Michael A. Hecht

Citizens JMP Securities LLC (Citizens JMP) is a full-service investment bank and broker/dealer headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm was founded by Joseph Jolson in 2002 and was formerly JMP Securities LLC. The firm is a subsidiary of JMP Holding LLC, ultimately held by Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG). Citizens JMP provides equity research, institutional brokerage, and investment banking services to public and private growth companies and their investors. They are a research-driven, growth-oriented firm that provides services to small- and mid-sized companies and the institutions that invest in them. The firm specializes in four high-growth sectors of the economy: technology, healthcare, financial services, and real estate.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Banc of America Securities (BAS) is the investment banking subsidiary of Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC). The firm provides both the domestic and international equity and investment banking markets, and pursues a strategy pioneered by Citigroup that combines corporate lending with investment banking advice and services. They provide high-yield debt underwriting and leveraged finance, in addition to industry coverage groups such as healthcare, media and telecom, financial institutions, real estate and gaming. BAS also does a significant amount of work for Financial Sponsors, or private equity firms, often financing leveraged transactions. Following the strategy of Goldman Sachs, the firm lacks a standalone mergers and acquisitions department, instead employing mergers and acquisitions senior bankers throughout the industry coverage groups. The firm is registered as a broker/dealer with the SEC, is a member of the NYSE, and the NASD. The use of Banc in the BAS's name is indicative of the fact that the company is not a bank, and their deposits and other holdings are not insured by the FDIC.

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Credit Suisse Securities USA) is the broker/dealer division of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, an investment banking company headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Credit Suisse (USA), Inc., ultimately owned by Credit Suisse Group AG (SWX: CSGN) in Switzerland. Credit Suisse Securities USA offers a suite of equities, solutions and credit products and services which includes global securities sales, trading and execution, prime brokerage and comprehensive investment research. Their clients include financial institutions, corporations, governments, institutional investors, such as pension funds and hedge funds, and private individuals around the world.

Part of Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc., William M. Mercer Cos. LLC is a company that provides insurance and reinsurance services worldwide as a broker, agent, or consultant for clients. The company is based in New York, NY.