Michael S. Pak

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Banc of America Securities (BAS) is the investment banking subsidiary of Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC). The firm provides both the domestic and international equity and investment banking markets, and pursues a strategy pioneered by Citigroup that combines corporate lending with investment banking advice and services. They provide high-yield debt underwriting and leveraged finance, in addition to industry coverage groups such as healthcare, media and telecom, financial institutions, real estate and gaming. BAS also does a significant amount of work for Financial Sponsors, or private equity firms, often financing leveraged transactions. Following the strategy of Goldman Sachs, the firm lacks a standalone mergers and acquisitions department, instead employing mergers and acquisitions senior bankers throughout the industry coverage groups. The firm is registered as a broker/dealer with the SEC, is a member of the NYSE, and the NASD. The use of Banc in the BAS's name is indicative of the fact that the company is not a bank, and their deposits and other holdings are not insured by the FDIC.

Clarkson Capital Markets LLC (dba Clarksons Platou Securities) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2001 as CIS Capital Markets LLC. They are a subsidiary of Clarkson USA, Inc., ultimately held by Clarkson Plc (LON: CKN) in Great Britain. Clarksons Platou Securities offers services such as equity and fixed income sales and trading, equity and credit research, corporate access and corporate finance services, including advising clients on a range of equity and debt capital markets and M&A transactions. They have a broad and diverse global institutional client base, specializing in the Clarksons Group’s core maritime, oil services and natural resources sectors.