Samer Samman

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Credit Suisse Securities USA) is the broker/dealer division of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, an investment banking company headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Credit Suisse (USA), Inc., ultimately owned by Credit Suisse Group AG (SWX: CSGN) in Switzerland. Credit Suisse Securities USA offers a suite of equities, solutions and credit products and services which includes global securities sales, trading and execution, prime brokerage and comprehensive investment research. Their clients include financial institutions, corporations, governments, institutional investors, such as pension funds and hedge funds, and private individuals around the world.

Polen Capital Credit LLC (PCC) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Formerly known as DDJ Capital Management LLC, the firm was co-founded by David Breazzano in 1996 and was acquired by Polen Capital Management LLC in 2022. PCC provides discretionary investment advice to corporate domestic and foreign pension plans, public pension and retirement plans and Taft-Hartley plans. They also act as investment sub-advisors to certain US and non-US investment advisors and asset managers. PCC is a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI).

Cowen & Co. LLC is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 2004 and is a subsidiary of Cowen Holdings, Inc., ultimately owned by The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSE: TD) in Canada. Cowen & Co. offers industry-focused investment banking for growth-oriented companies, domain knowledge-driven research and a sales and trading platform for institutional investors. Their institutional sales and trading business serves both equity and fixed-income clients. Sales and trading execution platform is structured around the following key verticals: (1) healthcare (2) technology, telecommunications and media (TMT) (3) REITs and financials (4) aerospace and defense (5) consumer and (6) alternative energy.

Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (DBSI) is a SEC-registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1971 and is a wholly-owned investment banking and brokerage arm of DB U.S. Financial Markets Holding Corp., ultimately held by Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB, FRA: DBK) in Germany. DBSI provides securities brokerage and investment advisory services to domestic and international private clients and institutions. They are also a primary dealer in US government securities as designated by the Federal Reserve.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management LP (GSAMLP) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in New York City. The firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of GSAM Holdings LLC, and their ultimate parent is Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). Founded in 1988, GSAMLP provides investment solutions to a range of individual and institutional investors worldwide.

UBS Securities LLC is an investment bank and registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1998 as UBS Warburg LLC. They are a subsidiary of UBS Americas Holding LLC, ultimately held by UBS Group AG (SWX: UBSG, NYSE: UBS) in Switzerland. UBS Securities is a primary dealer in US Government securities and provides a full range of investment banking services which includes corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, trading and sales, fixed-income, equity research, private banking, underwriting and prime brokerage operations. The firm also provides advisory services and access to capital markets for corporate, institutional, intermediary and alternative asset management clients.

Susquehanna Financial Group LLLP (SFG) is an institutional broker-dealer headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. The firm was founded in 2002 and is a direct subsidiary of SFG Holding LLC, which is owned by Bodel, Inc. SFG offers a full range of order execution and trading flow services, with a focus on delivering innovative trading strategies and execution services to institutional clients.

JPMorgan Securities LLC (JPMS) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1985 and is a subsidiary of JPMorgan Broker-Dealer Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by JPMorgan Chase & Co., Inc. (NYSE: JPM). JPMS provides research on fixed income, credit, derivatives, emerging markets, foreign exchange, structured finance, technical analysis and bond indices. Their equity analysts cover equities throughout North America, EMEA, Asia/Pacific and the emerging markets. The firm's fixed income team formulates trading and portfolio recommendations for investors in global bonds and other fixed-income markets based on valuations, analytics and market dynamics.

Citadel Advisors LLC is a SEC-registered investment advisor and hedge fund manager headquartered in Miami, Florida. The firm was founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin and is wholly-owned by Citadel Advisors Holdings LP, ultimately held by GFH HFEVA LLC. Citadel Advisors manages private investment funds that are offered exclusively to sophisticated investors.

Jacobs Asset Management LLC (JAM) is an independent registered investment advisor and hedge fund manager headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by Seymour (Sy) Jacobs in 1995. JAM provides investment management services on a discretionary basis to privately offered pooled investment vehicles consisting of hedge funds and private equity funds.

Franklin Advisers, Inc. is a mutual fund manager and registered investment advisor headquartered in San Mateo, California. The firm was founded in 1985 and is a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN), a holding company that, together with its various subsidiaries is referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Advisers provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to US and non-US, registered open-end and closed-end funds and unregistered funds, as well as separate accounts.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is a registered broker-dealer subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings, Inc., ultimately owned by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) in the US. Headquartered in New York City, the firm was founded in 1987 and provides debt and equity services including underwriting, M&A advice, securities dealing and brokerage and trade execution. Their client base ranges from large global institutional investors to hedge funds at the cutting edge of innovation in the industry.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) is a securities brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1927, the firm is a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS). GS&Co. provides services to help hedge funds manage risk, monitor portfolios, maintain liquidity and build their businesses. They offer clients access to global equity and derivatives markets, as well as foreign exchange, commodities, European Lefts, rates and credit across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The firm proactively monitors capital markets, searching for pockets of liquidity and news that may require changes to those strategies. Integration with the Goldman Sachs network gives clients access to the firm's sectored block trades and their insights into price discovery. Their electronic trading program provides clients with tools to manage their trades from pre-trade analytics to post-trade analysis.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. is a credit rating and investment research firm headquartered in New York City. They are a subsidiary of Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO). The firm performs international financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities and provides a variety of analytic tools for assessing credit risk. Their clients include creditors, investment banks and commercial banks.

Founded in 1958, Merrill Lynch Piece Fenner & Smith, Inc. is an SEC registered broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of BAC North America Holding Co. and their ultimate parent is Bank of America Corp. (NYSE BAC).

