SGS Acquires Lakefield Research Common Shares

SGS Société Générale de Surveillance Holding S.A. of Switzerland acquired all of the outstanding common shares of Lakefield Research Limited for approximately $42 million on April 24, 2002. The SGS group is the largest verification, testing and certification organization in the world. Lakefield Research, is a Canadian-owned world leader in providing testing and research services in metallurgical, environmental and mineralogical fields to the minerals and metal industries.

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP acted for SGS and co-ordinated the activities of SGS counsel in Latin America, South Africa and Australia. The Blakes team included Rob Collins, Chris Cyrenne, Jake Gilbert, Peter Gilchrist, Aleks Hynna, Jonathan Kahn and Jeff Trossman.

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP acted for Lakefield Research and its selling shareholders, with a team that included Stephen Arnold, Andrew MacDougall, Eleanor Farrell and Brian Temins (corporate), Greg Wylie (tax) and Dan Kirby and Sean Love (environmental).