Linda Wong

In 1915 Charles Edward Merrill founded Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) with Edmund C. Lynch in Baltimore, Maryland. The modern Merrill Lynch was formed in 1940 through mergers with E.A. Pierce & Cassatt and, soon after, Fenner & Beane. In 1973, Merrill Lynch adopted a holding company format, with Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. as the parent and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith as the operating subsidiary. Merrill Lynch Asset Management, Inc. (MLAM) was created as an integral business unit in the Merrill Lynch family in 1976. Fund Asset Management, doing business as Mercury Asset Management, was acquired in December 1997. In 2000, MLAM and Mercury were combined under the name Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. MLAM manages the Merrill Lynch family of mutual funds, as and acts as sub-advisor to other mutual funds.

Founded in 1985, First Foundation Advisors is a registered investment advisor located in Irvine, California. The firm was formerly known as Keller Group Investment Management, Inc. They are a subsidiary of First Foundation, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFWM). First Foundation Advisors provides discretionary investment advisory services and/or financial planning services on a stand-alone basis or combined discretionary investment advisory services and financial planning services on a fee-only basis. Their domestic and international clients include individuals, families, family businesses, foundations, corporations and non-profit institutions.