Ryan P. Donovan

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.

Founded in 1971, Samuel A. Ramirez & Co., Inc. is a full-service securities firm and broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm provides services to individuals, business owners, institutional investors and government agencies. They offer professional services focusing on wealth management, underwriting, banking, institutional brokerage, research and asset management. Samuel A. Ramirez & Co. provides retail and institutional trading expertise in tax-free municipal bonds, equities, government bonds, corporate bonds and alternative investments. The research group provides research to institutional investors on equity, macroeconomics and fixed-income for the U.S. and the U.S. Hispanic market. The firm has ten main divisions: private client, municipal bond department, institutional equity, transition management group, taxable fixed-income group, equity capital markets, debt capital markets, mergers and acquisitions/strategic business advisory, Ramirez Research Group and Ramirez Asset Management. The Private Client Services Group performs portfolio management, retirement planning, financial and estate planning for individuals, business owners, corporations and institutions. The group offers an array of investment disciplines including equity and fixed income, diversification strategies, insurance and alternative investments. The Municipal Bond Department provides banking, underwriting, sales, trading and distribution services to states, local governments and their agencies throughout the U.S. The Equity Capital Markets Group offers underwriting services to corporations, public retirement programs and to some of the nation's largest professional money managers. The firm's equity underwritings include spin-offs, private equity sponsored transactions, equity recapitalizations by financial institutions and traditional IPOs. The Debt Capital Markets Group offers underwriting of fixed-income securities including corporate bonds, convertible bonds, ABS, preferred stock and U.S. Agency notes. The firm is a co-manager or underwriter of debt in the traditional corporate bond market, the retail targeted hybrid and trust preferred market, the tax-exempt market (for select corporations) and is a member of the selling group for the major U.S. Agencies. The Institutional Equity Group offers performance-enhancing products and services, value added investment ideas and agency only/non-conflicting trade execution for institutions, corporations and government agencies in both the U.S. and international markets. The Taxable Fixed Income Group offers the firm's institutional and high net-worth retail clients access to new issues as well as secondary trading in corporate bonds, U.S. Agency securities, $25-preferreds, MBS, ABS and convertible bonds. Ramirez Asset Management offers managed accounts to individuals and institutions for fixed-income, equities and balanced accounts. Their institutional fixed-income portfolios include cash, enhanced cash, core and core plus strategies.