News Archive for 2007

December 28, 2007 - William Blair & Company announces the success of our client, marketRx, Inc., in connection with its acquisition by Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation.

December 21, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of American Public Education Inc. with an Outperform rating and an Aggressive Growth company profile.

December 18, 2007 - William Blair & Company announces the success of our client, American Laser Centers, in connection with its acquisition by Code Hennessy & Simmons, L.L.C.

December 14, 2007 - William Blair & Company announces the success of its client, Coleman Cable, Inc., in the acquisition of Woods Industries, Inc. (U.S. operations) and Woods Industries (Canada) Inc., divisions of Katy Industries, Inc., for a consideration of $45 million.

CHICAGO, December 14, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Smart Balance, Inc., whose mission is to provide heart-healthy, superior-tasting food products, with a Market Perform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

December 13, 2007 - William Blair & Company announces the success of its client, FLA Orthopedics, Inc., a portfolio company of The Riverside Company, in connection with its acquisition by BSN medical GmbH & Co. KG, a portfolio company of Montagu Private Equity Limited.

December 13, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Neutral Tandem, Inc. with an Outperform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

December 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company, in collaboration with the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association (CIMA), today published the fourth edition of a semiannual interactive marketing survey that the partnership uses to take the pulse of the industry and relay its practitioners’ expectations for future performance and trends.

December 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Deltek, Inc., which provides software and related services to project-oriented enterprises, with an Outperform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

December 11, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of United Parcel Service, Inc., which provides global transportation and related logistics services to North American and international shippers, with a Market Perform rating and Established Growth company profile.

December 6, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of LKQ Corporation, the largest nationwide provider of recycled, refurbished, and aftermarket collision repair parts for cars and light trucks, with a Market Perform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

December 4, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of FGX International Holdings Limited (a.k.a. Foster Grant), a leading designer and marketer of nonprescription reading glasses, popular-priced sunglasses, and costume jewelry, with an Outperform rating and an Aggressive Growth company profile.

December 3, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc., a leading retailer of beauty products and services in the United States, with an Outperform rating and an Aggressive Growth company profile.

November 29, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), in connection with the divestiture of its Southern Division of Sav-A-Center stores to Rouse Enterprises.

November 20, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Cardica, Inc. with an Outperform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

November 16, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Duff & Phelps Corporation, a provider of financial advisory and investment banking services, with an Outperform rating and Core Growth company profile.

November 15, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings with an Outperform rating and Established Growth company profile and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated with a Market Perform rating and Core Growth company profile.

November 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Constant Contact, Inc., a leading provider of e-mail marketing services delivered as a service for small and midsize organizations, with an Outperform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

November 5, 2007 - William Blair & Company hosted reporters for an update on several of the most prominent growth companies in the Chicago area.

William Blair & Company is #31 in the Barron's (10-22-07 issue) exclusive ranking of "2007 Top Wealth Managers in the U.S."

October 31, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Tempur-Pedic International Inc., the leader in specialty sleep products, with an Outperform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

October 29, 2007 - On Friday, November 2, William Blair & Company will host a luncheon presentation entitled, Women and Investing: Empowering Children on Financial Issues.

October 24, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Composite Technology Corporation with an Outperform rating and an Aggressive Growth company profile.

October 19, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of New Oriental Education & Technology Group, a leading provider of education services in China, with an Outperform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

October 17, 2007 - William Blair & Company, L.L.C. yesterday began its 10th Annual Private Equity Conference with roundtable discussions, including a session titled, "Recent Developments and Issues in China Affecting Private Equity Investors."

October 15, 2007 - William Blair & Company, L.L.C., distributor to the William Blair Funds, today announced the launch of the William Blair Global Growth Fund.

October 15, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Solera Holdings, Inc., the leading global provider of software and services for auto insurance claims, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Established Growth.

October 10, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate brokerage firm, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

October 8, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of ITT Educational Services, Inc. with a Market Perform rating and a Core Growth company profile.

October 5, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce its sponsorship of TiECon ’07, a conference for leading Midwest entrepreneurs to share thoughts and ideas on business and innovation.

October 3, 2007 - William Blair & Company today kicked off its Small-Cap Growth Stock Conference in New York City, hosting more than 75 companies and hundreds of clients at the firm’s first-ever conference devoted solely to small-capitalization stocks.

October 2, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Insulet Corporation, a pure-play insulin pump provider, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

October 2, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of NewStar Financial, Inc. with a Market Perform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

October 1, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of SunPower Corporation, a leading supplier of high-performance solar cells and panels, with an Outperform rating and Aggressive Growth company profile.

