William Landers

Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc. is a global investment banking, securities trading and brokerage firm located in New York City with additional offices in Dallas, Boston and San Francisco. The firm is a subsidiary Bear Sterns Cos., Inc. (NYSE: BSC). Their equity research team consists of senior analysts located throughout the world. In addition to domestic coverage, they have research teams focusing on Latin America, Asia and Europe. The analysts use a bottom-up approach to stock selection. The Bear Stearns fixed-income research department provides coverage of every sector of the fixed-income universe. The financial analytics and structured transactions group (F.A.S.T) provides investment research, fixed-income portfolio management and analytical systems, trading technology and general financial expertise. The group also provides a broad range of services to financial institutions including asset-liability management, balance sheet restructuring, receivables-based financing analysis, security and portfolio analysis, peer analysis, and historical and real-time market-based information.

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.

A subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., Lehman Brothers, Inc. is a broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. They provide global equity and fixed research. The equity research department covers more than 100 sectors. They use a fundamental, quantitative, strategic and tactical research approach. In addition to these Lehman has also developed special products, such as 10 uncommon values and 10 uncommon eurovalues.

BlackRock Advisors LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1994 and is a subsidiary of BlackRock Capital Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK). BlackRock Advisors manages assets for US-registered investment companies and 529 Plans.

In 1915 Charles Edward Merrill founded Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) with Edmund C. Lynch in Baltimore, Maryland. The modern Merrill Lynch was formed in 1940 through mergers with E.A. Pierce & Cassatt and, soon after, Fenner & Beane. In 1973, Merrill Lynch adopted a holding company format, with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. as the parent and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith as the operating subsidiary. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc. (MLAM) was created as an integral business unit in the Merrill Lynch family in 1976. Fund Asset Management, doing business as Mercury Asset Management, was acquired in December 1997. In 2000, MLAM and Mercury were combined under the name Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. MLAM manages the Merrill Lynch family of mutual funds, as and acts as sub-advisor to other mutual funds.

BlackRock Investment Management LLC (BIM) is a registered investment advisor headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. The firm was founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of Trident Merger LLC, ultimately held by BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK). BIM manages assets for institutional and high net worth clients, separate accounts, pooled investment vehicles and US registered investment companies. They also sponsor an SMA (wrap fee) program.

BTG Pactual Asset Management S/A DTVM (BTG Pactual-AM) is the investment management subsidiary of Banco BTG Pactual SA (BVMF: BPAC11) in Brazil. Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, BTG Pactual-AM was founded in 2010 and provides asset management services to clients, including institutional clients, high-net worth individuals, corporations and distribution partners in Brazil and across Latin America.

BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC (BTG) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was formed in 2011 as the successor to BTG Pactual US Asset Management Corp., founded in 2008. They are a subsidiary of BTG Pactual NY Corp. and their ultimate parent is Banco BTG Pactual SA (BVMF: BPAC11, Euronext: BTGP), a Brazilian investment bank. BTG is a sub-adviser to certain private funds managed by BTG Pactual Global Asset Management Ltd. They also provide both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to institutional and high-net worth clients on an individually segregated account basis and within its wealth management group.