Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research Hires U.S. REIT Team

NEW YORK, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch
Research today announced that a five-person U.S. Real Estate Investment Trust
(REIT) team has joined the company from UBS. The new hires include Jeffrey
Spector, head of the U.S. Equity Research REIT team; James Feldman, senior
U.S. REIT analyst; and Lindsay Schroll and Andrew Ryu, associates on the team.
Also joining the team, but starting in late June, is Michelle Ko, senior U.S.
REIT analyst.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090218/CLW006LOGO )

Craig Schmidt, a senior U.S. REIT analyst at Banc of America
Securities-Merrill Lynch since 1995, remains in his current role and will
report to Spector. The U.S. REIT team will be based in New York.

"We are proud of our proven record of attracting top talent to our Research
franchise," said Steve Haggerty, head of Banc of America Securities-Merrill
Lynch Americas Equity Research. "Jeff and the entire U.S. REIT team will bring
our clients a deep level of understanding and insight into this dynamic
sector."

The goal of Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research is to be the
premier global research franchise, providing clients with exceptional service,
value-added investment insights and alpha-generating investment
recommendations. Since January 2009, Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch
Global Research has hired 12 analysts in the United States and an additional
23 analysts globally.

The company covers nearly 3,000 stocks globally and ranks in the top tier in
many external surveys. Most recently the company was named Top Global Broker,
Top U.S. Broker and Number 2 Europe Broker by Financial Times/StarMine and
Best Brokerage by Forbes/Zacks. In addition, the company ranked No. 2 in the
2009 Institutional Investor All-Europe Research team survey and No. 3 for
Equity and Fixed Income Research in the 2008 Institutional Investor
All-America Research team surveys.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving
individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large
corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and
other financial and risk management products and services. The company
provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 55
million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail
banking offices, more than 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with
nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading
wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment
banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes serving
corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank
of America offers industry-leading support to more than 4 million small
business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and
services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries. Bank of
America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones
Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Bank of America Merrill Lynch" is the marketing name for the global banking
and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending,
derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed by banking
affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A.,
member FDIC. Securities, financial advisory, and other investment banking
activities are performed by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America
Corporation ("Investment Banking Affiliates"), including Banc of America
Securities LLC, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, which
are both registered broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC. Investment
products offered by Investment Banking Affiliates: Are Not FDIC Insured * May
Lose Value * Are Not Bank Guaranteed.

www.bankofamerica.com

SOURCE Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch Research

Susan McCabe Walley, Bank of America, +1-212-449-0389, susan_mccabe@ml.com