Donovan and Chevalier-White of Paragon Advising Join Team in Houston
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (April 5, 2010) – Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. , today announced that Barry R. Donovan and Michael S. Chevalier-White have joined Morgan Keegan’s Investment Banking Group as managing directors. Donovan and White were co-founders and principals of Paragon Advising, a Houston-based investment bank providing corporate finance advisory services to companies in the energy industry.
“As we look to strengthen our investment banking expertise in select sectors, we seek out talented and experienced bankers whose practices complement what Morgan Keegan already has in place,” said Rob Baird, president of Morgan Keegan Investment Banking. “Over the past few years, we have strategically built a comprehensive energy platform with our own investment banking team, our affiliate Albrecht & Associates, and our commercial banking partners at Regions. The Paragon team adds another facet to the scope of services and the type of clients we can assist in this sector.”
Founded in 2000, Paragon Advising offered customized advice and execution on mergers, acquisitions, sales, private placements, and other strategic advisory services to companies providing products and services to the energy and industrial markets. Three other associates of Paragon also joined Morgan Keegan.
“With over 40 years of combined industry experience, Barry and Michael bring extensive knowledge and expertise in serving oil & gas service and equipment companies to our established energy investment banking practice in Houston,” says Chip Grayson, executive managing director of Morgan Keegan.
Prior to founding Paragon Advising, Donovan spent ten years at Simmons & Company International where he served as director of corporate finance and director of client services. With 19 years of investment banking experience, he has advised on over 120 M&A transactions, financings and other strategic assignments within the energy service industry. Chevalier-White, a Certified Public Accountant, has 20 years of combined energy investment banking and public accounting experience. He was previously with Ernst & Young for 11 years, where he was senior manager in Assurance and Advisory Business Services and served in the firm’s national accounting office. While at Ernst & Young, Chevalier-White led numerous engagements relating to financial audits, M&A transactions and due diligence assignments.
“The Paragon team looks forward to working closely with our new Morgan Keegan colleagues to further develop and strengthen our respective relationships within the energy service and equipment sector,” says Barry Donovan. “We are also excited about providing the industry with a broader array of investment banking services and access to Morgan Keegan’s comprehensive sales, trading and research platform.”
Morgan Keegan Investment Banking offers comprehensive merger and acquisition advisory services and equity and debt capital-raising services to both the public and private sector. Morgan Keegan is a leader in providing investment banking services in a number of industry sectors including transportation, real estate, healthcare, technology, energy, financial institutions, and corporate restructuring. Additionally, Morgan Keegan’s public finance investment banking practice is recognized as one of the largest in the nation offering comprehensive banking services to governmental and not-for-profit issuers of tax-exempt and taxable debt. Morgan Keegan has over 300 investment banking professionals in 35 offices across the country.
About Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc.
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 300 offices in 19 states. Additional information about Morgan Keegan can be found at www.morgankeegan.com.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation, with $142 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 100 Index and 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 approximately 1,800 banking offices and 2,200 ATMs. Its investment and securities brokerage trust and asset management division, Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., provides services from over 300 offices. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.
Contact:
Eric Bran
901-524-4114
