Duff & Phelps, LLC, a nationally recognized middle-market investment banking and financial advisory services firm, was ranked fifth in terms of number of deals and eleventh in terms of the number of professionals in the Crain's Chicago Business 2001 annual ranking of Illinois investment banking companies. A total of approximately thirty firms were included in this year's list. Duff & Phelps, headquartered in Chicago since 1932, had 26 investment banking and valuation professionals during 2001. During 2000, Duff & Phelps advised on eight financial transactions with more than $400 million in transaction value of Illinois-based companies. The eight transactions exclude the firm's experience outside of Illinois. The company was also ranked fifth in terms of number of deals transacted, as well as eleventh for the number of professionals in its firm for the year 2000. Along with Duff & Phelps, other firms included in Crain's 2001 rankings included CS First Boston, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, William Blair & Co., LLC, Salomon Smith Barney, Lehman Brothers, and Deutsche Banc Alex Brown.