Berry Petroleum Co., owner of the Placerita oil field and other oil properties in Kern County, West Texas, Utah and Colorado, announced Wednesday that the leading independent proxy voting advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services has recommended that Berry stockholders vote for the proposed merger with LINN Energy LLC and LinnCo LLC.

As previously announced on Nov. 4, 2013, Berry entered into a definitive merger agreement with LINN and LinnCo under which Berry stockholders will receive 1.68 shares of LinnCo for each outstanding Berry share held as of the November 14, 2013 record date.

“A vote FOR the proposed transaction is warranted given the substantial 44.6 percent premium to the unaffected price implied by the 1.68 exchange ratio and the transaction’s compelling strategic rationale,” ISS concluded in its report to clients.

The Boards of Directors at Berry, LINN, and LinnCo have all unanimously approved the merger agreement as detailed on form S-4.

Meetings of Berry stockholders, LINN unitholders, and LinnCo shareholders for the purpose of voting on the previously announced merger agreement will be held on Monday, December 16, 2013. The transaction is subject to approval of the respective companies’ stockholders, unitholders, and shareholders.

The Berry Petroleum Company meeting will occur at 10:00 a.m. MST on Monday, December 16, 2013 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, 1881 Curtis Street, Denver, Colorado 80202.

If Berry stockholders require assistance in voting their proxies, they should call either of Berry’s proxy solicitors, Georgeson Inc., at 866-295-8105 or Innisfree M&A Incorporated, at 888-750-5834.

About Berry Petroleum Co.

Berry Petroleum Company is a publicly traded independent oil and natural gas production and exploitation company with operations in California, Texas, Utah, and Colorado. The company uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the company is routinely posted on and accessible at http://www.bry.com.