David Schmidt

Founded in 1999, Advanced Equities, Inc. is a venture capital/private equity firm located in Chicago with additional offices in New York City and San Francisco. The firm is a subsidiary of Advanced Equities Financial Corp.

Founded in 1993, First Allied Securities, Inc. is an independent, SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in San Diego, California. The firm is a member of FINRA, the NASD and the SIPC. First Allied Securities Inc. was previously a subsidiary of Advanced Equities Financial Corp. In April 2006, Advanced Equities Financial Corp. acquired First Financial Planners and merged it with First Allied Securities. In 2008, the firm acquired First Montauk Securities Corp. from First Montauk Financial Corp. In 2011, Lovell Minnick Partners LLC and the management team of First Allied Advisory Services acquired the firm from Advanced Equities Financial Corp. First Allied Securities is affiliated with First Allied Advisory Services, Inc., a registered investment advisor. The firm provides a full array of trading and execution services for their clients. They do not provide any internal research.

The Chicago Bar Association is a voluntary membership organization consisting largely of lawyers and judges from Cook County and the state of Illinois. The private company is based in Chicago, IL and has subsidiaries in the United States. The association works to establish and maintain the honor and dignity of the profession of law, promote the welfare of its members, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the administration of justice. Founded in 1874, it is one of the oldest and most active metropolitan bar associations in the United States.