Press Release

Release No. 0906-01
September 12, 2006

WILLIAM C. (BILL) VAN LAW III, CFP™
NAMED SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT,
NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
FOR RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES,
FIRM EXPANDS RECRUITING EFFORT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – William C. (Bill) Van Law III, CFP™, has been named senior vice president and national director of business development for Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member NASD/SIPC, according to chairman and CEO Richard G. Averitt III. He has also been appointed to the firm’s board of directors.

“After an extensive search, we are pleased to have an accomplished business development professional – and one who knows us as well as Bill does – join us in this vital role,” Averitt stated. “He has the experience and talent requisite to achieve RJFS’ growth objectives and further propel us toward our goal of becoming the premier financial services firm.”

Averitt added that Van Law’s immediate priority will be a significant expansion of the firm’s recruiting effort.

“Our approach has always been national, but our recruiting operation has been solely based at our headquarters,” he explained. “Bill will organize a regional model with recruiters strategically located throughout the country – a move that will require a substantial increase in RJFS’ business development staff. It goes without saying that we’re looking for the best of our industry’s professional recruiters to grow with this extraordinary effort.”

Van Law brings a special combination of industry experience and in-depth understanding of Raymond James and its culture to this position. Most recently, he served as a division director in the firm’s traditional employee broker/dealer, Raymond James & Associates, where he was responsible for growth and development of its Mid States division. Under his three-year tutelage, the number of financial advisors in Mid States increased by 79% and assets under management grew an impressive 160% while the division saw revenue double. He also served as executive director of the firm’s independent employee division, Advisor Select, from its inception until January 2006. He joined Raymond James following an 18-year tenure with Merrill Lynch where he was a million-dollar producer, branch manager and district sales manager before directing two successive complexes.

Chet Helck, president and COO of the firm’s parent company, Raymond James Financial, added, “Raymond James is committed to independence. For financial advisors, that means they have the freedom to run their business to best serve their clients regardless of how they affiliate with us. In an industry that continues to consolidate, that’s an increasingly distinctive value proposition. Bill is the right person to share our unique story on behalf of RJFS. He has already had brilliant success in helping advisors make Raymond James home for serving their clients and growing their practices.”

Van Law graduated cum laude from the University of North Florida in 1984 with his bachelor’s degree in business administration and earned his certificate of management information systems the same year. He earned his Certified Financial Planner™ designation in 1990.

About Raymond James Financial Services

Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is a national investment firm providing financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities through more than 3,400 financial advisors in 2,000 offices throughout the United States. For more than 30 years, Raymond James Financial Services has provided a wide range of services through our affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both broker/dealers are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a financial services holding company which has more than 4,800 financial advisors serving 1.4 million accounts throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total client assets are approximately $171 billion, of which approximately $30.7 billion are managed by the firm’s asset management subsidiaries.

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For more information, contact Tracey Bustamante at 727-567-2824.
Please visit the Raymond James Press Center at raymondames.com/media.