St. Paul, Minn. — April 26

Lawson Software, Inc., a resource planning software company, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by GGC Software Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of Golden Gate Capital and Infor, in a transaction valued at about $2 billion.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, stockholders of Lawson will receive $11.25 per share in cash. Lawson’s board of directors unanimously approved the transaction and board members who collectively own about 9 percent of Lawson’s outstanding shares have agreed to vote their shares in favor of the transaction.

During its evaluation, Lawson conducted a comprehensive market assessment and contacted other potential acquirers including competing global providers of enterprise applications and financial buyers, a process that did not result in a superior proposal. Following a thorough review and analysis of the strategic alternatives available to the company, Lawson’s board determined that this merger transaction is in the best interests of stockholders.

“We are pleased to have entered into a transaction that will offer Lawson stockholders an attractive valuation,” said Harry Debes, Lawson’s president and chief executive officer. “After a thorough examination of the strategic alternatives available to the company as well as extensive discussions with Golden Gate and Infor, Lawson’s board unanimously concluded that this transaction is in the best interests of the company and our stockholders.”

“Lawson is a natural strategic partner for Infor, offering complementary software solutions that will extend our existing portfolio, particularly in areas such as healthcare, public sector, manufacturing and human capital management,” said Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor.

Source: Lawson Software, Inc.