HSBC Officially Opens Chicago Office.

Two Earthwatch Educator Fellowships Presented to Local Chicago Teachers

NEW YORK -- HSBC USA Inc. today announced the official grand opening of its new downtown Chicago office which will offer commercial banking, cash management and trade services, private banking, wealth and tax advisory services and commercial real estate banking. The office is located at The Hyatt Center, 71 S. Wacker.

To celebrate the opening, HSBC will host a welcome reception for guests including customers, community leaders, employees and other VIPs.

Paul Lawrence, President and Chief Executive Officer, of HSBC Bank USA, N.A. will present HSBC Educator Fellowships to two local Chicago area teachers in celebration of the new office. The two teachers are Amy Andrews, a third grade teacher at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, a Chicago public school and Jennifer Griffith, a second grade teacher at The Latin School of Chicago, a private school located on the Near North Side of Chicago.

According to Lawrence, "We consider ourselves a guest in every market in which we do business and overall, we believe we are a guest of the planet. Our commitment is to support the local community and to act as environmental stewards in those markets. We believe these fellowships will serve to do both well." In 2006, HSBC made a $3.7 million social investment in Chicagoland activities.

The addition of the downtown Chicago office continues to build on HSBC's significant presence in the state of Illinois. "We are committed to offering our banking customers a suite of services to meet all their banking needs," Lawrence added.

HSBC employs more than 6,000 people in the state, including those at its North America headquarters in Prospect Heights, Illinois. In addition, HSBC has employees in Deerfield, Elmhurst, Franklin Park, Mount Prospect, Schaumburg, Vernon Hills and Wood Dale.