NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Liquidnet announced today that it was voted the #1 Best Adoption Friendly Workplace in America by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Liquidnet received this top ranking for medium sized businesses, which are defined as businesses with 101-1000 employees.

“Liquidnet is pleased to receive this award as it demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our employees,” said Jeri Medrea, Liquidnet’s Head of Global Talent Engagement. “We believe in providing a comprehensive benefits package to all of our employees, and our adoption benefits are a key component of what we offer. We take great strides in ensuring that our employees have a quality of life that is second to none. In doing so, we are able to foster a culture that is unique, and attract and retain a world class workforce of dedicated employees,” concluded Medrea.

Rankings for the Best Adoption Friendly Workplace are determined by an analysis of a company’s adoption benefits – financial reimbursement and paid leave – available to employees who adopt. Liquidnet offers its employees a maximum of $15,000 in financial assistance, and up to two weeks paid leave.

“When my wife and I decided to adopt we had no idea at the time how involved it would be with paperwork, evaluations and cost. Liquidnet’s Adoption Assistance Program was a big help alleviating a lot of the financial stress so we could focus our energy on what was most important: our beautiful baby girl,” said Ilya Gutman, a member of Liquidnet’s Development group.

“We continue to see increases in the number of companies establishing and enhancing adoption benefit policies. Even with today’s tough economy, we found that companies are dedicated more than ever to providing competitive benefits packages to help their employees when they adopt,” said Rita Soronen, executive director of the Foundation. “It is one benefit that employers can add without negatively impacting the bottom line.”

About Liquidnet

Liquidnet is the world’s institutional marketplace that facilitates institutional equities trading for institutional investors worldwide. By giving buy-side traders a first look at a global natural liquidity pool averaging approximately 8.2 billion shares per day (for the quarter ended March 31, 2009). Liquidnet consolidates and delivers the institutional equities market directly to the desktops of 582 buy-side trading firms (as of March 31, 2009). Institutional investors use the Liquidnet marketplace to enhance the quality and speed of trade execution, gain price improvement for their trades, and, ultimately, lower overall trading costs. Launched in 2001, Liquidnet now trades in 29 equity markets across five continents. Participation in the Liquidnet marketplace is open to all market participants who can meet criteria designed to preserve the integrity of the platform. Liquidnet is headquartered in New York with offices in London, Toronto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney and Singapore. Additional company information is available online at www.liquidnet.com.

About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a non-profit public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of foster care children in North America. Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s and an adopted child, created the Foundation in 1992 in support of the vision that every child will have a permanent home and a loving family. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption focuses on increasing foster care adoption awareness while supporting model adoption service programs and is committed to ensuring that adoption from the foster care system in streamlined, affordable and accessible to any family wanting to adopt. To learn more about the Foundation’s work, go to www.DaveThomasFoundationforAdoption.org.

© 2009 Liquidnet Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Liquidnet, Inc. is a member of FINRA/SIPC. Liquidnet Europe Limited is regulated by the U.K. Financial Services Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Liquidnet Canada Inc. is a member of IIROC and a member of CIPF. Liquidnet Asia Limited is regulated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission as a licensed dealer and a provider of automated trading services pursuant to the Securities and Futures Ordinance and is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore as a Recognised Market Operator. Liquidnet Japan Inc. is regulated by the Financial Services Agency of Japan and is a member of JSDA/JIPF. Liquidnet Australia Pty Ltd. is a licensed corporation under the Corporations Act of Australia, AFSL number 312525.