NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Nov 16, 2012) - Marlin & Associates, the boutique investment banking and strategic advisory firm, today announced that the firm has been nominated and named a finalist as the Boutique Investment Bank of the Year. Additionally, Marlin & Associates has been named a finalist for the following Five Deal-of-the-Year Awards:

• M&A Deal-of-the-Year (Between $500mm and $1 Billion) for Marlin's role advising Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe and JMI Equity on its purchase of a majority interest in Triple Point Technology from ABRY Partners;
• M&A Deal-of-the-Year (Between $25mm and $50mm) for Marlin's role advising Coalition Development Ltd. (London, United Kingdom) on its sale to Credit Rating and Information Services of India Ltd. (CRISIL), a subsidiary of McGraw-Hill;
• Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal-of-the-Year (Between $10mm and $100mm) for Marlin's role advising NaviNet on its sale to Lumeris and three Blue Cross/Blue Shield organizations: Highmark, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon), and Independence Blue Cross (IBC);
• Financial Services Deal-of-the-Year for Marlin's role advising IMS Research (Wellingborough, UK) on its sale to IHS, Inc.; and
• Technology, Media, Telecom Deal-of-the-Year (Between $10mm and $100mm) for Marlin's role advising NYSE Euronext on its purchase of a minority interest in Fixnetix.

"We are always honored to see our hard work recognized by our peers," said Ken Marlin, Managing Partner at Marlin & Associates. "Five Deal-of-the-Year awards plus the nomination for Boutique Investment Bank of the Year is truly humbling."

Each year, The M&A Advisor, a conference producer and newsletter publisher serving the middle market finance industry, recognizes top deal-making professionals serving the $10 million - $1 billion (sales) market in fields such as investment banking, private equity, legal services, and accounting. The M&A Advisor nominates firms and individuals for awards based on their creativity and resourcefulness, persistence, business savvy, and value-added. The finalists are selected by an independent body of experts who represent a cross-section of the middle market financing industry.

The award winners will be revealed at the 11^th Annual M&A Awards Gala at the New York Athletic Club in New York City on December 11^th, 2012.

Marlin & Associates is one of the most active firms advising buyers and sellers of US and international middle-market information and healthcare-technology firms. The firm is headquartered in New York, NY and has additional offices in San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Toronto, Canada; and Hong Kong, China. Marlin has been the recipient of numerous awards, including twice being named "Middle-Market Investment Banking Firm of the Year," as well as the "Middle-Market Financing Agent of the Year -- Equity," and has been recognized for leading multiple "Deals-of-the-Year" Awards including: the "Financial Technology Deal of the Year," the "International Cross-Border Deal of the Year," and the "Middle-Market Financing -- Computer, Technology and Telecommunications Deal of the Year." Marlin & Associates' team of professionals has advised over 200 information-technology transactions.

About The M&A Advisor

Since 1998, The M&A Advisor has been the preeminent organization facilitating connections and recognizing achievement in the top performers of the M&A, turnaround and financing industries through its leading Awards, Summits, M&A ALERTS™ newsletters, M&A LINKS™ social network, M&A MARKET INTEL™ research and publishing service and M&A CONNECTS™ business development services.

About Marlin & Associates

Marlin & Associates Holding LLC is a boutique investment banking and strategic advisory firm specializing in acquisitions and divestitures of U.S. and international middle-market firms that provide technology, digital information and healthcare-related products, technology and services. The firm is headquartered in New York, NY and has additional offices in San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Toronto, Canada; and Hong Kong, China. Further information can be read at [ www.MarlinLLC.com ].

Marlin & Associates Securities LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marlin & Associates Holding LLC, is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is a FINRA/SIPC member firm ([ www.finra.org ]). Investment banking and/or securities are offered through Marlin & Associates Securities LLC. Marlin & Associates' professionals have advised on more than 200 successfully completed transactions.

Some clients that Marlin & Associates has advised include:

• DMLT LLC (dba Investment Café) of Tampa, Florida, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to eFront;
• Correlix of New York, NY, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to TS-Associates;
• Ideas International Ltd. (ASX: IDE) of Hornsby, Australia, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Gartner (NYSE: [ IT ]);
• Coalition Development Ltd. of London, UK, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to CRISIL, a subsidiary of McGraw-Hill (NYSE: [ MHP ]);
• IMS Research of Wellingborough, UK, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to IHS;
• NYSE Euronext (NYSE: [ NYX ]) of New York, NY, which Marlin & Associates advised on its acquisition of Fixnetix;
• Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe of New York, NY, which Marlin & Associates advised on its acquisition of a majority interest in Triple Point Technology;
• Atrium Network of London, UK, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to TMX Group (TSX: [ X ]);
• NYSE Euronext (NYSE: [ NYX ]) of New York, NY, which Marlin & Associates advised on its acquisition of Metabit (Tokyo, Japan);
• Subserveo, Inc. of Vancouver, Canada, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to DST Systems, Inc. (NYSE: [ DST ]);
• Photolibrary Group of Sydney, Australia, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Getty Images, Inc.;
• NaviNet, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which Marlin & Associates advised on its acquisition of Prematics;
• Qatarlyst of Doha, Qatar, which Marlin & Associates advised on its acquisition of London-based RI3K;
• SMARTS Group of Sydney, Australia, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to NASDAQ OMX (NASDAQ: [ NDAQ ]);
• SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) of Brussels, Belgium, which Marlin & Associates advised on its acquisition of Ambit Messaging Hub from SunGard;
• Avox of Wrexham Wales, UK, a majority-owned company of Deutsche Börse (ETR: DB1), which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC); and
• Strategic Analytics of Santa Fe, New Mexico, which Marlin & Associates advised on its sale to Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ: [ VRSK ]).