM Loss http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-15-05.htm#netbank (2) FTC vs. IFC---another Wallop, Mr. Estok? http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-16-05.htm#ftc (3) Summit National Chapter 11: Up-Date http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-18-05.htm#summit (4) ELA Boca Ratan Convention-Up-Date http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-18-05.htm#ela (5) NorVergence News Update - November 15, 2005 http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-16-05.htm#norv (6) Pacific Capital, Santa Barbara, California joins "Funder" list http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-16-05.htm#funder (7) Archives-Nov 16, 2001-Jeffrey Wong Remembered http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-16-05.htm#archives (8 ) Wireless Leasing Niche in Prescott, Arizona http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-15-05.htm#niche (9) Mortgage Rates Up http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-18-05.htm#rates (10 ) Cartoon--Mrs. Coffee http://www.leasingnews.org/archives/November%202005/11-15-05.htm#toon -------------------------------------------------------------- LeaseNOW to become Mount Pleasant Capital Corp, announces release of RAPIDTrack Bob Rodi, CLP, has announced that he has changed the name of LeaseNOW, Inc. to Mount Pleasant Capital Corp. The name change became official early in October. Rodi states, "It was time to change our name and revamp our image. LeaseNOW, Inc. was merely too one dimensional. We rarely even do a lease anymore as most of our activity within the Franchise Industry is written as Equipment Finance Agreements or term loans. Mount Pleasant Capital Corp. will serve as an umbrella organization for four separate d/b/a names. Those will be LeaseNOW, Franchise Business Capital, Motor Coach Financial Service, and RAPIDTrack. RAPIDTrack has been recently released to the company's affiliates and will soon be deployed in two major franchise relationships. Rodi states "RAPIDTrack represents the crowning achievement of over 10 years of software development on our proprietary front end origination system." RAPIDTrack, which stands for Realtime Application Processing Interactive Documentation and Tracking system, has been built on the Microsoft dot net platform. The application is fully web enabled with an interface to Liquid Credit®, as well as a fully web enabled document management system. The system has also been engineered to use Genesis®. The innovative algorithm from Genesis Analytics evaluates the likelihood of a business surviving its first four years. Rodi states, "Genesis, uses both census and demographic data to render a score. In testing, it has proven to be a powerful stand alone prediction tool, however, when coupled with Liquid Credit® the predictive lift is even greater. We expect to deploy this within the Franchise Industry as a powerful pre-qualification tool for Franchisors" The system automatically notifies users in status change on applications, has its own payment calculator and utilizes LeaseNOW SmartScore® and risk based pricing programming. The system employs the latest security protocols which allows for management of a single transaction at the user level as well as top level management of the entire database. Users can attach the scanned credit file directly to the application in RAPIDTrack for immediate review by the credit department. This virtually eliminates the need for costly overnight expense. Furthermore, the credit analyst and sales person can look at the same information, at the same time on line. Rodi stated "This capability is already vastly improving turnaround time and it keeps the people originating the transactions constantly in the loop on what is happening with their transaction. We believe that the continuous evolution of real time systems is the only thing that will keep the independent competitive. Our next enhancements will be in the area of electronic signatures and a module that will allow take out lenders to review transaction that have been funded on our warehouse line. Many other segments of the financial services market are using "e-sign" technology to improve customer service. As usual, our industry segment lags behind in deploying this important technology." Mount Pleasant Capital Corp. has also engineered an investment of subordinated debt from an outside investor. This is the first time in the company's history that this has occurred. Rodi states, "We believe that we have engineered as much homogeneous growth as possible. We have always been a profitable operation but we need bigger lines of credit and a better cost of funds to accommodate our ever increasing franchise customer base. We are doing a small amount of sub-debt with a friendly investor to test the waters. If this investment goes as planned we will seek additional sub-debt investment to grow the company." Parties interested in a demonstration of RAPIDTrack should contact Bob Rodi at About Mount Pleasant Capital Corp: Based in Warrendale, PA, Mount Pleasant Capital Corp is an independent finance company that offers franchise systems and alternative strategy to SBA Loans. Its loans are fixed rate, 84 month loans and do not require additional collateral, such as real estate. About Genesis Analytics: Based in Toronto, Ontario, Genesis Analytics is a technology services company offering consulting services and specialized credit evaluation algorithms that predict the likelihood of survival for start-up and expanding business. ### Press Release ########################### Alta Group Links with Vendor Training Specialist LONDON-Persona Training, a specialist in vendor sales training, has joined international equipment leasing and asset finance consultancy The Alta Group as an Associate. Persona, whose Managing Director is Mike Ramsay, is a well-known