MDC Partners Enters into Strategic Partnership with Preeminent Shareholder Services & Strategic Communications Firm Kingsdale Shareholder Services

NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MDC Partners Inc. (NASDAQ: MDCA; TSX: MDZ.A) announced today that it has acquired a majority partnership interest in leading strategic shareholder advisory and communications firm Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc.  Founded in 2003 by CEO Wes Hall, Kingsdale provides tailored strategic proxy, mergers & acquisitions, corporate, investor relations and crisis communications solutions to clients across North America.  Kingsdale's expertise complements those of a newly formed financial communications and strategic advisory group within MDC Partners, including Allison+Partners, Bryan Mills Iradesso, HL Group, Kwittken + Company, Luntz Global and Sloane & Company.    

"In an era of escalating M&A activity, increasing shareholder activism, and heightened influence from advisory services firms, our clients are in greater need of specialized strategic communications and proxy advice at the C-suite and board level to pursue their business strategies," said Miles S. Nadal, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MDC Partners.  "Kingsdale's clear leadership in all areas of strategic shareholder advisory services has made its specialists valued advisors to some of North America's most prominent CEOs and boards, and their expertise is a meaningful enhancement of MDC's total strategic communications offering.  Because of the complex regulatory environment, this area of specialized services is one of the fastest growing fields of communications and marketing globally."

Since 2003, public companies from various industries have looked to the expertise of Kingsdale for such specialized services as strategic and governance advisory, proxy solicitation, information agent, depositary, and asset reclamation, among others.  The sought-after Toronto-based firm has acted on some of the highest profile deals in North America, and as the most active proxy firm in Canada, has advised on M&A events valued in excess of $160 billion.  At the same time, Kingsdale's shareholder risk assessments have been central to identifying potential issues in numerous shareholder bases.  In addition, Kingsdale's unique understanding of the policy frameworks of the proxy advisory firms (ISS and Glass Lewis), as well as the voting policies of the largest institutional shareholders in Canada and globally, has proven itself as an important asset to companies in the development of critical proxy communications.  In recent years, Kingsdale's clients have increasingly enlisted the firm's experts to lead comprehensive governance reviews to address best practices and provide continuous strategic advisory and communications services, drawing from the company's deep experience proxy contests, in M&A transactions, annual general meetings, governance issues and transaction communications. 

"Over the last several years, my team and I have enlisted the top talent in the industry in order to execute our strategy of becoming the leader in our field," said Hall.  "In MDC, we see the ideal partner to help accelerate the next phase of our growth and success, expanding our geographic footprint and responding to client demand for our strategic counsel in new areas where we have unique insight.  Kingsdale and MDC share a deep entrepreneurial DNA, and importantly, a clear focus on the service excellence, innovation and creativity needed to help clients achieve their ambitions in today's business climate.  In addition, thanks to MDC's diversity of best-in-class services, we will be positioned to provide even more comprehensive and holistic counsel to our clients."

One of the most respected professionals in shareholder services, Hall has led prominent deals and proxy contests including Pershing Square Capital Management's campaign against the board of Canadian Pacific Railway, Jana Partners' campaign against Agrium, Petro Canada's $19 billion merger with Suncor Energy, Xstrata PLC's $19 billion bid for Falconbridge, Companhia Vale do Rio Doce's $19 billion bid for Inco, and Barrick Gold's $9 billion acquisition of Placer Dome, among many others. 

About MDC Partners Inc.

MDC Partners is one of the world's largest Business Transformation Organizations that utilizes technology, marketing communications, data analytics, insights and strategic consulting solutions to drive meaningful returns on Marketing and Communications Investments for multinational clients in the United States, Canada, and worldwide.

MDC Partners' durable competitive advantage is to Empower the Most Talented Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders to Drive Business Success to new levels of Achievement, for both our Clients and our Shareholders, reinforcing MDC Partners' reputation as "The Place Where Great Talent Lives."

MDC Partners' Class A shares are publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "MDCA" and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDZ.A".

About Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc.

Kingsdale Shareholder Services is Canada's preeminent firm and leader in the growing area of strategic shareholder advisory and communication services.  Kingsdale has a wide range of offerings including  strategic advisory, risk assessment, governance and proxy analytics, proxy solicitation, communications, information agent, shareholder identification, depositary programs, asset reclamation and escrow services.

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SOURCE MDC Partners Inc.