William Blair & Company Voted Large Corporate Finance House of the Year.

CHICAGO -- William Blair & Company was voted Large Corporate Finance House of the Year by the U.K. private-equity community. The firm accepted the award at the Eighth Private Equity Awards hosted by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) and Real Deals magazine at the Grosvenor House in London. Awards were voted on by members of the U.K. private-equity community, with client testimonials and interviews being a large part of the assessment.

"We are honored to be BVCA's Large Corporate Finance House of the Year," said Brent Gledhill, global head of Corporate Finance. "We have built our global banking business by successfully achieving results for clients, many of whom are BVCA members. This award acknowledges those efforts and motivates us to work even harder in serving our clients and delivering on their objectives."

"The M&A environment has been exceptionally challenging since 2008," added Matt Gooch, head of European banking. "But our global access and presence has served the British private-equity and corporate finance community particularly well through all market conditions."

The BVCA and Real Deals award comes on the heels of several other industry awards William Blair & Company received for its work in 2008. M&A Atlas Awards presented William Blair & Company with the Consumer Goods & Services Deal of the Year award for the firm's work on Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company's acquisition by Mars, Incorporated. William Blair & Company also served as financial advisor to CME Group Inc. on its acquisition of NYMEX Holdings, which was named the North American Deal of the Year by M&A Atlas Awards. In addition, Investment Dealers' Digest named Mark Brady, global head of mergers and acquisitions for William Blair & Company, as the 2008 Mid-Market Banker of the Year.

About William Blair & Company

William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is a global investment firm offering investment banking, asset management, equity research, institutional and private brokerage, and private capital to individual, institutional, and issuing clients. Since 1935, we have been committed to helping clients achieve their financial objectives. As an independent, employee-owned firm, our philosophy is to serve our clients' interests first and foremost. We place a high value on the enduring nature of our client relationships, the quality of our products and services, and the continuity and integrity of our people. William Blair & Company is based in Chicago, with office locations including Boston, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Zurich. For more information, please visit www.williamblair.com.

William Blair & Company is a trade name for William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and William Blair International, Limited. William Blair & Company, L.L.C., is a Delaware company and is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and other principal exchanges.

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