Press Release

February 8, 2010

RAYMOND JAMES RECRUITS
TOP ADVISORS DURING FIRST QUARTER

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James Financial (NYSE-RJF) continued to attract experienced financial advisors to its Private Client Group during the firm’s first quarter of the 2010 fiscal year (Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2009) and also into January.

“Recruiting for both traditional employees and independent contractors has certainly slowed from the record levels of early 2009,” stated Chet Helck, Raymond James COO and head of the firm’s Private Client Group. “But we are still attracting top tier advisors who recognize that Raymond James is a stable firm, where they can put their clients’ interests first, own their own book of business^*, access superior resources and research, all while receiving the highest levels of client service.”

Joining the firm in Oklahoma City was 25-year veteran Ron Richardson, CFP® and J. Dale Thurman who came from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney where they managed over $86 million in client assets. Alex Opoulos and Nick Holmes joined the Raymond James office in Charleston, SC from Merrill Lynch where they had revenue of $1.1 million and managed over $200 million in client assets. Brothers Tom and Steve Biermann joined the firm’s St. Louis, MO branch from Wells Fargo Advisors where they had revenue in excess of $770,000 and managed over $100 million in client assets. Tom began his career with A.G. Edwards more than 23 years ago and was joined by Steve in 2006.

Among several advisors affiliating with the firm as independent contractors were brothers Henry and Lloyd Graham, who came from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Houston, Texas, and have already attracted client assets of over $300 million; Billy Peterson, who has opened an office in Ogden, UT, spent ten years with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney where he managed $200 million in client assets; and Jodi Vleck a $1 million-plus producer with 11 years experience moved from Addison Avenue FCU (Hewlett Packard’s employee credit union) in San Diego, CA where she managed client assets of $165 million.

About Raymond James
Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF) is a Florida-based diversified holding company providing financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities through its subsidiary companies. Its three wholly owned broker/dealers (Raymond James & Associates, Raymond James Financial Services and Raymond James Ltd.) and Raymond James Investment Services Limited, a majority-owned independent contractor subsidiary in the United Kingdom, have a total of more than 5,300 financial advisors serving approximately 1.9 million accounts in more than 2,300 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total client assets are approximately $232 billion, of which $30 billion are managed by the firm’s asset management subsidiaries

^* Qualifying criteria apply.

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For more information, contact Anthea Penrose at 727-567-2824.
Please visit the Raymond James Press Center at raymondjames.com/media.