Colonnade Advises Sumitomo Corp. of America on its Sale of Broadway Premium Funding Corp. to Wintrust Financial
November 1, 2007

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wintrust Financial Corporation (“Wintrust”) (Nasdaq: WTFC) today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of 100% of the ownership interest of Broadway Premium Funding Corporation (“Broadway”) from Sumitomo Corporation of America. Since 1999, Broadway has been providing financing for commercial property and casualty insurance premiums, mainly through insurance agents and brokers in the northeastern portion of the United States and California.

“This transaction is a great opportunity for both companies,” stated Edward J. Wehmer, President and CEO of Wintrust. “The transaction will help fulfill Wintrust’s plans to continue expansion in the premium finance business. Broadway serves a sector of the premium finance industry that is complementary to markets we currently serve through our First Insurance Funding Corporation subsidiary. Broadway has a terrific operating culture, solid growth and profit potential, and a dedicated management team.”

“We are excited about combining resources with Wintrust,” said Louis Caruso, Broadway’s Vice Chairman and President. “We anticipate our business continuing to thrive as a result of our established client relationships and the highly personalized approach we use to develop and serve our customer base. This is a great opportunity to partner with a successful organization that is similarly-minded in their philosophy of offering highly personalized, customer-oriented premium finance services. Wintrust’s financial capabilities will accelerate our expansion.”

Scot Feuerzeig, Broadway’s CEO and COO, emphasized that by joining forces with Wintrust, “Our customers will continue to work with the same Broadway staff and will also gain access to a wider range of products and services. We clearly see benefits for our customers and employees, and we look forward to joining the Wintrust family.”

Terms of the Transaction
The full terms of this cash transaction are not being disclosed by the parties. The transaction is not expected to have a material effect on Wintrust’s 2007 earnings per share.

Colonnade Advisors LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Sumitomo Corporation of America and Broadway in the transaction.

Broadway will continue to maintain its brand name and operational independence, and the existing experienced management team will continue to lead the company.

About Broadway Premium Funding Corp.
Broadway is a commercial finance company that specializes in financing insurance premiums for corporate entities. The company’s products are marketed through insurance agents and brokers to their small to mid-size corporate clients. Broadway is headquartered in New York City and services clients primarily in the northeastern United States and California. Broadway was founded in 1999 by Mr. Caruso and Mr. Feuerzeig and is now believed to be one of the top 12 insurance premium finance companies in the United States with approximately $60 million of premium finance receivables. The company’s website address is http://www.broadwaypremium.com.

About Wintrust Financial Corporation
Wintrust is a financial holding company whose common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: WTFC). It operates 15 community bank subsidiaries in the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Currently, Wintrust operates a total of 78 banking offices and is in the process of constructing several additional banking facilities.