2008 Financing Awards

Winners Revealed at

Annual Middle-Market Financing Awards Gala

Houlihan Lokey Garners Five Award Categories, Including Investment Banking Firm of the Year

Contact: Roger Aguinaldo, 718.997.7900

June 9, 2008

The M&A Advisor revealed the winners of its 3rd Annual Middle-Market Financing Awards competition during a prestigious ceremony held this evening at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, IL. Jeff Flock, the Chicago correspondent for FOX Business Network, hosted the evening “Academy-award” style – none of the nominated finalists knew the winner until the envelope was opened.

“In a time when financing and the credit-crunch has stalled the economy, it’s ironic that we celebrate the successes in the middle-market financing industry,” said Roger Aguinaldo, CEO and Publisher of The M&A Advisor. “The finalists in this room represent the best of breed in the middle-market financing industry.”

Among the biggest winners of the evening were investment banking firm, Houlihan Lokey, garnering five categories, including Investment Banking Firm of the Year, Debt Financing Deal-Maker of the Year (Noel R. Ryan), and the top category of Middle-Market M&A Financing Deal of the Year (Acquisition Financing for Harden Healthcare to acquire Girling Healthcare). Another top winner was boutique investment banking firm Financial Technology Partners, a recipient in three categories.

A total of 21 awards were presented to dealmakers and firms in the middle-market finance industry. A panel of independent judges selected the winners from among 104 competing finalists.

“Obviously, we were pleasantly surprised by the response to our call for nominations. Every subsequent year, the judges have a more difficult time choosing winners because of the high-quality of finalists,” said Aguinaldo.

A complete List of 2008 Financing Awards Winners follows.

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About the M&A Advisor Awards Program:

The M&A Advisor organizes a series of domestic and international award programs serving the mergers and acquisitions, financing, and distressed/turnaround industries. The Awards honor top-performing professionals and firms whose activities set the standard in the industry. Nomination is free and open to all industry participants. The finalists are selected from among the qualified nominees.

An independent committee of judges enlisted from the industry encompassing finance professionals, academics, consultants and service providers, chooses winners of the awards. Winners are revealed for the first time during the awards gala – an evening of celebrations attended by top-level executives from the industry.

The next awards galas are: The M&A Advisor Awards Gala, New York, NY, December 15, 2008 for excellence in mergers and acquisitions; and The Turnaround Awards Gala, Palm Beach, FL, March 2009 for excellence in distressed investing, turnarounds and bankruptcies.

About The M&A Advisor:

The M&A Advisor is a progressive information services provider for executives in the mergers and acquisitions, distressed investing, and related financial industries. The company founded 10 years ago, offers insights into middle-market mergers and acquisitions activities. The company produces a series of conferences and celebrates contributions made by the professionals and firms through its unrivaled, independently judged awards program. The M&A Advisor also publishes the M&A Alerts, a weekly newsletter distributed electronically to over 35,000 subscribers. For more information, please contact us by email: info@maadvisor.com. Or by phone at: 718.997.7900. www.maadvisor.com

A complete List of 2008 Financing Awards Winners follows.

2008 Middle-Market Financing Awards Winners:

Winners of Major Awards Categories:

Middle-Market M&A Financing Deal of the Year

Acquisition Financing for Harden Healthcare to acquire Girling Healthcare

Nominated by Houlihan Lokey

Debt Financing Deal of the Year

Securitization of Receivables and Syndication of Secured Revolver of Presidio, Inc.

Nominated by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

Equity Financing Deal of the Year

Minority Equity Recapitalization of AMPAM Parks Mechanical

Nominated by Houlihan Lokey

Distressed Financing Deal of the Year

St Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers of NY Exit Financing

Nominated by GE Healthcare Financial Services

Acquisition Financing Deal of the Year

Multi-tranche Financing of Atwood Mobile Products out of Dura Automotive Bankruptcy

Nominated by Insight Equity

Equity Financing Deal-Maker of the Year

Steve J. McLaughlin Financial Technology Partners

Debt Financing Deal-Maker of the Year

Noel R. Ryan Houlihan Lokey

Winners of Firm of the Year Awards:

Financing Firm of the Year

Golub Capital

Investment Bank of the Year

Houlihan Lokey

Boutique Investment Bank of the Year

Allegiance Capital Corporation

Law Firm of the Year

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

Financial Restructuring Advisor of the Year

Focus Management Group

Private Equity Sponsor of the Year

Insight Equity

Winners of Sector Awards Categories:

Information Technology Deal of the Year

Sale of Refco’s 35% stake in Forex Capital Markets

Nominated by Financial Technology Partners

Media, Entertainment or Telecom Deal of the Year

Cinemark Holdings IPO

Nominated by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal of the Year

Acquisition Financing for Harden Healthcare to acquire Girling Healthcare

Nominated by Houlihan Lokey

Energy Deal of the Year

Financing of WDC Exploration & Wells

Nominated by Citi Capital Strategies

Industrial Manufacturing/Distribution & Goods/Services
Below $100mm

Acquisition of Fischbein LLC

Nominated by Circle Peak Capital

Industrial Manufacturing/Distribution & Goods/Services
Above $100mm

Acquisition Financing of Sprint Industrial Holdings

Nominated by Edgeview Partners

Financial Services Deal of the Year

Sale of Refco’s 35% stake in Forex Capital Markets

Nominated by Financial Technology Partners

Retail Manufacturing/Distribution & Goods/Services Deal of the Year

Recapitalization of Russell Newman, Ltd.

Nominated by GW Equity, LLC