Chris A. Leppla

Founded in 1932, Stanford Group Co. is a broker/dealer headquartered in Houston, Texas with offices nationwide. They are a subsidiary of Stanford Financial Services, Inc. and their ultimate parent is CBaySystems Holdings Ltd. The firm offers a full range of brokerage services for both domestic and international clients. They are a member of the NASD and the SIPC. Stanford's research includes both institutional equity research and Washington-focused policy research, offering a perspective on individual companies, sector-specific topics and national policy. Their equity analysts offer insight and opinions on companies in the consumer/retail, media, energy, financial institutions, healthcare, technology and water/environment sectors, targeting small- and mid-cap companies. Their policy analysts deliver investment relevant insights across a broad range of sectors, including geopolitics, international/trade, Federal Reserve board policy, health care (including services, medical devices and pharmaceuticals, telecom, media, financial services, water/environment, agribusiness/tobacco, energy) and technology (including information technology services, homeland security and biometrics/emerging technologies).

Sanders Morris Harris LLC (SMH) is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA, SIPC, located in Houston, Texas. The firm is also an SEC-registered investment advisor. SMH was formed in January 2000 as the result of a merger between Sanders Morris Mundy, Inc. and Harris Webb & Garrison, Inc. The firm is now wholly-owned by Summer Wealth Management LLC. The ultimate principal owners of Summer Wealth Management, LLC are Lee Equity Partners LLC and The Edelman Financial Center, Inc. through intermediaries. SMH provides provides brokerage, asset management and similar services to individuals, high net-worth individuals, pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, estates, and corporations and other business entities.

Founded in 2001, MF Global, Inc., formerly Man Securities, Inc., is a broker/dealer located in Chicago with an additional office in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of MF Global Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: MF). MF Global Holdings Ltd. is an independent broker of exchange-traded futures and options and an intermediary in the markets for foreign exchange, securities and other major financial instruments around the world. MF Global Securities is a member of the NASD and the SIPC. The firm provides coverage for the following sectors: capital goods, automobiles, telecommunications, food manufacturing, retail food, industrials, insurance, construction, mining, media, general retail/luxury goods, communications equipment, banks and specialty financial companies, specialty sales, oil, construction and pharmaceuticals. In the US, MF Global Securities provides buy-side institutions, sell-side institutions and retail clients with voice and electronic access to major securities markets through execution and clearing services. Their clients include hedge funds, pension funds, asset management firms, bulge bracket investment banks and other broker dealers.

Guggenheim Securities LLC is a SEC-registered broker-dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of Links Holdings LLC, ultimately held by Guggenheim Partners LLC. Guggenheim Securities’ specializations include the sales and trading of fixed-income securities and sophisticated structured products. The firm offers in-depth analysis and expert execution of trading opportunities to large institutional investors and asset originators. They offer sales and trading services relating to a wide range of instruments.

Founded in 2008 by Suzanne Clark, Potomac Research Group Holdings LLC (PRG) is an investment research firm located in Washington, DC. The firm is a registered investment advisor in the District of Columbia and is a member of the Investorside Research Association. They provide policy and market analysis to institutional investors. PRG helps mutual funds, pension funds and hedge funds understand the impact of legislation and regulation on markets, industries and companies.