First Mercury Financial Corporation Selects VDM Specialists for Its IPO

NEW YORK, Oct. 18  /PRNewswire/ -- VDM Specialists, LLC today announced that it has commenced managing the trading of First Mercury Financial Corporation (NYSE:FMR), a marketer and underwriter of specialty commercial insurance products, on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).  The initial public offering included the sale of 9,705,882 shares of common stock priced at $17, raising approximately $151 million for the Company.

"Listing on the NYSE provides our company with superior market quality and brand visibility, enhancing our value to shareholders," stated Richard H. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Mercury Financial Corporation.  "We selected VDM Specialists because of their solid track record in managing the trading of financial services companies."

"VDM's history of representing companies on the NYSE in the insurance sector positions them well to serve First Mercury Financial Corporation," said Robert Fagenson, CEO of VDM Specialists, LLC.  "As First Mercury's listing demonstrates, VDM Specialists has the depth and expertise to assist companies in listing on the world's most liquid and visible exchange."

VDM Specialists represents a variety of leaders in the insurance sector, including ACE Ltd., Manulife Financial Corp., Horace Mann Educators Corp., and Unitrin, Inc. In the broader financial services industry, VDM represents leading companies including UBS AG, BankAtlantic BankCorp, Inc., A.G. Edwards, Royal Bank of Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and MBIA, Inc.

About First Mercury Financial Corporation

First Mercury Financial Corporation markets and underwrites specialty commercial insurance products, focusing on niche and underserved segments where the company has underwriting expertise and other competitive advantages. During the company's 33 years of underwriting risks, First Mercury has established CoverX(R) as a recognized brand among insurance agents and brokers. As primarily an excess and surplus (E&S) lines underwriter, First Mercury has developed the underwriting expertise and cost-efficient infrastructure which has enabled it to underwrite such risks profitably.

  For more information, please visit http://www.firstmercury.com/.

  About VDM Specialists, LLC


As one of the largest specialist firms on the NYSE, VDM Specialists represents over 400 leading issues including Pfizer, Hewlett-Packard, The Walt Disney Co. and Apache Corp.  VDM Specialists is part of publicly traded Van der Moolen Holdings NV (NYSE:VDM).  For more information about VDM Specialists, please visit http://www.vdm-usa.com/. 

DATASOURCE: VDM Specialists, LLC



CONTACT:  Mark A. Baer, Managing Director, VDM Specialists, LLC,

[phone], ; or Media, Tristan Peniston-Bird, Gavin

Anderson & Company, [phone],  



Web site:  http://www.vdm-usa.com/

http://www.firstmercury.com/ 

Copyright