Erik S. Katz

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.

The Blackstone Group, Inc. provides marketing research services. It provides custom market research services for clients in industries as consumer packaged goods, financial services, healthcare and technology. The firm's clients include eBay, Harris Bank and Pfizer. The company was founded by Ashref A. Hashim in 1987 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Blue Source LLC markets greenhouse gas emission reduction benefits. The firm provides experience and access to capital for project development across all industries, including the technical resources to produce high quality carbon offsets for North America’s voluntary and compliance markets, and has projects listed on all of North America’s greenhouse gas standards, including the Climate Action Reserve, the Voluntary Carbon Standard, the American Carbon Registry and the Alberta Emissions Offset Registry. The company was founded by William L. Townsend in 2001 and headquartered in Murray, UT.

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. provided wealth management, securities trading and sales, corporate finance and investment banking services. Merrill Lynch was a global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a range of asset classes and serve as a strategic advisor to governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. The company was founded in 1913 and was headquartered in Charlotte, NC.