Mesirow Financial Welcomes John Chrysikopoulos
New Managing Director Specializes in Paper & Packaging Industry

CHICAGO, February 17, 2009 — Mesirow Financial announced today that John Chrysikopoulos has joined the firm's Investment Banking group as a managing director. Based in New York, Chrysikopoulos has nearly 15 years of investment banking experience in the Paper & Packaging industry. Prior to joining Mesirow Financial, Chrysikopoulos was a managing director in the Investment Banking divisions of Goldman Sachs and Citigroup where he focused exclusively on the Paper & Packaging industry.

Chrysikopoulos has participated in numerous high profile paper & packaging transactions, advising on over $35 billion in aggregate value of M&A and capital markets transactions in his professional career. Chrysikopoulos was also ranked #1 by Institutional Investor while working as a senior equity research analyst covering the paper industry at Goldman Sachs.

Jeffrey Golman, vice chairman and head of Mesirow Financial's Corporate Investment Banking division, said, "John is an important addition to our team as we continue to build a leading practice focused on serving public and private companies and advising on middle market transactions. John will enable us to foster new relationships and his experience complements our coverage footprint. John will help bolster our presence as one of the leading middle market advisors in the Paper & Packaging industry."

Chrysikopoulos stated, "Mesirow Financial has had great success in the Paper & Packaging industry, and I look forward to building on and adding to the strong relationships that the firm already has fostered within the industry. I also look forward to strengthening the very strong franchise that Mesirow Financial has in the Paper & Packaging industry."

Chrysikopoulos earned a B.S. in Engineering from Tulane University, an M.S. in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mesirow Financial is a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 1937, it is an independent, employee-owned firm with $31.4 billion in assets under management and more than 1,100 employees in locations across the country and in London. With expertise in Investment Management, Investment Services, Insurance Services, Investment Banking, Consulting and Real Estate, Mesirow Financial strives to meet the financial needs of institutions, public sector entities, corporations and individuals. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, the firm posted $492 million in revenue, with more than $246 million in capital. For more information about Mesirow Financial, visit its Web site at www.mesirowfinancial.com.

For more information, contact: Julie Liedtke, Mesirow Financial, 312.595.7902.

The Mesirow Financial name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc., © 2009, Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not necessarily complete and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Any opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. It should not be assumed that any recommendations incorporated herein will be profitable or will equal past performance. Nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any Mesirow Financial investment vehicle(s).

Securities offered through Mesirow Financial, Inc. member NYSE, SIPC. Insurance services provided through Mesirow Insurance Services, Inc.