Part of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Corp. is a company based in New York, NY.

Cornell University is an educational institution that offers undergraduate and post graduate programs. It was founded in 1865 and is based in Ithaca, NY.

Nomura Securities International, Inc. (NSI) is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1969. The firm is a division of Nomura Holding America, Inc. and their ultimate parent is Nomura Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NMR, TYO: 8604, AMS: 8604). NSI provides securities brokerage services, as well as asset management, domestic retail, global markets, global investment banking and global merchant banking services. The firm's fixed-income business consists of bond sales and trading, origination and product supply for securitization deals and real estate-focused asset finance operations (in cooperation with Investment Banking). In the equity markets, NSI offers sales and trading of domestic and foreign stocks on a global basis, primarily for institutional investors.

Founded in 2001, Macquarie Capital (USA), Inc. is a registered broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of Macquarie Bank Ltd. (ASX: MBL). They provide coverage of the following industries: resources, healthcare, security/defense, transportation, financial services, retail/consumer products, TMET (telecommunications, media, entertainment and technology), oil & gas, diversified manufacturing/distribution and infrastructure/utilities. Macquarie Capital (USA), Inc. is a member of FINRA.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc. (Stifel) is a dual-registered broker-dealer and investment adviser headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1890, the firm is a subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF), a financial service holding company. Stifel provides full-service brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals and their families, institutions and businesses, and financial advisors.

Fitch Ratings, Inc. is a global rating agency and investment research firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by John Knowles in 1913 as Fitch Publishing Co. They are a subsidiary of Fitch Group, Inc., ultimately owned by The Hearst Family Trust. Fitch Ratings seeks to provide independent and prospective credit opinions, research and data to the world's credit markets. Their approach is based on a foundation of local market experience that covers capital markets in over 150 countries. The firm's ratings analysis and rating decisions are based on established criteria, methodologies and ratings definitions which they apply in a consistent manner. Fitch Ratings provides coverage of the following markets: Economics, Banks, Insurance, Sovereigns, Corporates, Structured Finance, Public Finance – International, Public Finance – US, Infrastructure & Project, and Finance.

Wells Fargo Securities LLC (WFS) is the broker/dealer subsidiary of EVEREN Capital Corp., ultimately owned by Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC). Headquartered in New York, WFS delivers a comprehensive suite of banking, capital markets and advisory solutions, such as a full complement of sales, trading and research capabilities, to corporate, government and institutional clients.

The Illinois State Bar Association is a state bar association that serves lawyers. The association is based in Springfield, IL. The association provides various resources for lawyers, including legal forms, expert services, and publications. It also offers continuing legal education programs and hosts events for lawyers.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP operates a law firm. Its practices include mergers and acquisitions, securities, public and private financing, investment funds, private equity, real estate, intellectual property, communications and technology, new media and the Internet, entertainment, employee benefits and executive compensation, personal representation, antitrust, environmental regulation, tax and bankruptcy, and corporate reorganization law. The company was founded in April 1875 is headquartered in New York, NY.

Founded in 2006 by Sy Jacobs, Bill Roy and Mike Sekits, JAM Equity Partners LLC is a private equity firm located in New York City with an additional office in El Segundo, California.

Part of The University of New South Wales, Newsouth Innovations Pty Ltd. provides support services for university inventors to turn their discoveries into innovations. The company is based in Sydney, Australia. The Australian company was founded in 1959. Kevin Cullen has been the CEO of the company since 2011.

Kohlberg & Co. LLC (Kohlberg & Co) is a private equity firm founded in 1987 by James Andrew Kohlberg and Jerome S. Kohlberg. The firm is headquartered in Mount Kisco, New York.

The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) is a professional organization that provides education, advocacy, and networking opportunities for intellectual property (IP) law practitioners. The organization is based in Arlington, VA and offers a variety of resources for its members, including access to committees focused on specific areas of IP law, continuing legal education (CLE) courses, and publications such as the quarterly journal and Innovate magazine. AIPLA also advocates for policies that support the protection of IP rights and provides resources for students and the public.

The Permal Group Ltd. provides asset management services. It offers multi-manager and single manager funds, separate accounts and structured products. The company is headquartered in New York, NY.

B. Riley Securities, Inc. is a registered broker/dealer headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm is a subsidiary of B. Riley Securities Holdings LLC, ultimately owned by B. Riley Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: RILY). The firm was formed in 2017, when B. Riley Financial, Inc. merged two of their brokers, B. Riley & Co. (founded in 1997) and FBR Capital Markets & Co. (founded in 1989), under the name of B. Riley FBR, Inc. B. Riley Securities provides research and trading ideas to institutional clients and high net-worth individuals. They provide investment banking services to a wide range of middle-market private and public companies.

Pollen Street Capital Ltd (Pollen Street Capital) is a private equity firm founded in 1980 by Lindsey Villon McMurray. Pollen Street Capital Ltd. is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Toscafund Asset Management LLP /Private Equity/ (Toscafund Asset Management) is a private equity firm founded in 2000. The firm is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

ATP Innovations Pty Ltd. operates as a business incubator. It provides financing, product development, legal preparations and consulting services for startup technology companies. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Eveleigh, Australia.

Bloomberg LP engages in the provision of business data, news, and financial information services. Its product include Bloomberg terminal, execution and order management, content and data, financial data management, and integration and distribution. The company was founded by Michael Rubens Bloomberg, Charles M. Zegar, Thomas F. Secunda, and Duncan L. MacMillan in 1981 and is headquartered in New York, NY.