Norman Chirite Joins Counsel Corporation As Managing Director.

Business Editors

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 2001

Counsel Corporation (Nasdaq:CXSN)(TSE:CXS.) today announced that Norman Chirite has joined Counsel as a Managing Director.

From 1992 through 2000, Mr. Chirite was a partner in the Corporate Department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLC, an international law firm based in New York City, where he specialized in mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance and private equity transactions. Most recently he was the Senior Vice President - General Counsel of Convergence Holdings Corp., a privately-held marketing services and communications investment company. Mr. Chirite also serves as a director of Iogen Corporation, a privately-held industrial biotechnology firm based in Ottawa, Canada.

"One of Counsel's strategic assets is its impressive management team and the addition of Norm Chirite will significantly augment our management and transaction execution capabilities," stated Allan Silber, Chairman and CEO of Counsel Corporation. "Norm has worked with Counsel over the years both as an advisor and, most recently, as a member of our board of directors and we look forward to his contributions as we pursue our strategy of building and realizing value for our shareholders."

About Counsel Corporation

Counsel Corporation (TSE:CXS / Nasdaq:CXSN) focuses on acquiring significant positions in, and actively managing for growth, a portfolio of operating companies. Counsel's strategic portfolio investments include companies that possess enabling technologies that provide a competitive advantage for their end users and have the potential to contribute to the transformation of the business environment: a 52% (fully diluted) stake in sales and marketing intelligence systems provider Proscape Technologies, Inc. (www.proscape.com); a 33% stake in e-marketer Impower, Inc. (www.impower.com); a 28% stake in e-learning application service provider IBT Technologies, Inc. (www.ibt-technologies.com); and a 13% stake in Internet data communications and services provider Core Communications Corporation (www.core.net).

Counsel Communications LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Counsel Corporation. Counsel Communications is focused on acquiring, consolidating and operating Internet telephony and other telecommunications-related businesses. In February 2001, Counsel Communications acquired 97.5% of Nexbell Communications Inc. (www.nexbell.com), a designated Cisco Powered Network member in the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) category. On March 1, 2001, Counsel Communications acquired a 65% interest in I-Link Incorporated (Nasdaq:ILNK; www.i-link.com), an enhanced Internet Protocol voice and data communications service provider. On April 18, 2001, I-Link acquired Counsel's interest in Nexbell in exchange for shares, resulting in Counsel owning approximately 70% of I-Link. Most recently, I-Link acquired and commenced operations of a 10XXX "dial around" business with approximately US$70 million of annualized revenues. The Company's primary strategy is to develop one of the most sophisticated, next-generation communications networks in the US, providing efficient, leading-edge domestic and international VoIP connectivity as well as other related "value-added" and traditional telecommunications services.

In the medical products sector, Counsel's 78.5%-owned Sage BioPharma, Inc. subsidiary (www.sagebiopharma.com) develops and markets products used in the treatment of infertility.