"The M&A Advisor is very pleased to introduce a new awards program to recognize international deals, dealmakers and firms," said Roger Aguinaldo, founder and chief executive of The M&A Advisor. "The trend toward global deals has been growing steadily, and because more than half the deals completed every year are outside the U.S., it made sense for us to broaden our focus and recognize important global transactions."

Global Finalists are divided into the following regional groupings:

 --  Americas --  Europe --  Asia, Middle-East, Africa and Oceania      

Finalists' transactions had to close between January 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 and be valued at US $10 million. There is no maximum limit on deal size.

U.S. Middle-Market Financing Awards Recognize Top Deals

The U.S. Middle-Market Financing Awards, now in its fourth year, is carrying on the tradition of recognizing financing deals and dealmakers in the United States. Finalists' transactions had to close between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 and have a transaction value of between $10 million and $1 billion.

Past recipients include investment banking firm Houlihan Lokey, financing firm PNC Financial, law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, and financing firm Golub Capital.

"We are very pleased with the volume of nominations for both the Global and Middle-Market Financing Awards," Mr. Aguinaldo said. "In a challenging deal environment, where financing has been tight or non-existent, all the nominees have demonstrated that they are among the best, brightest, and most significant trendsetting dealmakers today. Congratulations to all the finalists."

Finalists for the first annual M&A Advisor Global M&A Awards and U.S. Middle-Market Awards are listed below.

THE M&A ADVISOR

Since 1998, The M&A Advisor has been the preeminent organization facilitating connections and recognizing achievement in the top performers of the M&A, turnaround and financing industries through its leading events and awards galas, M&A Alerts newsletter and online community. For more information, go to www.maadvisor.com.

 Contact: Steve Rose Hullin Metz & Co. 212-752-1044 steve@hmcllc.com 

M&A Advisor Global Awards Finalists:

Region: Americas

 Deal of the Year Sale of Bancomext's Chilean toll road assets to Globalvia Infraestructuras     - BNP Paribas Acquisition of Phillips, Hager & North Investment Management Ltd. by Royal     Bank of Canada - Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP Sale of George Weston Ltd.'s U.S. Bakeries to Grupo Bimbo SA de CV - CIBC     World Markets Acquisition of Abebooks by Amazon.com - Houlihan Lokey Acquisition of Lift Technologies, Inc. by Calvi Holding S.r.l - Houlihan     Lokey Hunting plc's sale of Gibson Energy to Riverstone - Simmons & Company     International Reverse Morris Trust Split-off of Folgers Coffee by Procter & Gamble to     J.M. Smucker - The Blackstone Group Corporate/Strategic Acquisition of the Year Acquisition of Pyramid Energy Inc. by Fox Energy Corporation - Fox Energy     Corporation Acquisition of Abebooks by Amazon.com - Houlihan Lokey Acquisition of Lift Technologies, Inc. by Calvi Holding S.r.l - Houlihan     Lokey U.S. Cross-Border Deal of the Year (involving a company in the U.S.) Reverse Morris Trust Split-off of Folgers Coffee by Procter & Gamble to     J.M. Smucker - The Blackstone Group Acquisition of Abebooks by Amazon.com - Houlihan Lokey Acquisition of Lift Technologies, Inc. by Calvi Holding S.r.l - Houlihan     Lokey Dealmaker of the Year Mary Anne Citrino - The Blackstone Group Abelardo Valenzuela - BNP Paribas James P. Baker - Simmons & Company International Industrial Manufacturing/Distribution Deal of the Year Sale of Bancomext's Chilean toll road assets to Globalvia Infraestructuras     - BNP Paribas Acquisition of Lift Technologies, Inc. by Calvi Holding S.r.l - Houlihan     Lokey Acquisition of Arlington Tankers by General Maritime Corporation - Kramer     Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP Consumer and Retail Products Deal of the Year Reverse Morris Trust Split-off of Folgers Coffee by Procter & Gamble to     J.M. Smucker - The Blackstone Group Sale of George Weston Ltd.'s U.S.