Bank of America's International Equity Derivatives Group Extends Coverage to Hedge Fund Community

Bank of America today announced the continued expansion of its Equity Derivatives platform with the launch of an International Institutional Equity Derivatives desk in London. Led by Justin Golden, head of Institutional Hedge Fund Sales, the desk is designed to cover hedge funds and fund managers and provide them with critical cross-product coverage from the Equities Trading, Prime Brokerage and Derivatives teams.

Bank of America boosted its European Equity Derivatives business in early 2006 with the transfer to London of Ben Wilkinson, Global Head of Equity Derivative Product and Head of Equities, EMEA and Asia, from the bank's New York office. Wilkinson's establishment of the London-based group highlighted the Bank of America strategy to extend U.S.-based product capabilities into a cohesive European platform. Under the direction of Patrick Sommer, head of Investor Marketing, Bank of America is also continuing the expansion of its client coverage on the Investor Sales side, covering financial institutions throughout Europe.

"The launch of our International Institutional Equity Derivatives desk complements Bank of America's growing international platform and leaves us well-positioned to meet the needs of the European Derivatives community and our growing client base there," said Wilkinson. "There is a significant opportunity for Bank of America internationally as we access new investors, extend our product offering in equity derivatives and continue to drive innovation."

In addition, Bank of America continues to expand its leading U.S. Institutional Derivative business with the appointments of John Van Poznak as a Managing Director on the Institutional Derivative sales team and Josh Slavitt as a Principal on the Institutional Derivative trading team. Both are New York-based.

Van Poznak brings with him more than 15 years of derivative sales experience, most recently with Wachovia Securities, where he served as head of Options Sales from 2003-2006. He reports to Dean Curnutt, head of Institutional Equity Derivative and Convertible Sales.

Slavitt brings more than eight years of experience as a derivative trader and equity options specialist, most recently with BNP Paribas. He reports to Kumaran Vijayakumar, head of U.S. Equity Derivative and Convertible Trading.

About Bank of America

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial products and services. The company's Global Corporate and Investment Banking group (GCIB) focuses on companies with annual revenues of more than $2.5 million; middle-market and large corporations; institutional investors; financial institutions; and government entities. GCIB provides innovative services in M&A, equity and debt capital raising, lending, trading, risk management, treasury management and research. Bank of America serves clients in 175 countries and has relationships with 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 80 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Many of the company's services to corporate and institutional clients are provided through its U.S. and UK subsidiaries, Banc of America Securities LLC and Banc of America Securities Limited. Issued and approved by Banc of America Securities Limited. Banc of America Securities Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America, N.A. and is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority. For additional information, visit http://www.bankofamerica.com/