and respected provider of training to vendors of a wide range of equipment types across Europe. The company specialises in "changing the culture of sales people", and, in particular, training them in the use of rental products to enhance their sales performance. Ramsay said: "We regard The Alta Group as an ideal partner as much of their project work in recent years has been for large lessors and manufacturers, which are either present in or planning to enter the vendor financing market. Alta's relationships with these businesses are at the highest strategic level, which is where the 'changing culture' decisions are made." Alan Leesmith, a Principal in Alta's European region, in endorsing the partnering arrangement, added: "We have known Mike Ramsay and Persona for a long time. Their specialist training skills will substantially enhance our product offering to many of our clients. We look forward to working with Mike and his growing team of professional trainers." ABOUT THE ALTA GROUP The Alta Group, established in 1992, provides a broad array of strategic consulting and advisory services, education and training programmes, merger and acquisition and dispute resolution services for companies in the global equipment leasing and asset finance industries. Its clients include manufacturers, banks, independent lessors of various sizes and others in the industry. The Alta team is made up of more than 25 international professionals committed to the asset finance business, including former CEOs, company founders and industry thought leaders who are active in their areas of expertise. They collaborate and share their in-depth knowledge and insights with today's business leaders who face a range of challenges, both old and new. The firm has built a reputation on creative thinking, trust and professionalism. The Alta Group supports clients in North America, Latin America, Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. For more information, visit www.thealtagroup.com Derek Soper, The Alta Group +44 (0)1444 891344 dsoper@thealtagroup.com Mike Ramsay, Persona Training + 44 (0)1279 653652 ### Press Release ########################### The Bank of New York Elects Vice Chairmen NEW YORK------The Board of Directors of The Bank of New York Company, Inc. and The Bank of New York elected Bruce W. Van Saun as Vice Chairman of the Company and the Bank; and, Donald R. Monks as Vice Chairman of the Bank. Mr. Van Saun is the Company's Chief Financial Officer and Mr. Monks heads Global Payments, Broker Dealer Services and the global Operations and Technology organization. Both have been serving most recently as Senior Executive Vice Presidents. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas A. Renyi said, "We are pleased to salute Bruce and Don's outstanding leadership and exceptional contributions to the Company. They are recognized leaders in the financial services industry, and their experience and insight will be indispensable as we continue to create new opportunities for growth and help our clients succeed in a rapidly changing marketplace." Since joining the Bank in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Van Saun has played an essential role in the Company's strategic development, strengthening the Company's financial position and transforming its business mix through more than 75 acquisitions and two major divestitures. He is responsible for the Company's finance, treasury, tax, corporate development and investor relations functions. He also oversees the Company's capital markets and leasing businesses. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. Van Saun held senior leadership positions at Deutsche Bank, Wasserstein Perella, and Kidder Peabody. Mr. Van Saun serves on the Boards of Directors of Bowater Incorporated and The Stride Rite Corp. He is a representative to the Financial Services Roundtable and active in other leading industry associations. During more than three decades with the Company, Mr. Monks has directed key functions including an operations and technology organization that now spans three continents and includes a staff of nearly 7,000. His responsibilities also include leadership of the Company's broker dealer and global payment services businesses, as well as securities operations, business continuity planning and corporate services. Mr. Monks has been recognized globally as a leader in shaping the evolution of the payments and securities servicing industries as well as in developing industry protocols for infrastructure resilience and business continuity. He is a representative to the Financial Services Roundtable and serves on the Executive Committee of BITS, its sister organization that focuses on issues related to emerging technology. He is a member of the steering committee of The Clearing House Payments Company. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Depository Trust Company and the U.S. central securities depository. The Bank of New York Company, Inc. (NYSE:BK) is a global leader in providing a comprehensive array of services that enable institutions and individuals to move and manage their financial assets in more than 100 markets worldwide. The Company has a long tradition of collaborating with clients to deliver innovative solutions through its core competencies: securities servicing, treasury management, investment management, and individual & regional banking services. The Company's extensive global client base includes a broad range of leading financial institutions, corporations, government entities, endowments and foundations. Its principal subsidiary, The Bank of New York, founded in 1784, is the oldest bank in the United States and has consistently played a prominent role in the evolution of financial markets worldwide. Additional information is available at www.bankofny.com. The Bank of New York Company, Inc. Kevin Heine, 212-635-1569 ### Press Release ########################### Merrill Corporation to Acquire WordWave, Inc. 