Mr. Barry comes to Stifel from Merrill Lynch & Co., where he most recently led the firm's U.S. Depository Group and served as a relationship manager or senior banker on a range of commercial banks and thrifts. Mr. Barry has also held senior M&A positions in the Financial Institutions Groups at Banc of America Securities, where he managed the overall M&A effort related to depository institutions, and Lehman Brothers. He has over 20 years of experience calling on depository institutions advising on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings/recapitalizations, defense, and public and private debt and capital-raising transactions. Mr. Barry has extensive depository M&A experience, having advised on over 80 announced depository M&A transactions with an aggregate transaction value of over $165 billion and has also worked on over 70 public or private debt or equity transactions raising over $55 billon in the aggregate.

"Michael brings a very attractive combination of experience and relationships that will complement the efforts we already have in place," said Rick Maples, Co-Head of Investment Banking and Head of the Financial Institutions Group. "We will look to him to help continue the evolution of our investment banking business, to deliver Stifel's product offering to a growing universe of clients."

Added Mr. Barry, "I am excited to join Rick and his team at Stifel's growing investment banking practice. Stifel's strength in investment banking, coupled with that of its capital markets and private client businesses, assure that it will continue to play a significant role in the restructuring of the banking sector presently taking place. Working with the deep team at Stifel, I look forward to providing high-quality advice and transaction execution to a wide range of clients in the banking sector during their period of significant need."

Mr. Barry graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University Summa Cum Laude and earned his M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania With Distinction.

Founded in 1890, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated is the principal subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF), a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis. Stifel Nicolaus is a full-service retail and institutional brokerage and investment banking firm with 281 offices in 40 states and the District of Columbia and 3 European offices through Stifel Nicolaus Limited. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the company's web site at www.stifel.com.

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