Acquisition

RNS Number:8339M
Reed Elsevier PLC
26 June 2003



26 June 2003





           Issued on behalf of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV


   Reed Elsevier to acquire the public record business of Dolan Media Company


Reed Elsevier Group plc today announced that its global legal division,
LexisNexis, has entered into a definitive agreement to buy the public records
business of Dolan Media Company.  Dolan Media is a leading provider of US
electronic public records information, including bankruptcies, civil judgements,
federal and state tax liens and eviction notices. It specialises in large scale
and rapid gathering of public records data.


The business will be integrated within the LexisNexis Risk Management operation,
part of the Corporate and Federal Markets Division.  Dolan Media's public
records business is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has 180 employees.  In
the 12 months ended 31 March 2003 the public records business reported revenues
of $44 million.


Bill Pardue, CEO of the Corporate and Federal Markets Division of LexisNexis
commented: "The Dolan public records business will fit well with LexisNexis'
broad public records content, industry focused solutions and risk scoring
technology.  This acquisition will expand further the capabilities of LexisNexis
in the strongly growing risk management market."


-ends-

For further information please contact:

Catherine May, Reed Elsevier, tel [phone]


Notes to editors


Reed Elsevier Group plc


Reed Elsevier Group plc is a world leading publisher and information provider.
It is owned equally by its two parent companies, Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed
Elsevier NV.  The parent companies are listed on the London, Amsterdam and New
York Stock Exchanges, under the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam
: REN; New York: RUK and ENL.  In 2002, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit
before taxation of #927 million (Euro1,474 million) on turnover of #5,020 million
(Euro7,982 million).  The group employs 36,000 people, including approximately
22,000 in North America. Operating in the scientific, legal, educational and
business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high value and flexible
information solutions to professional end users, with increasing emphasis on
internet delivery.


For further information, please visit the company website www.reedelsevier.com.






                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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