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 the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire WordWave, Inc., a leading provider of litigation support, court reporting, captioning and transcription services for law firms, courts, governmental agencies and corporations worldwide. "We are very pleased about this acquisition 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. "We are creating a company with an extensive suite of solutions for the legal profession and broad geographic coverage," said Al McNee, President, Document Management Services, Merrill Corporation. "This strategic acquisition enables us to provide clients with solutions for every phase of the litigation process -- from discovery to case resolution." Merrill has historically provided a wide range of solutions to help lawyers win cases 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. "WordWave is excited to be part of Merrill Corporation," stated Perry Solomon, President and CEO of WordWave, Inc. "Our clients, employees and reporters will get access to the expanded services, facilities and technologies that Merrill offers. Joining Merrill will allow us to pursue new opportunities and fulfill our managed litigation mission of helping our clients win cases by offering total litigation support from a single provider." This acquisition is Merrill's single largest strategic business transaction to date. WordWave is currently owned by Berkshire Partners LLC and Highland Capital Partners, both Massachusetts-based private equity firms. Specific details of the agreement have not been disclosed. The deal is expected to complete by December 31, 2005 and is subject to submission and approval of the governing regulatory agencies. About Merrill Corporation Founded in 1968, Merrill Corporation ( http://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 ( http://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 ( http://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, ( http://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. SOURCE Merrill Corporation ### Press Release ###########################
News Briefs---- Leading indicators jump 0.9% in October GM is cutting 30,000 jobs Mix of Shock and Resignation on G.M. Shop Floors Set to Close Honda Civic named top car for 2006 Turning point at Sovereign Chinese Banks Ready Pilot Securitizations Most Safest Cities/Most Dangerous "No longer are any @hotmail.com or @msn.com domains necessary." http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3565871 ---------------------------------------------------------------
You May Have Missed Dallas News: 42 years later ---Dr. Ronald Jones, chief of surgery at Baylor University Medical Center, was among the doctors who worked to resuscitate the president at Parkland. ----------------------------------------------------------------
"Gimme that Wine" Wine label art comes of age Museum show puts spotlight on petite works of art Wine Spectator Notes on Beaujolais Wine Released last Thursday http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3006,00.html#scores Napa Valley style of growing, making wine coming to China http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2005/11/18/business/local/iq_3172902.txt If you want to know if you got a value for your wine, or what the wine price is today, go to www.winezap.com Type in the vintage (year) and name of the producer with wine type or geographic area, such as 1995 Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac. Even 1995 Lynch Bages will work, or 1999 Viader ----------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Top Event in History 1963-There are certain days of the month we never forget. One of my most vivid is this day when President John F. Kennedy was slain by a sniper while riding in an open automobile at Dallas, Texas. Accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was killed in policy custody awaiting trail. There has been much controversy about his death and perhaps we would not have escalated the Viet Nam war and the succession of leadership would have changed differently in our country. Generations recall watching CBS Television on this day. The popular soap opera "As the World Turns" was interrupted by a flash bulletin from Dallas. No one was available to man the CBS News studio at that instant, but a voice informed the nation that President John F. Kennedy had been gravely wounded during a motorcade through downtown Dallas. Minutes later, the network interrupted again to bring the world the terrible news. This time, Walter Cronkite, wearing partially rolled-up, white shirt sleeves, a loosened tie, no makeup, and black glasses, read wire copy just handed him: "Ladies and gentleman, the President of the United States is dead." Cronkite, disbelieving the words he had just said, turned to look at a studio clock, stoically raised a hand to wipe away tears and continued with the tragic news that President Kennedy had died while undergoing emergency surgery at Parkland Hospital. http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/jfkennedy.html ----------------------------------------------------------------
This Day in American History St. Cecilia: Feast Day. Christian martyr and patron of music and musicians, lived during third century. Survived sentences of burning and beheading. Subject of poetry and musical compositions and her feast day is still an occasion for musical events. ------------------------------------------------------------- American Football Poem
LEIF ERICSON Leif the Viking bent his knees Across the sea to a far off land A new world waited for Leif to view A man of courage, faith, and prayer Written by Carol Naevestad-Billings of Oxford, CT
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