Mike Budd

Chicago Equity Partners LLC is an investment management firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm was founded in 1989 by Robert Kramer, Patrick Lynch and Dave Johnsen. They are a subsidiary of Chicago Acquisition LLC, ultimately held by Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (NYSE: AMG). Chicago Equity Partners provides investment management services to institutional investors, including, but not limited to: banks, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, Taft-Hartley plans, charitable institutions, foundations, and endowments, municipalities and other governmental bodies, registered investment companies in a sub-advisory capacity, and to other pooled investment vehicles intended for sophisticated investors and institutional investors.

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.