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April 15, 2016

THREE RAYMOND JAMES INVESTMENT BANKING PROFESSIONALS RECOGNIZED AS EMERGING LEADERS BY THE M&A ADVISOR

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The M&A Advisor has named Raymond James investment bankers Jamie Graff, Ryan Lund and Mike Pokrassa to its 7th Annual Emerging Leaders list. The group will be recognized at the Emerging Leaders Awards ceremony in the Dealmakers category on June 10.

Jamie Graff is managing director and co-head of the Real Estate Investment Banking group. This recognition represents the latest milestone in a 17-year career of investment banking experience, serving REITs, lodging companies and home builders. Graff has managed more than 150 equity transactions totaling over $25 billion in various forms of capital in both the public and private markets, and has represented clients in numerous M&A transactions worth in excess of $15 billion.

Ryan Lund is managing director of the Technology & Services Investment Banking group. Joining the team in 1999 and currently leading the enterprise software practice, Lund has more than 17 years of investment banking experience and has closed more than 75 transactions. He has extensive experience with enterprise software businesses and has completed initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, mergers and acquisitions, carve-outs, strategic board advisories, restructuring and private capital raising assignments.

Mike Pokrassa is managing director of the Debt Origination & Restructuring Investment Banking team with more than 16 years of debt and restructuring experience. At Raymond James, Pokrassa advises clients on restructuring and recapitalization transactions in a variety of industries. In the past seven years at Raymond James he has completed more than 40 restructuring, distressed M&A and recapitalization transactions.

'Jamie, Ryan and Mike are true leaders within their profession and our organization. They work tirelessly to serve the needs of their clients and develop creative solutions in an ever-changing environment. Their deep understanding of the industries they serve and extensive experience has made them top bankers in their industries and is the foundation for our team's success,' said Jim Bunn, head of Investment Banking at Raymond James. 'We applaud their many achievements.'

This is the fourth consecutive year that a member of the Raymond James Investment Banking team has been named an Emerging Leader by The M&A Advisor. Jon Steele, a managing director and co-head of the Raymond James Investment Banking Technology & Services group, was a 2015 winner. Brendan Ryan, managing director and co-head of the Technology & Services group, was awarded in 2014, and Alper Cetingok, managing director and co-head of the Security, Defense and Government Services group, was a 2013 winner.

The Annual M&A Advisor Emerging Leaders Awards was born as the 40 Under 40 Awards in the United States in 2010 and recently expanded to include Europe. The awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of young M&A, Financing and Turnaround professionals who have reached a significant level of success and made a notable contribution to their industry and community. Evaluation and selection of the nominees was completed by an independent judging panel.

About Raymond James Investment Banking

Raymond James Investment Banking offers highly regarded equity offering and advisory practices. Since 2009, we have participated in raising $600 billion in capital for our corporate clients and completed more than 450 advisory assignments, including nearly 400 M&A buy-side or sell-side advisory assignments.

About Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF) is a leading diversified financial services company providing private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. The company has approximately 6,700 financial advisors serving in excess of 2.7 million client accounts in more than 2,700 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $485 billion. Public since 1983, the firm has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1986 under the symbol RJF. Additional information is available at www.raymondjames.com. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC.

Raymond James Financial Inc. issued this content on 15 April 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 15 April 2016 21:03:30 UTC

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