DeSilva+Phillips Client The Winner's Circle Organization Sold to Barron's

Business Wire, Sept 29, 2008

NEW YORK -- DeSilva Phillips, media investment bankers, announces that its client, The Winner's Circle[R] Organization, was sold to Barron's, published by Dow Jones & Company. The Winner's Circle Organization, based in Boca Raton, Florida, is a consulting firm which provides analysis of financial advisory practices and rankings of advisors based on assets under management, revenue generation and practice quality. DeSilva Phillips Corporate Finance, LLC, advised The Winner's Circle Organization in the transaction.

For five years, The Winner's Circle has partnered with Barron's on a highly successful conference business which produces forums for elite financial advisors to meet and discuss the business of delivering wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and institutions. These include the Investment Consultants Summit, the Top Advisors Summit and the Top Women Advisors Summit.

In recent years, Barron's has published The Winner's Circle rankings of The Top 100 Financial Advisors, The Top 100 Women Financial Advisors and The Top 100 Independent Advisors. To choose the top advisors, The Winner's Circle screens thousands of candidates, interviews the finalists, speaks with supervisors and reviews internal reports. This process ensures that the advisors who make it to the Winner's Circle's highly regarded Top 100 lists follow the investment industry's best practices.

R.J. Shook, who founded The Winner's Circle and is its president, said, "For eight years, The Winner's Circle and its mission of identifying and promoting best practices in the financial advisor industry have been my passion. We are gratified to have partnered with Barron's in recent years and now to have Barron's assume an exclusive leadership role in this important endeavor."

Reed Phillips, managing partner of DeSilva Phillips Corporate Finance, LLC, said "R.J. Shook created a terrific business that we believe will grow and flourish under Barron's ownership."

Dow Jones & Company has announced that The Winner's Circle Organization will be absorbed into the New York-based offices of Barron's.

About DeSilva Phillips

DeSilva Phillips, media investment bankers, is a New York-based investment bank specializing in the media, digital media, events and healthcare communications industries. The firm provides M&A services and private placements of debt and equity and has completed over 200 transactions since 1996. Its broker-dealer affiliate is DeSilva Phillips Corporate Finance, LLC, member, FINRA and SIPC.