Jones Lang LaSalle Announces Merger With King Sturge

LONDON, May 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Two leading real estate advisory firms combine European operations

Global commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL) today announced it will merge with international property consultancy King Sturge. The combined firm will be the clear leader in the UK and also in continental Europe, with greatly enhanced strength and depth of service capabilities across the region that will directly benefit the clients of both companies.

The transaction is expected to close on 31 May 2011. Under its terms, Jones Lang LaSalle will pay consideration of 197 million pounds Sterling ($319 million) to the partners of King Sturge, with 98 million pounds Sterling in cash at closing and the balance paid out in cash over five years.

All 43 King Sturge offices and businesses across Europe, including 24 in the UK, will become part of Jones Lang LaSalle and will operate under the Jones Lang LaSalle brand. Integration of business lines and teams, and the full rebranding of all business activities, will begin immediately.

Christian Ulbrich, Jones Lang LaSalle Chief Executive Officer for EMEA said: "The obvious strategic and cultural fit between Jones Lang LaSalle and King Sturge makes this a logical and very attractive proposition for both firms. It gives us a scale and depth of expertise that will make our client service delivery capabilities second to none in both the UK and continental Europe."

Richard Batten, Joint Senior Partner, King Sturge said: "This is a coming together of two great companies who are culturally aligned, with fantastic business synergies, to create the best firm of property advisers in Europe. We truly believe that we will be better together. The ability to operate on a global platform, and the opportunities that this will provide, is great news for all our staff and clients."

The merger will deepen mutual strengths and existing leadership positions. It will also bolster overall service delivery capabilities:

    
    - The powerful combined Capital Markets team will provide
      clients with unparalleled access to international capital flows through
      Jones Lang LaSalle's global platform.
    - The merger accelerates each firm's strategic priority to lead in
      targeted local and regional markets.
    - Jones Lang LaSalle leads the London agency and investment markets
      and King Sturge is a leading force in the UK regional markets.
    - The combination will add significant depth and scale to a range
      of services, including industrial, global logistics and retail.
    - The firm's presence in Europe will broaden significantly in the
      rapidly growing Central, Eastern and South-Eastern European markets.

Andrew Gould will serve as Chief Executive of the merged business in the UK. Richard Batten will assume the role of UK Executive Chairman.

Andrew Gould commented: "We are tremendously excited to combine these two outstanding firms. Each has a reputation for excellence based on teamwork and putting clients first. Our new leadership team is already in place, consisting of senior directors from both firms, and their immediate focus will be to begin to realise the extraordinary potential of the merger for our clients and colleagues."

The merged business operates in 70 EMEA markets across 30 countries employing 5,300 people providing integrated real estate services worldwide to investor, owner and occupier clients. The UK business will have 2,700 employees across 34 offices.

About Jones Lang LaSalle

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate. The firm offers integrated services delivered by expert teams worldwide to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying or investing in real estate. With 2010 global revenue of more than $2.9 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle serves clients in 60 countries from 1,000 locations worldwide, including 185 corporate offices. The firm is an industry leader in property and corporate facility management services, with a portfolio of approximately 1.8 billion square feet worldwide. LaSalle Investment Management, the company's investment management business, is one of the world's largest and most diverse in real estate with approximately $43 billion of assets under management.

For further information, please visit our website, http://www.joneslanglasalle.eu ¦ 200 East Randolph Drive Chicago Illinois 60601 ¦ 22 Hanover Square London W1A 2BN ¦ 9 Raffles Place #39-00 Republic Plaza Singapore 048619

    
    NOTE TO EDITORS:

    1) Further detail regarding the transaction is available on the
       Investor Relations page of the Jones Lang LaSalle website
       http://www.joneslanglasalle.com
    2) Photography available