Raymond James Financial, Inc. Joins NAMWOLF as Corporate Partner and Corporate Sponsor

The National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) is pleased to announce that Raymond James Financial, Inc. has become a corporate partner and corporate sponsor of the Association.

St. Petersberg, FL (PRWEB) September 28, 2006 -- The National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) is pleased to announce that Raymond James Financial, Inc. has become a corporate partner and corporate sponsor of the Association.

Under the Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program (CPEPP), interested corporations agree to set a goal of eventually expending a minimum of 5% of their outside counsel budget with minority and women-owned law firms. NAMWOLF strives to recruit and admit only those minority and women-owned law firms that have a track record of representing major corporations and public entities.

“NAMWOLF is very happy to have Raymond James Financial, Inc. join our Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program,” said Yolanda Coly, Associate Director of NAMWOLF. “It is exciting when a corporation of Raymond James Financial’s distinction partners with us and supports our mission of increasing the utilization of minority and women-owned firms,” she added. “The company’s financial pledge will further our diversity efforts tremendously.”

As a corporate sponsor Raymond James Financial, Inc. is committed to assisting NAMWOLF with research, development of corporate partnerships and future endeavors. NAMWOLF depends upon the financial support of corporations and public entities to accomplish its goals. Michael Alford, Corporate Counsel and Senior Vice President with Raymond James, said, “We are proud to be associated with NAMWOLF and believe the organization mirrors our corporate commitment to diversity in a manner that is both meaningful and measurable. We look forward to working with NAMWOLF and its partners going forward.”

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF) is a diversified financial services holding company whose subsidiaries engage primarily in securities brokerage, investment banking, asset management and banking services. Its three broker/dealer subsidiaries (Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and Raymond James Ltd.), which have approximately 4,800 financial advisors in more than 2,100 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas, provide financial services to more than one million individual and institutional client accounts. Complementing this distribution network, Raymond James & Associates is a leading national investment banking firm, specializing in specific industry groups.

Raymond James Financial employs more than 3,400 support associates at its corporate locations, including 3,058 associates at the international headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, 123 associates at the Detroit operations center in Michigan, and approximately 298 associates at the Raymond James Ltd. corporate offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario.

The firm’s asset management subsidiaries manage in excess of $26 billion of financial assets for individuals, pension plans and municipalities. Total assets under control as of September 2005, including all Private Client Group accounts, were approximately $135.926 billion. Established in 1962 and a public company since 1983, Raymond James Financial shares are currently owned by more than 13,000 individual investors and institutions. The shareholders’ equity, or company net worth, is more than $1.242 billion.

The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (www.namwolf.org) was founded in June, 2001. It is a national trade association comprising a select group of minority and women-owned law firms who exhibit excellence in the legal profession. The primary aim of the organization is to advocate for the increased utilization of minority and women-owned law firms by major corporations and public entities throughout the United States.

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