SHEPARD'S, CheckCite 2000 Now Available Exclusively Online on the LEXIS-NEXIS Services; SHEPARD'S Usage Soars Following Release of Next-Generation Product.

DAYTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1999--

LEXIS(R)-NEXIS(R) customers gain a double competitive advantage this week as two powerful legal research tools -- the SHEPARD'S(R) Citation Service and CheckCite(TM) 2000 citation-verification software -- become available to them exclusively.

As previously announced, SHEPARD'S will be available to online users exclusively on the LEXIS-NEXIS services beginning July 2. Earlier this week, LEXIS-NEXIS released its all-new CheckCite 2000 software, providing users with unparalleled speed, reliability, comprehensiveness and ease of use in automated citation verification. CheckCite 2000, announced in May, draws on the power of the next-generation SHEPARD'S -- a system whose usage has soared following its recent introduction.

"Since the introduction of the new SHEPARD'S service in late March, usage of the product has grown tremendously," said Nick Emrick, senior vice president and general manager, LEXIS Online Publishing. "Legal researchers have discovered that they can go beyond the traditional ways of using citations services to yield new research possibilities.

"Beginning tomorrow, with the exclusive availability of SHEPARD'S on the LEXIS-NEXIS services, every user will be assured the most accurate and up-to-date version of the product available when they access SHEPARD'S at www.lexis.com," he said.

Regular LEXIS-NEXIS subscribers pay $3.75 per SHEPARD'S search. Many subscription agreements include unlimited access to SHEPARD'S for a flat fee. SHEPARD'S is also available at www.lexis.com, payable by credit card at $4 per search. This service meets the needs of legal professionals who have limited research requirements, or who primarily use books and CD-ROM products and are interested in trying out the product on the web.

The new SHEPARD'S continues to receive accolades from leaders within the legal profession. -0-

--   "...SHEPARD'S has several distinct features -- Custom
     Restrictions, Core Terms, FOCUS(TM), More Like This and Find a
     Statute -- which give it a clear functional advantage over West's
     KeyCite(R), particularly as a research tool." --Charles J.
     Ogletree, Jesse Climko professor of law at the Harvard Law School

--   "The editorial value of SHEPARD'S is unparalleled. I trust it as
     the one place I can go to find the full history and status of a
     case, as well as the validity of statutory law....I would never
     present an oral argument without that one last consultation of
     SHEPARD'S before walking into the courtroom." --Therese M.
     Stewart, president of the Bar Association of San Francisco and a
     partner in a San Francisco law firm

--   "I have relied on SHEPARD'S for history, relationships and case
     connections that are identified by expert legal editors, as well
     as a full range of negative and true positive analysis. The new
     FOCUS(TM) feature opens up new dimensions for research by
     providing the ability to search the full text of citing
     references not only for points of law but for facts and names."
     --Barry Simpson, executive director, Pennsylvania Bar
     Association.

--   "SHEPARD'S assures that every brief we file contains the best
     possible information, timely through the very day it arrives at
     the courthouse. SHEPARD'S provides a most important legal
     advantage. We simply would not work without it." -- Amy Greer,
     Partner, Bower, Greer & Panzarella PC; Treasurer, Allegheny
     County Bar Association

"Since CheckCite 2000 works with new SHEPARD'S, it inherits all of its strengths, including its comprehensive coverage, accuracy, currentness and expert analysis," Emrick said. "Combined, the two provide our customers with an unbeatable advantage."

LEXIS-NEXIS is a trusted name in decision-support services in the legal, news, business and government markets. The company helps a variety of professionals collect, manage and use information more productively.

LEXIS-NEXIS is a division of Reed Elsevier Inc., and a member of the Reed Elsevier plc group (www.reed-elsevier.com), one of the world's leading publishing and information businesses. Reed Elsevier has annual sales of approximately $5 billion and 27,000 employees. It is owned equally by Reed International P.L.C. (NYSE:RUK) and Elsevier NV (NYSE:ENL). Information about LEXIS-NEXIS may be found on the World Wide Web at www.lexis-nexis.com

LEXIS and NEXIS are registered trademarks and FOCUS and CheckCite are trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., used under license. SHEPARD'S is a registered trademark of SHEPARD'S Company. KeyCite is a registered trademark of West Group.