Luis R. Cortez

Neuberger Berman BD LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in New York City. It is directly owned by Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC, which is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Group LLC, which is owned by NBSH Acquisition LLC. The firm traces their origin back to the 1939 founding of Neuberger & Berman, its predecessor firm. In 1950, Neuberger Berman became one of the first firms to offer a no-load mutual fund to individual investors. Neuberger Berman BD manages a range of equity, fixed income, private equity and hedge fund strategies on behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors worldwide.

Boston-based John Hancock Advisers, Inc. (JHA) is the mutual fund affiliate of John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. and manages the John Hancock family of retail and institutional mutual funds, as well as separate equity portfolios for private accounts and retirement plans for individual and institutional investors. In 2003, Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX, NYSE: MFC) and John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: JHF) announced that they would merge and would thus create a leading global insurance franchise. The combined company will market products and services under multiple brands including John Hancock in the US and Manulife in Canada and the US.

Essex Investment Management Co. LLC (Essex) is an independent registered investment advisor headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm was founded by Michael Hazard and Joseph McNay in 1976. Essex provides investment management services on a discretionary basis to institutional clients, such as employee benefits plans, endowment funds, foundations, religious organizations, and mutual funds. The firm also provides investment management services to individuals (private clients), limited partnerships and limited liability companies.