Boutique Investment Banking Firm Marlin & Associates Expands Staff, Adds Two Senior Members, Opens Toronto Office

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - January 20, 2009) - Marlin & Associates ("M&A"), the New York and Washington, DC-based boutique investment banking advisory and consulting firm, today affirmed its leadership in advising U.S. and international middle-market information and technology firms by announcing that Tom Selby, former Vice President of Business Development and 13-year veteran of SunGard Data Systems, and Byron Sproule, a former Executive Director in JP Morgan's Technology Investment Banking Group, have joined M&A's investment banking advisory team.

Tom Selby will be based in M&A's new Toronto office. Byron Sproule will be based in M&A's New York City office.

"We're very pleased to have these two seasoned transaction professionals join our team," said Ken Marlin, M&A's Founder and Managing Partner. "It's coincidental that both are Canadian born and both have university degrees in engineering. But, it is not coincidental that these two industry leaders reinforce our philosophy of offering our clients access to advisors that have in-depth expertise in investment banking, private equity, and operating management, all focused on the global information technology industry."

Byron Sproule brings more than 10 years of relevant technology investment banking experience to M&A. He joins from JP Morgan's Technology Investment Banking Group, after he first spent a number of years in the Technology Investment Banking Groups at Lehman Brothers (NY and London) and Jefferies Broadview. Byron has worked on acquisitions, divestitures and mergers of public and private companies, leveraged buy-outs by financial sponsors, initial public offerings, and the raising of debt and equity capital. He has provided financial and strategic advice to public companies including: Allscripts, Amdocs, Atos Origin, eFunds, IBM, and Syniverse; and to private companies including: Ahura Scientific, Atreus Systems, Cedar Point Communications, Egenera, Groove Mobile, and Systemonic.

"Byron has advised a wide range of public and private information technology companies, in sectors from communication software and infrastructure, to healthcare IT and IT services; from electronic payments to content delivery platforms," Marlin continued. "He will bring our clients the attention and perspective of a professional investment banker who is well versed in our industry."

Tom Selby brings his own unique 20 year background to M&A. Tom began his career as a software developer and entrepreneur, building a business based around a product that he had developed. He then sold that business to a brokerage-software business, which he then joined as VP of Sales & Marketing. With Tom leading the sales effort, the company grew quickly, and subsequently was sold to SunGard, where he rose to become Vice President of Business Development for SunGard's North American Financial Services unit. While at SunGard, Tom helped his division acquire firms in verticals such as brokerage, trading, wealth, insurance, consulting, and benefit administration.

"Tom has a keen eye for, and an appreciation of, information technology solutions. We've known him for years," said Ken Marlin. "Tom's technical background, transaction experience, financial skills, and his operating experience meshes well with our culture and will make him a valued counsel to M&A's clients."

About Marlin & Associates

Founded in 2002, Marlin & Associates New York LLC is a boutique investment banking and strategic consulting firm focused on providing highly strategic, transaction-related services to U.S. and international middle-market firms engaged in technology, information, on-line media and business services. The firm is based in New York City with offices in Washington, DC and Toronto. The firm has been the recipient of numerous awards, including being recognized as the Middle Market Investment Banking Firm of the Year as well as the Middle Market Financing Agent of the Year - Equity. The firm also has been awarded honors in multiple "Deal of the Year" categories including: Financial Technology Deal of the Year, Financial Services Deal of the Year, International Cross-Border Deal of the Year, and for Middle Market Financing - Computer, Technology and Telecommunications Deal of the Year.

M&A professionals have advised on more than 200 successfully completed transactions in the technology and information services sector. Recent transactions on which Marlin & Associates has advised include the sale of Tenfore Systems Limited (London) to Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: MORN); the sale of InfoDyne Corporation (Chicago) to IBM (NYSE: IBM); and the sale of StarMine Corporation of San Francisco to Thomson Reuters Corporation (NYSE: TRI). Marlin & Associates initiated these transactions, helped to manage the process, assisted in the negotiations, and acted as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to the sellers. Information about M&A, as well as information about other recent transactions on which M&A has advised, can be found at www.MarlinLLC.com.

Contact Information: CONTACT: www.MarlinLLC.com +1 (212) 257-6300