Awards

NEW YORK, NY--(December 6, 2010) - Marlin & Associates ("Marlin"), the boutique investment banking and strategic advisory firm, today announced that the firm has been recognized for advising on two recent merger-and-acquisition transactions. Marlin & Associates received awards for advising on:

• Corporate M&A Deal-of-the-Year ($5-$100M) for its role advising SMARTS Group (Sydney, Australia) on its sale to NASDAQ OMX; and

• Technologies Deal-of-the-Year ($5-$100M) for Marlin's role advising Logical Information Machines (Chicago, Illinois) on its sale to Morningstar.

The Atlas Awards honor top deals, deal-makers and firms from North and South American mid-market mergers and acquisitions communities. They were announced by host and master of ceremonies, Ms. Lisa Murphy, anchor at Bloomberg Television, at the Americas M&A Atlas Awards Gala Ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. An independent body of experts judged and determined the ultimate recipients of the award. Marlin was chosen from among 207 deal nominations from 41 unique firms worldwide.

"We are honored to be recognized for our role in helping affect these m&a transactions," said Paul Friday, Partner at Marlin & Associates."We believe that our unique blend of operational and financial experience, combined with our firm's international approach and track record of success put us in a formidable position to advise on a wide range of m&a transactions, including some of unusual difficulty."

"Winners should take pride in completing outstanding transactions, representing the very finest from the Americas middle market mergers and acquisitions communities. Winners earned high-marks in a competitive selection process from 175 finalists in 25 deal categories of awards," said Shanta Kumari, Managing Partner of Global M&A Network.

Marlin & Associates is one of the most active firms worldwide advising buyers and sellers of middle-market information-technology firms. Marlin & Associates' team of professionals has advised over 200 information-technology transactions. Recent Marlin & Associates clients include Deutsche Börse; NYSE Euronext; Reed Elsevier; and McGraw Hill as well as a host of firms owned by entrepreneurs, corporations, private equity and venture capital firms.

About The Americas M&A Atlas Awards
Americas M&A Atlas Awards is part of the M&A Atlas Awards global brand, and exclusively honors top deals, deal-makers and firms from North and South American mid-market mergers and acquisitions communities. The program attracted 207 deal nominations from 41 unique firms worldwide. Finalists and winners are selected by group of independent advisors.

About Marlin & Associates
Marlin & Associates Holding LLC is a boutique investment banking and strategic advisory firm specializing in acquisitions and divestitures of U.S. and international middle-market firms that provide technology, digital information and healthcare-related products, technology and services. The firm is headquartered in New York, NY and has additional offices in Washington, DC and Toronto, Canada. Marlin has been the recipient of numerous other awards, including twice being named "Middle Market Investment Banking Firm of the Year," as well as the "Middle Market Financing Agent of the Year -- Equity," and has been recognized for leading multiple "Deals of the Year" categories including: the "Financial Technology Deal of the Year," the "International Cross-Border Deal of the Year," and the "Middle Market Financing -- Computer, Technology and Telecommunications Deal of the Year." More information is available at www.MarlinLLC.com.

Marlin & Associates Securities LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marlin & Associates Holding LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is a FINRA/SIPC member firm (www.finra.org). Investment banking and/or securities are offered through Marlin & Associates Securities LLC. Marlin & Associates' professionals have advised on more than 200 successfully completed transactions.