Memphis, Tenn. (Oct. 2, 2007) — Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. announced that it has opened a public finance office in St. Louis and hired veteran investment bankers Richard Murray and Jennifer Sieve. Formerly with A.G. Edwards, Murray and Sieve have more than 25 years’ experience in multifamily and single-family financings.
“Our new St. Louis public finance office and the addition of two well-respected investment bankers to our housing group there furthers Morgan Keegan’s strong commitment to this important market,” said Robert A. Baird, executive managing director and head of the firm’s fixed income banking group. “Jen and Dick, with their in-depth knowledge of municipal financing, share our philosophy of building long-term relationships and providing our clients with solution-based services.”
Before joining Morgan Keegan, Murray worked the past 24 years in municipal bond underwriting of single-family and multifamily issues at A.G. Edwards in St. Louis. He most recently served as a managing director and head of the firm’s national housing group. Murray is a former executive director of the Housing Authority of St. Louis County, MO, where he was a founding member of the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies’ board of directors. He is a graduate of Saint Louis University.
Sieve focused exclusively on housing-related financings at A.G. Edwards prior to joining Morgan Keegan. Her areas of expertise include assisting clients in securing tax-credit equity commitments and credit enhancement, and in the structuring and underwriting of multifamily bond transactions. Sieve received her M.A. degree in urban affairs from Saint Louis University.
For nearly 20 years, Morgan Keegan has been, and remains, one of the leading underwriters for state and local Housing Finance Authorities. The firm consistently ranks in the top ten nationally as a leading underwriter of single-family bonds. In the third quarter this year, Morgan Keegan ranked sixth nationally as an underwriter of single-family bonds with 43 issues and a par value of $1.5 billion, according to Thomson Financial, one of the nation’s leading municipal bond information services. In addition, Morgan Keegan is one of the largest lead underwriters of municipal bonds in the country, ranking eleventh nationally in 2006.
The opening of the St. Louis public finance office follows other efforts to increase Morgan Keegan’s presence in the Midwest and Northeast. The firm recently expanded its New York office and completed the acquisition of Shattuck Hammond Partners, one of the largest healthcare-focused investment banking and advisory firms on Wall Street. Operating as a division of Morgan Keegan, Shattuck Hammond serves healthcare related clients through offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco.
“Our increased presence in St. Louis, with two investment bankers there who specialize in the housing sector, enhances Morgan Keegan’s well-recognized platform in this industry,” Baird said. “It is a big step toward the firm’s goal of becoming a top-ten underwriter nationally.”
About Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc.
Morgan Keegan, one of the nation’s largest regional full-service brokerage and investment banking firms, is the securities brokerage subsidiary of Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF). Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Morgan Keegan has over 400 offices.
A staff of more than 130 public finance professionals provides underwriting services to multiple industries through 24 banking offices in 13 states. The firm serves the healthcare industry through the specialized expertise of Shattuck Hammond Partners, a division of Morgan Keegan and one of the largest healthcare-focused advisory firms on Wall Street. Additional information about Morgan Keegan and Shattuck Hammond is at www.morgankeegan.com and www.shattuckhammond.com.
About Regions
Regions Financial Corporation is a member of the S&P Index and Forbes Magazine’s “platinum 400” list of American’s best big companies. With nearly $140 billion in assets, Regions is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, trust, securities brokerage, mortgage and insurance products and services. Regions serves customers in 16 states across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates some 1,900 AmSouth and Regions banking offices and more than 2,400 ATMs. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.
Contact:
Melinda Rutland
901/531-3259
melinda.rutland@morgankeegan.com
