John Coleman

Founded in 1989, CRT Capital Group LLC is an institutional securities research and brokerage firm located in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm focuses on high-yield and convertible debt, capital structure arbitrage, mergers and acquisitions, special situations and distressed securities. CRT trades senior and subordinated bonds, bank debt, trade claims, convertible bonds, equities, real estate loans, tax exempt securities and private placements.

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.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (RJA) is a registered broker-dealer headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. The firm was founded in 1962 and is a subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF), a diversified holding company. RJA offers a full array of capital markets services, strategic advice and planning for institutional investors.

ABN AMRO Bank NV, established in 1824, is an international bank based in Amsterdam ABN AMRO Bank NV, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABN AMRO Holding NV (XA: AABA; NYSE: ABN). The firm's investment banking business unit provides commercial clients in local markets as well as multinational corporations and financial institutions with advisory, financing and operational services. They have global expertise in the international capital markets and eco-markets, as well as for transaction banking, asset management and private equity.

Founded by Donald Putnam and Jefffrey Lovell in 1987, Putnam Lovell NBF Securities is a broker/dealer headquartered in New York City with an additional office in Boston. The firm is a subsidiary of Jefferies & Co., Inc. and their ultimate parent is Jefferies Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEF). Putnam Lovell NBF Securities provides a full array of trading and execution services for their clients. Their clients include U.S. and foreign financial institutions, mutual fund companies, private investment firms, broker/dealers, insurance companies, e-Finance companies and banks.