Leucadia National Corporation and Jefferies Group, Inc. to Merge

Leucadia National Corporation (LUK) and Jefferies Group, Inc. (JEF) today announced that the Boards of Directors of both companies have approved a definitive merger agreement under which Jefferies’ shareholders (other than Leucadia, which currently owns approximately 28.6% of the Jefferies outstanding shares) will receive 0.81 of a share of Leucadia common stock for each share of Jefferies common stock they hold. This exchange is intended to be tax-free to Jefferies’ shareholders. The merger, which is expected to close during the first quarter of 2013, is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval to effect the merger by both Leucadia and Jefferies shareholders. In order to avert the possibility that the transaction would result in the application of tax law limitations to the use of certain of Leucadia’s tax attributes, the merger agreement limits the amount of Leucadia shares that can be issued to certain persons that would otherwise become holders of 5% of the combined Leucadia’s common shares by reason of the merger. 

Concurrently with the execution of the merger agreement, Leucadia, Richard Handler, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Jefferies, and Brian Friedman, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Jefferies and one of its Directors, have each agreed pursuant to separate voting agreements, among other things, to vote their respective shares in favor of the transaction; and Ian Cumming, Leucadia’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, and Joseph Steinberg, Leucadia’s President and one of its Directors, have each agreed pursuant to separate voting agreements, among other things, to vote their respective shares in favor of the transaction. These voting agreements represent approximately 18.3% and 31.5% of the outstanding shares of Leucadia and Jefferies, respectively. 

Upon the closing of the merger, Mr. Handler will become the Chief Executive Officer of Leucadia, as well as one of its Directors, and also remain Jefferies’ Chief Executive Officer and Chairman; Mr. Friedman will become Leucadia’s President and one of its Directors, and also remain Chairman of the Executive Committee of Jefferies; and Mr. Steinberg will become Chairman of the Board of Leucadia and will continue to work full time as an executive of Leucadia. Mr. Cumming will retire as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Leucadia upon the closing of the transaction and remain a Leucadia Director. The other Leucadia officers will continue in their present positions.