(St. Paul, MN) - Lawson Software went public on Friday, December 7, offering 14 million shares of its common stock at a price of $14 per share. On its first day of trading on Nasdaq under the symbol "LWSN," the stock rose 13 percent by midday.

Lawson Software is a leading provider of enterprise software solutions targeting specific services industries. The company has long prided itself on its open-architecture platforms, with a current focus on XML and Web-based technologies. The company offers comprehensive financial management, human resources, professional services automation, procurement, distribution, and customer relationship management solutions designed to manage, analyze, and improve customers' businesses. Lawson's software solutions automate and integrate critical business processes, facilitating collaboration among customers, partners, suppliers, and employees. Lawson also provides professional services that optimize and support the selection, implementation, and execution of a customer's e-business technology infrastructure. Founded in 1975, Lawson has a strong history of profitable operation and a long list of prestigious clients, including Sears, McDonalds, Birkenstock USA, Manitoba Insurance, the State of Michigan, and 13% of the Fortune 500 companies.