MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2008--Piper Jaffray & Co. strengthened its public finance business with the addition of Tina Neal as a senior vice president, investment banker. Neal, who is a specialist in municipal project financings, will work out of a newly established office in Richmond, Va. and help to build the firm's public finance banking presence on the East Coast.

Neal has more than 17 years of investment banking experience and joins Piper Jaffray from Ferris, Baker Watts where she previously worked as a public finance banker specializing in project financing for both corporate and municipal entities. Prior to Ferris, Baker Watts, she was a managing director for fixed income sales and trading for Carter Kaplan & Company. Neal has considerable experience in advising authorities on complex project-based transactions, including industrial revenue bonds, municipal lease transactions, solid waste financings and various alternative energy projects.

"Tina's expertise in project financing allows her to serve a broad range of corporate and municipal investment banking clients, as well as real estate developers and owners," said Frank Fairman, head of public finance services at Piper Jaffray. "She will add to our capabilities and expertise on project finance and high yield transactions, and also help expand our business into new geographic areas of the Eastern United States."

Neal earned a bachelor's degree from Beloit College and a master's degree in economics from Virginia Commonwealth University.

About Piper Jaffray

Piper Jaffray Companies is a leading, international middle-market investment bank and institutional securities firm, serving the needs of middle-market corporations, private equity groups, public entities, nonprofit clients and institutional investors. Founded in 1895, Piper Jaffray provides a comprehensive set of products and services, including equity and debt capital markets products; public finance services; mergers and acquisitions advisory services; high-yield and structured products; institutional equity and fixed-income sales and trading; and equity and high-yield research. With headquarters in Minneapolis, Piper Jaffray has 25 offices across the United States and international locations in London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Piper Jaffray & Co. is the firm's principal operating subsidiary. (NYSE: PJC) (http://www.piperjaffray.com)

Since 1895. Member SIPC and FINRA.

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CONTACT: Piper Jaffray & Co.
Media Relations
Rob Litt, 612-303-8266

SOURCE: Piper Jaffray & Co.