Press Release

CIBC Mellon and Pacific Equity Partners Sign Agreement for Purchase of Issuer Services Business

Toronto and Sydney, July 28, 2010 - Today, Pacific
Equity Partners (“PEP”) and CIBC Mellon Trust Company announced they
have signed a definitive agreement for PEP to purchase CIBC Mellon Trust
Company’s issuer services business (stock transfer and employee share
purchase plan) through PEP’s portfolio company, Canadian Stock Transfer
Company Inc.

With $5 billion of assets under management, Sydney-based PEP has
made significant investments in businesses with specialist operations in
share registry services, superannuation administration and investor
relations. PEP has formed a network of strategic partnerships under Link
Market Services (“The Link Group”), which has expanded beyond Australia
into global markets such as India, South Africa, the United Kingdom,
the United States and, now, Canada.

“The opportunities in North America are exciting,” said PEP
founder and Link Chairman Paul McCullagh. “Expanding our capability and
presence in Canada should signal to our clients and to the market that
we are serious about enhancing our global share registry business and
delivering world-class service to clients.”

 
“Our mission is to bring the best products and services to our
clients through great people and state-of-the-art technology,” said John
McMurtrie, Managing Director of Link. “This acquisition is a natural
next step in our strategic journey to strengthen the connection between
issuers and their shareholders across borders.”

“The sale of our issuer services business supports our strategic
direction of focusing exclusively on our asset servicing business,” said
Thomas S. Monahan, President and Chief Executive Officer of CIBC
Mellon. "We have experienced unprecedented asset servicing business
growth over the past several years and this sale will allow us to
increase our focus and resources on continuing to develop innovative
products and value-added services for our clients. I’m delighted that
our issuer services colleagues will now become part of The Link Group –
an organization that shares our commitment to innovation, leadership and
client service.”

The transaction, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to
close in October 2010, with the company operating as Canadian Stock
Transfer Company, or CST, part of The Link Group network. Terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.

CST will join forces with American Stock Transfer (AST) to become the North American division of The Link Group.

Mark C. Healy, President and Chief Executive Officer of AST, will
assume responsibility for implementing the network’s North American
strategy as President and CEO of both CST and AST.

“This acquisition gives us an immediate strong presence in the
Canadian marketplace and further reinforces our position as the largest
independent stock transfer agent in North America,” said Mr. Healy. “The
issuer services business has an experienced management team and a track
record of providing excellent customer service. AST has consistently
been rated #1 for client satisfaction in the U.S., and we are excited
about providing that same standard of service to clients in Canada
through CST.”

CIBC Mellon was advised by Blair Franklin Capital Partners Inc.
and by Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. PEP was advised by Canaccord
Genuity Corp. and by Baker & McKenzie LLP.

About CIBC Mellon
CIBC Mellon is 50-50
jointly owned by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and BNY Mellon. CIBC
Mellon is a leading provider of financial services for institutions and
corporations, providing superior asset servicing, multicurrency
accounting, information delivery, securities lending and foreign
exchange services in Canada. CIBC Mellon provides services through CIBC
Mellon Global Securities Services Company and its sister company CIBC
Mellon Trust Company.

About PEP
Pacific Equity Partners is the
most active private equity fund in Australia and New Zealand, providing
strategic management experience and capital resources to grow companies
in a range of business situations. PEP Fund IV is the largest private
equity fund in Australia and the firm has over $5 billion of equity
funds under management. Since its establishment in 1998, PEP has made 18
portfolio company acquisitions and more than 20 add-on acquisitions at
the company level.

Detailed information about PEP can be found at www.pep.com.au.

About Link Market Services
Link Market
Services Limited is a leading premium provider of registry services and
technology to financial market participants in Australasia. PEP’s most
substantial portfolio company, Link manages approximately ten million
holder records, maintains the registers of over 1,000 securities and
provides services to over 90 of the S&P/ASX Top 100. Link services
its clients seamlessly across Australia, New Zealand, India and South
Africa from its offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland,
Mumbai, Port Moresby and Johannesburg.

More information about Link is available at www.linkmarketservices.com.au

About AST
American Stock Transfer & Trust
Company provides comprehensive stock transfer and employee plan
services to over 2,800 public companies and maintains approximately
6,000 issues. AST’s clients are located throughout the United States and
in over 22 foreign countries, ranging in size from initial public
offerings to Fortune 100 companies. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in
New York, AST provides clients with customized solutions to fit their
specific needs along with access to the best systems, services,
processes and products available today — around the globe.

For additional information about AST, visit www.amstock.com.

For more information contact:

John McMurtrie, Managing Director, Link Market Services, +61 2 8280 7187, john.mcmurtrie@linkmarketservices.com.au

David Bauer, Corporate Communications, CIBC Mellon, 416-643-5142, www.cibcmellon.com

Jennifer Efland, Marketing Director, American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC, 888-267-8625, www.amstock.com.

For inquiries about Pacific Equity Partners (PEP):

Amanda Lee, Senior Consultant, FD Third Person, +61 2 8298 6100, amanda.lee@fdthirdperson.com.au