Madison Williams Bolsters Sales and Trading Team, Expands Nationwide Footprint with New Midwest Office and Additions to West Coast Office

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Madison Williams and Company (www.madisonwilliams.com), an integrated capital markets and investment banking firm, announced today the addition of five new members to the sales and trading team, along with the opening of a Midwest office and expansion of its West Coast presence. Tim Philosophos, Managing Director and Head of Midwest Sales and Keith Swart, Managing Director and Head of West Coast Sales, will be based in Chicago and San Francisco respectively. The New York office adds Matthew Harris, Director, Institutional Equity Trading, Tim DeVries, Vice President, Institutional Equity Sales and Kevin Murphy, Vice President, Institutional Equity Sales.

“Delivering high-quality service to our institutional clients is a critical area of focus for Madison Williams”

“Delivering high-quality service to our institutional clients is a critical area of focus for Madison Williams,” said Michael Gantcher, Madison Williams Head of Institutional Sales and Trading. “The firm continues to make progress in recruiting top tier talent and building a firm that presents opportunities for career growth, while ultimately allowing us to enhance the already high caliber of service we are providing our institutional clients. Each of these individuals brings additional expertise to Madison Williams, bolstering our sales and trading desk’s strong understanding of the energy and healthcare sectors and bringing new investment opportunities and trading strategies for our clients.”

“This is an exciting time to join Madison Williams as it expands its nationwide sales force and further expands its presence in new regions across the country, building on an already strong footprint and extensive knowledge base,” said Philosophos. “The opportunistic, entrepreneurial culture and broad suite of products and service capabilities make Madison Williams an attractive place to build a career. The firm is in the midst of significant growth and expansion, serving clients and forging new markets, and I look forward to being part of the future of Madison Williams.”

Philosophos, 52, has nearly 20 years of institutional equity research sales experience, most recently working with independent analysts Cairn Capital, LLC which he founded as a third party marketing firm. Prior to that, Philosophos was at Jefferies and Company for over 8 years where he was head of the Midwest Equity Research Sales team, ran a firm-wide research call and was voted top salesman. Philosophos has also sold equity research for Lehman Brothers, Everen and Cleary, Gull, Reiland and McDevitt. He attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Finance and Real Estate, a Masters of Science in Finance and was a graduate of the Applied Security Analysis Program.

Swart, 55, has been in San Francisco for over a decade, having opened West Coast offices for Dain Bosworth and several other regional investment banks. While in San Francisco, he worked for firms including Needham and Company, WR Hambrecht and AG Edwards. During the 1980s, Swart worked for several independent oil and gas producers and assisted in the sale of Nicor Oil & Gas Corp. to SCANA Corporation. Swart has a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Montana State University.

Harris, a senior equities trader and market maker, has significant experience and institutional trading relationships with a focus on equities in the energy and healthcare sectors. His market making capabilities allow Madison Williams to advance its international trading platform with the OTCQX and gives the firm the ability to access investors across the United States. Harris, 36, joins Madison Williams from Tuohy Brothers Investment Research, a specialist energy research and trading firm, where he served as their head of trading. Prior to that, Harris helped lead the development of the trading team at FBR Capital Market’s New York City office, supervising the healthcare and utility sectors. He also spent eight years at Morgan Stanley, where he traded a variety of stocks in the technology, healthcare and energy industries. Harris graduated from Denison University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science.

“This is a terrific opportunity to join Madison Williams as the firm recognizes the opportunities that exist to provide capital markets access for companies in international markets through the OTCQX business,” said Harris. “I look forward to using my market making capabilities and trading expertise to accelerate the growth and development of Madison Williams’s equities trading platform.”

DeVries, 28, joins Madison Williams from Natixis Bleichroeder where he worked on the institutional equity desk specializing in energy, healthcare and technical strategy servicing accounts across the country. DeVries started his career in Bear Sterns Private Wealth department. He has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Quinnipiac University.

Murphy, 30, comes to Madison Williams from JNK Securities, a 15-year old NYSE member institutional brokerage firm. Prior to that, Murphy served in various roles at leading firms within the Capital Markets arena including lead positions in Investment Banking & Corporate Advisory, Investor Relations and Capital Introductions. Murphy graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

About Madison Williams

Madison Williams is a privately held integrated capital markets and investment banking firm offering advisory services, equity sales, trading, and research services to institutional and corporate clients. Headquartered in New York, the firm has more than 100 employees in six major offices, including New York, Houston, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Madison Williams was the capital markets business of Sanders Morris Harris Group (Nasdaq: SMHG) and was spun out in a management-led buyout in December 2009. For more information about Madison Williams, contact 212-317-2707, or log on to http://www.madisonwilliams.com