E*Trade Group, Inc. Acquires Versus Technologies

E*TRADE Group, Inc. (E*TRADE), a global leader in online personal financial services, completed on August 28, 2000, its $258 million acquisition of VERSUS Technologies Inc. (VERSUS), a Canadian-based provider of electronic securities trading services for institutional and retail customers and owner of the E*TRADE Canada license. The deal will be an exchangeable share transaction and will be effected by way of a plan of arrangement.

The Toronto office of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP acted for E*TRADE with a team that included Bruce Blain, Sam Rickett, Nigel Johnston, Robert Elliott, Robert Spiegel and Michael Pasternack. E*TRADE was also advised by Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP of Palo Alto, California and their team of Curtis Mo, Jonathan Shanberge and Joe Hayashi. VERSUS was advised by Stikeman Elliott whose team of lawyers included John Stransman, Rob Nicholls, Donald Belovich, Quentin Markin, Sean Vanderpol, John Lorito and Dean Kraus. VERSUS was also represented by in-house counsel Leslie Milrod and Fern Glowinsky.

Lawyer(s)

Robert N. Spiegel Richard E. Johnston S. Bruce Blain Sean Vanderpol Robert E. Elliott Dean Kraus Samuel R. Rickett John G. Lorito Donald G. Belovich Joe Hayashi