September 27, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of VeraSun Energy Corporation, one of the largest producers of corn-based ethanol in the United States, with a Market Perform rating.

September 27, 2007 - William Blair & Company hosted clients for a breakfast presentation and book signing by Karen Blumenthal, author of Grande Expectations, A Year in the Life of Starbucks’ Stock.

September 27, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Medco Health Solutions, Inc., a leading pharmacy benefit management company, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

September 26, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Sonic Solutions, whose technology allows for the creation and manipulation of digital media content, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

September 25, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Exponent, Inc., a leading provider of scientific and engineering consulting services, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

September 24, 2007 - Kent Brown, Principal in William Blair & Company's Debt Capital Markets, spoke at the Middle Market Financing Conference, June 26, 2007

September 24, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Midwest Dental Holding Company, Inc., a portfolio company of Svoboda Collins LLC, in connection with its recapitalization by members of management and by Thoma Cressey Bravo.

Three weeks before William Blair & Company's inaugural Small-Cap Growth Stock Conference, Integrity Research ranked William Blair & Company No. 2 on its list of "2007 Top Picks For Small Cap Research."

September 18, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of DemandTec, Inc., a leading on-demand provider of consumer demand management (CDM) software, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

September 17, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Constella Group, LLC, a portfolio company of Wachovia Capital Partners, in connection with its acquisition by SRA International, Inc.

September 17, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of HireRight, Inc., a leading pure-play provider of Web-based employment background screening, with a Market Perform rating and an Aggressive Growth company profile.

September 13, 2007 - Rob Metzger, principal and co-head of William Blair & Company’s Financial Services corporate finance group, provided an overview of the financial technologies industry at an event co-hosted by the Illinois Venture Capital Association and the Illinois IT Association.

September 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Virtusa Corporation, a provider of outsourced IT services, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

September 5, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Webex, Inc., in connection with its acquisition by Wynnchurch Capital.

September 5, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of lululemon athletica inc., one of the fastest-growing apparel retailers in North America, with an Outperform rating and an Aggressive Growth company profile.

September 4, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., a leading global provider of text imaging technologies and fonts, with an Outperform rating and an Aggressive Growth company profile.

August 31, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Covance Inc. and Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., the leaders in the preclinical market, with Outperform ratings.

August 28, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Celgene Corporation, a leading biotechnology company focused on drugs to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

August 22, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, LYNX Medical Systems, Inc., a portfolio company of Francisco Partners, in connection with its acquisition by Picis, Inc.

August 21, 2007 - William Blair & Company, in collaboration with search engine marketing intelligence agency AdGooroo, today published proprietary new research examining the search engine marketing (SEM) industry, looking at trends among the marketers that drive this $20 billion industry.

August 21, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Seattle Genetics, Inc., which is focused on the development of antibody therapies for difficult-to-treat cancer indications, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

August 17, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of comScore, Inc., a leading provider of digital marketing intelligence, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

August 17, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Pacer International, Inc., the market leader in intermodal transportation, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

August 16, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, IdeaCast, Inc., in the private placement of up to $9,000,000 of convertible preferred stock led by National CineMedia, Inc.

August 13, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Polypore International, Inc. with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

August 13, 2007 – William Blair & Company announced today that Patrick J. Sheppard will join the firm as chief operating officer of William Blair Investment Management, effective September 4.

August 9, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, PSS World Medical, Inc., in connection with its acquisition of an approximate 5% equity interest in athenahealth, Inc.

August 9, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Blackboard Inc. with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

August 6, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Schneller, Inc., in connection with its sale to Graham Partners.

August 1, 2007 - William Blair & Company was ranked No. 93 in the II300, Institutional Investor’s annual ranking of America’s 300 largest money management firms by assets.

July 31, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Masai Group International GmbH, in its leveraged recapitalization and sale of a minority interest to Berkshire Partners LLC.

July 27, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Capella Education Company, the only publicly traded U.S. postsecondary education provider that operates 100% online, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

CHICAGO, July 26, 2007 - William Blair & Company, L.L.C. today commenced its inaugural Family Wealth Conference, featuring a variety of sessions geared toward preserving family wealth and legacy, from teaching children the basics of investing, to owning and selling a business, to estate planning and retirement.

July 24, 2007 – Geoffrey Richards, co-head of special situations and restructuring at William Blair & Company, spoke on a Webinar panel titled, “Mega-Billion Dollar Buyouts as a Source of Deal Flow for Middle-Market Deal Community.”

July 23, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Smart Document Solutions, LLC, a portfolio company of Arcapita, Inc., in its sale to CT Technologies Holdings, LLC, for $185 million.

