12th Mar 2009 12:00
Notification of major interests in shares
March 12, 2009 - Shire plc , the global specialty biopharmaceutical company
1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:
Shire plc
2. Reason for the notification State Yes/No An acquisition or disposal of voting rights Yes An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached An event changing the breakdown of voting rights Other (please specify):
3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification Legal & General obligation:
Group Plc (L&G) 4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.): Legal & General Assurance (Pensions Management) Limited (PMC) 5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the 10 March 2009 threshold is crossed or reached if different): 6. Date on which issuer notified: 11 March 2009 7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached: From 3% - 4% (L&G) 8. Notified details:
A: Voting rights attached to shares
Class/type Situation previous to Resulting situation after the triggering
of shares the Triggering transaction if possible transaction using the ISIN CODE Number Number Number Number of voting % of voting of of of rights rights Shares Voting shares Rights Direct Direct Indirect Direct Indirect ORD 22,346,618 22,346,618 22,847,218 22,847,218 4.078 (ORD) (ORD) GBP 0.05 (ORD) (ORD) ADR 7,299 21,897 7,299 21,897 0.003 (ADR) (ADR)
B: Financial Instruments
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
Type of Expiration Exercise/ Number of voting % of financial date Conversion rights that may be voting instrument Period/ Date acquired if the rights instrument is exercised/converted Total (A+B) Number of voting rights % of voting rights 22,869,115 4.08
9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:
Legal & General Group Plc (Direct and Indirect) (Group) Legal & General Investment Management (Holdings) Limited (LGIMH) (Direct and Indirect) Legal & General Investment Management Limited (Indirect) (LGIM)
Legal & General Group Plc (Direct) (L&G) (22,869,115 - 4.08% = LGAS, LGPL & PMC)
Legal & General Investment Management (Holdings) Limited (Direct) (LGIMHD) (20,696,995 - 3.69% = PMC)
Legal & General Insurance Holdings Limited (Direct) (LGIH)
Legal & General Assurance (Pensions Management) Limited (PMC) (20,696,995 - 3.69% = PMC)
Legal & General Assurance Society Limited (LGAS & LGPL) Legal & General Pensions Limited (Direct) (LGPL)
Proxy Voting:10. Name of the proxy holder: N/A
11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold: N/A 12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting N/A
rights: 13. Additional information: Notification using the total voting rights figures of 560,222,583 14. Contact name: Helen Lewis (LGIM)
15. Contact telephone number: 020 3124 3851
Contact at Shire plc: Tony Guthrie, Deputy Company Secretary, 01256 894746
For further information please contact:
Investor Relations Cl©a Rosenfeld (Rest of the World) +44 1256 894 160 Eric Rojas (North America) +1 617 551 9715 Notes to editorsSHIRE PLC
Shire's strategic goal is to become the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT) and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas to the extent they arise through acquisitions. Shire's in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in specialist markets with strong intellectual property protection and global rights. Shire believes that a carefully selected and balanced portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results.
For further information on Shire, please visit the Company's website: www.shire.com.
Registered in Jersey, No. 99854, 22 Grenville Street, St Helier, Jersey JE4 8PXPress Release
www.shire.com
LEGAL & GENERAL GROUP PLCRelated Shares:
Legal & GeneralShire