For Immediate Release

Equity Risk Partners is pleased to announce that Gabe Levitt will be joining the firm as Director - Business Development, responsible for managing the firm’s New York, NY office. The appointment of Mr. Levitt is effective February 23, 2004.

Mr. Levitt brings to Equity Risk Partners 10 years of principal investing and investment banking experience, all within the insurance and financial services industries. Mr. Levitt began his career in the Financial Institutions Group of Goldman Sachs’ and has spent the past eight years in private equity with Securitas Capital, Grand Central Holdings, and Kenning Capital. His private equity investment activities have spanned the entire portfolio company life cycle, including early stage venture capital, growth equity and leveraged buyouts as well as companies in distress/bankruptcy.

“Gabe Levitt has the unique blend of extensive private equity investing experience along with a deep knowledge of insurance and the insurance industry. This combination will prove extremely valuable to Equity Risk Partners and its clients in the assessment of risk and provision of insurance at the fund and portfolio company levels, both pre and post-transaction,” said Michael C. Marcon, President of Equity Risk Partners.

“The Northeast U.S., including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts, represents the largest concentration of private equity funds in the world. Equity Risk Partners has established a track record for providing high quality insurance and risk management services to these funds and their portfolio companies. The addition of Gabe Levitt significantly strengthens our capabilities and industry-wide relationships in this critical geographic region,” adds Mr. Marcon.

Mr. Levitt has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Economics with a concentration in Risk and Insurance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York, NY with his wife and two children.

Equity Risk Partners, with offices in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Walnut Creek, CA, is the only full service insurance brokerage and risk management consulting firm focused exclusively on the needs of the private equity community and its portfolio companies.

For additional information, please contact Melissa Abreu at 925-459-6807.