Yamana Gold Completes Take-over Bid of Meridian Gold and Acquisition of Northern Orion Resources

On October 15, 2007, Yamana Gold Inc. completed its successful US$4.4 billion take-over bid for Meridian Gold Inc. and its concurrent acquisition of Northern Orion Resources Inc. Shareholders of Meridian received 2.235 shares of Yamana and $7.00 in cash for each share of Meridian tendered to the bid. Shareholders of Northern Orion received 0.543 shares of Yamana for each share of Northern Orion pursuant to a plan of arrangement. (Yamana commenced the take-over bid on July 20, 2007, on an unsolicited basis and Yamana and Meridian entered into a support agreement on September 24, 2007.)

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP acted for Yamana with a team led by Mark Bennett (mining, M&A) that included Andrea FitzGerald (mining, M&A), Sofia Tsakos (M&A), Tim Pinos and Zoë King (advocacy), Chris Hersh (competition) and Bruce Bell (banking). Dorsey & Whitney LLP acted as US counsel for Yamana. Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP acted as Canadian counsel to Meridian with a team led by John Sabine and Sander Grieve (securities) that included Brian Abraham, Linda Misetich, Ralph Shay, Lara Vos Smith and Andrew Elbaz (securities), Naomi Horrox (labour and employment), Ross Walker (financial services), Robb Heintzman, Matt Fleming and Kate Broer (litigation) and Jules Lewy and Brian Carr (tax). Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as US counsel to Meridian with a team that included, in the Toronto office,Christopher Morgan and Ryan Dzierniejko (corporate), and in the Palo Alto office, Marc Packer and Amr Razzak (corporate) and Lonny Block (employee benefits).

DuMoulin Black LLP and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP acted as Canadian counsel to Northern Orion. Troutman Sanders LLP acted as United States counsel to Northern Orion.