M. Katherine Lynch

Milestone Merchant Partners LLC is an investment banking firm. The company provides mergers & acquisitions, merchant banking, financial solutions, capital formation and corporate restructuring services. Milestone Merchant Partners was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Washington, DC.

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.

The Group's principal activities are to provide commercial and retail banking, consumer finance, asset management, mortgage financing and payment processing services. The asset management includes both institutional asset and personal wealth management. The Group also provides home equity line of credit which consists of revolving lines of credit secured by residential real estate. Other consumer loans include installment loans for automobiles, boats and recreational vehicles, student loans. The Group provides credit card services and insurance services also. As on 31-Dec-2007, the Group operates through 1,400 branch banking offices and 4100 retail and wholesale mortgage offices located throughout the United States. On 05-Jan-2007, the Group acquired Fidelity Bankshares, Inc.

Deutsche Bank AG provides financial and banking services. It also offers commercial and investment banking services. The company is headquartered in New York, NY.

Patriot Financial Manager LP (Patriot Financial Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 2007 by Kirk Wycoff, James J. Lynch and Ira M. Lubert. The firm is headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania.