Chris J. Smith

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.

The Yucaipa Cos. LLC is a private equity firm founded in 1986 by Ronald Wayne Burkle. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Newfleet Asset Management LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. They are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Virtus Partners, Inc., which is owned by Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTS). The firm was founded in 1989 by Gail Seneca and they were formerly known as SCM Advisors LLC and as Seneca Capital Management LLC. Newfleet Asset Management provides investment management services to foundations, endowments, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, public funds, multi-employer plans, open-end investment companies, closed-end funds, Exchanged Traded Funds, UCITS, registered investment advisers, a CDO and a CLO which are considered private clients.

Credit Suisse (New York Securities Branch) is based in New York, NY. Part of UBS Group AG, Credit Suisse (New York Securities Branch) is a company that provides investment banking and asset management services.

Baker Avenue Asset Management LP (dba BakerAvenue) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in San Francisco, California. The firm was founded by Simon Baker in 2004. BakerAvenue provides investment advisory services to individuals, high net-worth individuals, corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, foundations, trusts, and other US institutions.