Morgan Keegan Buys Burke Capital Group

Morgan Keegan & Co. has acquired Burke Capital Group, an Atlanta-based investment bank focused on M&A and private capital advisory services to financial institutions in the Southeastern U.S. 

PRESS RELEASE

Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., today announced the acquisition of Burke Capital Group, LLC, an Atlanta-based investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and private capital advisory services to financial institutions in the Southeastern U.S. Morgan Keegan is a subsidiary of Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF).

Burke Capital Group has been recognized as a leading merger advisor to Southeastern-based community and regional banks since 2000. The firm has advised on more than $5 billion in merger transactions since its founding in 1995. Burke Capital Group’s experienced investment bankers will add industry-focused expertise in buy and sell side advisory, private equity and ESOP valuations, fairness opinions and trust preferred placement services to Morgan Keegan’s established banking sector practice.

Jon Burke and Dennis Wolfarth, co-founders and managing principals of Burke Capital Group, join Morgan Keegan as managing directors and will continue to oversee the business operations of the new division from its Atlanta office. In addition, Blake Jones, James Stokes, Ronald Goff, Jason Trembley and Adam Zelsdorf join the investment banking group. Dudley Stephens, formerly affiliated with Burke Capital Markets, LLC, joins the institutional equity sales group in Morgan Keegan’s Atlanta office. Burke Capital Group will operate as a division of Morgan Keegan.

“Jon and his team have an outstanding and well-deserved reputation among community and regional banks located in the heart of Morgan Keegan’s footprint,” said Chip Grayson, executive managing director of Morgan Keegan’s investment banking group. “Through Morgan Keegan, they will have the opportunity to leverage existing relationships and expand their reach with access to the public equity markets and our comprehensive sales, trading and research support.”

“We’re very pleased to become a part of Morgan Keegan’s investment banking practice,” said Burke. “They have a remarkable distribution franchise for both equity and fixed income securities and a robust offering of ancillary products and services specifically for the financial services clientele we serve.”

The transaction closed on December 15, 2008. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Morgan Keegan

Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., one of the largest full-service brokerage and investment banking firms in the nation, is the securities brokerage, trust and asset management arm of Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE:RF). Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Morgan Keegan has over 350 offices and more than $850 million in equity capital. Additional information about Morgan Keegan can be found at www.morgankeegan.com.

Morgan Keegan’s investment banking group provides comprehensive merger and acquisition advisory and public equity and private capital raising services to middle-market companies including family-owned businesses, divisions of large corporations or portfolio companies of private equity groups. With offices in Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta, Houston and New York and more than 100 professionals, Morgan Keegan’s investment banking group is one of the largest investment banks focused on serving the middle market.

About Regions Financial Corporation

Regions Financial Corporation is a member of the S&P 100 Index and Forbes Magazine’s “Platinum 400” list of America’s best big companies. With $144 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 over 1,900 banking offices and approximately 2,400 ATMs. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.