LRG Capital Group Makes Second Investment in Japan's Arque Orion Group

LARKSPUR, CA, Jan 24 (MARKET WIRE) --
LRG Capital Group LLC, a global merchant bank specializing in private equity,
real estate and secured debt financing, as well as financial-advisory
services, announced today it has made a follow-on investment in Arque Orion
Japan Partners ("Arque Orion"), which operates regional wealth management and
securities brokerages in Japan. In July 2007, LRG Capital Group disclosed
its initial investment and a partnership that gives Arque Orion's
high-net-worth clients access to the global merchant bank's investment
management and corporate-advisory expertise, and to its institutional
connections worldwide.

"We are pleased to announce a follow-on investment in Arque Orion based on
its phenomenal growth of nearly 40 percent sequentially," said Lawrence
("Larry")
Goldfarb, founder and CEO of LRG Capital Group. "Arque Orion expects to post a
revenue growth rate of more than 1,600 percent over the past 14 months. Our
investments in a highly successful emerging company like this reflect our
ability
to effectively source compelling, value-creating deals globally and across a
diverse
range of industries."

LRG Capital Commercial Ventures, a business unit of LRG Capital Group,
madethe initial and follow-on investments in Arque Orion. LRG Capital Group is
also the investment manager for the BayStar Capital III Investment Fund, a
multi-strategy fund established in July 2007 that makes direct investments in
middle-market, public and late-stage private companies. The fund is managed
by Goldfarb, whose previous funds -- BayStar Capital I and BayStar Capital II --
have collectively invested more than $1.5 billion of equity in more than 250
companies.

About LRG Capital Group LLC

LRG Capital Group LLC (www.lrgcapital.com) is a global merchant bank which
provides innovative solutions to middle-market companies. The firm specializes
in private equity, real estate and secured debt financing, as well as
financial-advisory services to a diverse range of publicly traded and private
companies. With offices in San Francisco, New York and Miami, the firm
represents companies on equity and debt placements, restructurings,
recapitalizations, management buyouts and other strategic alternatives. LRG
Capital
Group is also the investment manager for the BayStar Capital Funds.
Additionally, the firm invests in and owns various entertainment interests, as
well as U.S. and foreign real estate assets including derivative interests in
real estate securities and real estate development projects and properties.

About the Arque Orion Group

The Tokyo and Los Angeles based Arque Orion Group (www.arqueorion.com), is
the investment manager for Arque Orion Japan Partners, LLC, which makes direct
control investments into Japanese broker/dealers and other Japanese financial
service companies as part of an active roll-up/consolidation investment
strategy. The group
operates a US broker-dealer and a registered investment advisory business,
principally to support its Japanese venture. The Arque Orion Group's acquisition
targets in Japan are typically traditional regional stock brokerage companies.
Acquired companies are master branded under the "Avalon" name but encouraged
to retain unique identities and corporate cultures. The group expects to become
a conduit for global investment products into many regions of Japan normally not
accessed by Western firms.

Media contact:
Greg Jones
The Blueshirt Group
415.217-4964
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