July 19, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Bandag, Incorporated, in connection with its acquisition by Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.

July 16, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, LESCO, Inc., in connection with its acquisition by Deere & Co.

July 13, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of three leading asset management companies—Eaton Vance Corp., Franklin Resources, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.—citing strong secular growth drivers and the compelling financial characteristics of the asset management business.

July 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company today published a media usage survey of the “Millennial” generation designed to learn more about this influential group’s media consumption habits and preferences to better identify investment opportunities in the media and marketing sector.

July 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of MDC Partners Inc., a uniquely structured advertising and marketing services company formed through equity investments in—as opposed to acquisitions of—leading marketing services and consulting firms, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

July 11, 2007 - William Blair & Company hosted reporters for an overview of trends affecting the investing landscape in China.

July 5, 2007 - Bob Newman, Director of Equity Research at William Blair & Company, recently spoke at a finance roundtable hosted by the University of Illinois’ College of Business.

June 29, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Exelixis Inc., which has developed a platform for efficient screening and discovery of next-generation drugs focused on the treatment of cancer, inflammation, and metabolic disease, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

June 28, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of CAI International, Inc., which leases intermodal freight containers to international shipping lines, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

June 19, 2007 - William Blair & Company announced today that it has opened a new office in New York. The current space houses an institutional sales and trading operation and is managed by John C. Moore, 49, head of Institutional Sales and Trading; in the future, the firm expects to include an investment banking team. This announcement was made today during the William Blair & Company 27th Annual Growth Stock Conference.

June 19, 2007 - William Blair & Company, L.L.C. today kicked off its 27th Annual Growth Stock Conference, a three-day event featuring about 190 companies and attracting investors from around the world.

June 18, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of TomoTherapy Incorporated, an emerging leader in the $2.3 billion market for capital equipment to deliver radiation therapy, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

June 14, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Alberto-Culver Company, a marketer and manufacturer of a broad portfolio of branded hair and skin care products, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

June 13, 2007 – William Blair & Company today announced that the firm has reorganized its private client business to better focus on the high-net-worth and ultra-affluent client base.

June 13, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of IHS Inc. with an Outperform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

June 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Cepheid, which develops and markets systems to rapidly conduct nucleic acid analysis, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

June 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Luxottica Group S.p.A., a leader in fashion eyewear, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

June 11, 2007 – William Blair & Company today announced that Geoffrey A. Richards has joined the firm as co-head of Special Situations & Restructuring.

June 7, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Liquidity Services, Inc., a leading provider of online auction marketplaces for wholesale, surplus, and salvage assets, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

June 4, 2007 - William Blair & Company, L.L.C. has indicated that it intends to support the improved offer announced earlier today by an investor group led by Douglas L. Becker, Laureate’s chairman and CEO, to purchase all of the common stock of Laureate Education, Inc. at $62.00 per share in cash.

June 1, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Winnebago Industries, Inc., the leading U.S. manufacturer of motor homes, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

Christine Edwards, Partner, Winston & Strawn, LLP and Juval Aviv, Chairman, President and CEO of Interfor, Inc. will discuss the many ways in which personal information can be stolen, what thieves do with that information, ways to minimize risk, and, in the unfortunate event that identity has been compromised, how to restore it.

May 24, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc., a $5.9 billion-asset bank holding company based in Boston, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

May 23, 2007 - The William Blair & Company All-Cap Growth team was recently featured in a Roundtable interview in Plan Sponsor magazine.

May 18, 2007 - William Blair & Company hosted reporters for an update on the restaurant industry, one day before the industry convenes in Chicago for the National Restaurant Association’s annual convention.

May 16, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, SUPERVALU Inc., in the divestiture of its Milwaukee/Southeast Wisconsin Division of Jewel-Osco Stores to a consortium of buyers, including Roundy’s.

May 14, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Netsmart Technologies, Inc., on the occasion of its acquisition by a consortium of investors led by Insight Venture Partners that includes Bessemer Venture Partners and Salmon River Capital.

May 11, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Anixter International Inc., a leading distributor of enterprise cabling products, security solutions, specialty wire and cable, and fasteners and other small parts, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

May 8, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, CPAC, Inc. On April 13, 2007, CPAC completed a merger with an affiliate of Buckingham Capital Partners.

May 2, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Forward Air Corporation, an asset-light transportation and logistics services company, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

May 1, 2007 - William Blair & Company, L.L.C., distributor to the William Blair Funds, today announced the launch of the William Blair Bond Fund.

April 25, 2007 - This morning, before the market opened, William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of FCStone Group, Inc., an integrated commodity risk management company that provides risk management consulting and transaction execution services (futures brokerage) to commercial commodity intermediaries, end-users, and producers, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

April 19, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Viad Corp, a leading provider of exhibition and event services and travel and recreation services, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Established Growth.

April 18, 2007 - Louis Rukeyser's Mutual Funds featured the William Blair Income Fund and Portfolio Managers Jim Kaplan and Chris Vincent. Click to view the article.

April 17, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Seitel, Inc., in connection with its acquisition by ValueAct Capital Master Fund, L.P.

April 13, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc., which owns and operates 57 high-volume casual dining restaurants in 8 states, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

April 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company announced today that it has opened a new representative office in Shanghai, China.

April 5, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, TeleVox Software, Inc., in connection with its acquisition by West Corporation.

April 2, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Cambridge Major Laboratories, Inc., in connection with its acquisition by Arlington Capital Partners.

March 29, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Guitar Center, in connection with the acquisitions of The Woodwind & The Brasswind and of Victor’s House of Music.

March 28, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Salary.com, Inc., a leading provider of on-demand compensation software, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

March 23, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Dade Behring Holdings, Inc., a leader in providing diagnostic products and services to the clinical laboratory, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

March 22, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Brookdale Senior Living Inc., the largest provider of senior living solutions in the United States, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

March 21, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Select Comfort Corporation, which develops, manufactures, and markets adjustable-firmness air-chamber Sleep Number–branded beds and accessories, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

March 20, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Cellcom Israel Ltd., a leading provider of cellular communications services in Israel, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Core Growth.

March 15, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, The TriZetto Group, Inc., in connection with its acquisition of Quality Care Solutions, Inc.

March 12, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Animal Health International, Inc., a leading distributor to the production segment of the animal health market, with an Outperform rating.

March 9, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to highlight the success of client XPRESSTRADE, L.L.C. in connection with the company’s sale to optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.

March 8, 2007 - With Democrats controlling Capitol Hill for the first time since 1994, William Blair & Company analysts discussed the new Congress’ potential impact on the health-care sector.

March 8, 2007 - William Blair & Company, in collaboration with the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association, today published the third edition of a semiannual interactive marketing survey that the partnership uses to take the pulse of the industry and relay its practitioners’ expectations for future performance and trends.

March 7, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. with an Outperform rating.

February 28, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Mattress Firm Holdings Corp., in connection with its acquisition by J.W. Childs Associates, L.P.

February 27, 2007 - William Blair & Company is sponsoring an Executives' Club of Chicago Finance Committee Breakfast featuring Gerald D. Putnam, President and Co-Chief Operating Officer, NYSE Group Inc.

February 27, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of THQ Inc., the third-largest third-party publisher of video game software, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

February 22, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of US BioEnergy Corporation, the largest pure-play ethanol producer in the United States, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

February 20, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, SirsiDynix, in connection with its recapitalization led by Vista Equity Partners.

February 14, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Companion Technologies Corporation, in conjunction with its sale to an investor group led by The Thurston Group and ABRY Partners.

February 13, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of WebMD Health Corp., which operates a number of media properties focused on the health care industry, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

February 7, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, The Holland Group, Inc., in connection with its sale to Otto Sauer Achsenfabrik GmbH.

February 1, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, iPay Technologies, LLC, in connection with its recapitalization by Spectrum Equity Investors and Bain Capital Ventures.

January 31, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of The TriZetto Group, Inc., a leading provider of third-party software systems and services for health care plans and health care benefits administrators, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

January 29, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, UVEST Financial Services, Inc., in connection with its sale to Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.

January 24, 2007 - William Blair & Company investment bankers provided their 2007 outlooks for the industry to a media-only audience.

January 23, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, Source Refrigeration & HVAC, Inc., a portfolio company of Valor Equity Management and Denargo Capital, in connection with its sale to Arsenal Capital Partners.

January 18, 2007 - William Blair & Company announced this week that it has named 19 new principals to the firm.

January 18, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., a leading provider of IP-based digital satellite communication and networking products and services, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

January 18, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of First Mercury Financial Corporation, a specialty commercial property-casualty insurance underwriter based in Southfield, Michigan, with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

January 8, 2007 - William Blair & Company is pleased to announce the success of its client, The Harvard Drug Group, L.L.C., in connection with its acquisition by H.I.G. Capital.

January 4, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Hythiam, Inc. with an Outperform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.

January 3, 2007 - William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Concur Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of on-demand CEM applications to the enterprise market, with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth.