Alex Blanton

Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC (Clear Harbor) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisory firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm was founded by Ian Armstrong and Aaron Kennon in 2009. Clear Harbor provides financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to individuals, pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and business entities.

Ingalls & Snyder LLC is a dually-registered broker/dealer and investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1924 and serves Portfolio Managers with prompt and efficient execution of orders in the marketplace. Their trading desk also maintains active relationships with broker-dealer firms specializing in securities listed outside the US, enabling Portfolio Managers and clients to invest in any foreign securities market where they find opportunity. Ingalls & Snyder also has significant expertise in fixed income securities. They research and transact in non-investment grade corporate credits for clients and for their own account. The firm also provides Portfolio Managers and clients the ability to trade in US Government securities, municipal bonds, and high grade corporate bonds.

Kidder, Peabody & Co., Inc. provides security brokerage services. The private company is based in Buffalo, NY and has subsidiaries in Switzerland. The company was founded by Thomas W. Ostrander.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (MLPFS) is the SEC-registered broker/dealer subsidiary of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., ultimately held by Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC). The firm was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in New York City. In 2010, Banc of America Securities LLC merged with MLPFS and the firm uses the trade name Bank of America Merrill Lynch. MLPFS's global strategy and economics team serves institutional and individual investors using a wide range of macroeconomic disciplines. Their analysis of global issues provides clients with investment ideas, market forecasts, macro overviews and specific sector recommendations across asset classes, regions and disciplines. Their equity research team conducts fundamental analysis on companies globally and provides institutional and retail clients with industry-specific and in-depth research and analysis on numerous industries. The firm's global fixed-income and equity-linked research focuses on fixed-income and equity derivatives, fixed-income strategy, convertibles, commodities, high-yield, mortgages, municipals and global foreign exchange.