EXHIBIT 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John P. Margaritis
Chief Executive Officer
Research Partners International, Inc.
(212) 208-6500
Stockholders of Research Partners International, Inc. Approve Name Change to
Firebrand Financial Group, Inc., Re-elect Two Directors And Elect New Director
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New York, New York, July 26, 2000 -- Stockholders of Research Partners
International, Inc. today approved a change in the Company's name to Firebrand
Financial Group, Inc., they also re-elected James I. Krantz and Arnold B.
Pollard to its board of directors and elected Richard Edlin for the first time
to its board of directors.
The change in the Company's name was effected to better reflect the focus of its
business resulting from the disposition of its research subsidiary, Southeast
Research Partners, Inc., and its composition as a group of financial service
companies. The new name also reflects the Company's mission as a holding company
of financial services entities.
Firebrand Financial Group, Inc., through its five primary operating
subsidiaries, GKN Securities Corp., EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., Shochet Securities,
Inc., EBCapital (Europe) AG and Dalewood Associates, Inc., provides investment
banking, online investing, merchant banking and asset management, and securities
brokerage and trading services, with an emphasis on small and mid-capitalization
companies and early- stage growth companies. Headquartered in New York City, the
Company maintains operations in New York, Florida and Zurich, Switzerland.
Effective July 27, its common stock will trade on the Nasdaq National Market
under the symbol FFGI and its new cusip number is 318149 10 1.
This press release contains forward-looking statements by the Company that
involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Such risks
and uncertainties are described in the Company's filings with the SEC, including
its annual report on Form-10K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2000.
