Spain

HSBC Bank plc Sucursal en España

HSBC Bank plc's presence in Spain dates from the establishment of a branch in 1982. It has long-standing relationships with many medium to large Spanish domestic and multinational companies, as well as financial institutions and the public sector in both Spain and Portugal.

The branch has a physical presence in Madrid and Barcelona, and operates primarily as a sales and distribution office. It provides corporate and institutional banking products to both local and overseas customers wishing to operate in Spain and Portugal.

HSBC Bank plc is a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world.

Global Banking

HSBC in Spain provides a wide range of corporate and investment banking services to top-tier Spanish and Portuguese companies and subsidiaries of foreign multinationals that operate internationally. We provide global banking through local teams comprising, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking and Project and Export Finance.

Corporate Banking is HSBC's client relationship management platform, which draws upon the expertise of multi-disciplinary product specialists from our global businesses including global transaction banking, global markets and financing.

HSBC's client relationships are based upon a long-standing and deep understanding of their businesses, the environments they operate in and their corporate strategy. This understanding allows us to deliver optimal client service and focus client solutions across a broad range of products, services and geographies.

Our relationship banking professionals are selected on their ability to identify and deliver the broadest possible range of products to our clients and to recommend the most appropriate financial products and solutions to our customers.

Alongside our international presence and capabilities, HSBC in Spain also has strong local capabilities:

• Acquisition finance
• Credit and loan facilities
• Trade services
• Domestic and international payments
• Cash management services
• Debt structuring and advisory
• Project advisory
• Project finance
• Advisory and corporate finance solutions

Our dedicated local Investment Banking and Advisory team allows us to identify and deliver opportunities to our local clients and foreign clients interested in investing in Spain and Portugal. Our Spanish advisory investment bankers focus on:

• Origination and execution of corporate finance
• Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) assignments
• Divestitures
• Financial restructurings
• Associated financial solutions

This, combined with our Global Markets expertise, ensures that we are able to provide our clients with the full suite of strategic financing including debt capital markets, loan syndication, equity capital markets, equity-linked capital markets, structured and asset-backed securities and leveraged finance.

Treasury and Markets

HSBC's Madrid Global Markets business is an integral part of the Group's strategy and services the needs of corporates, financial institutions and the public sector in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. HSBC is a leading provider of a variety of financial products, including:

• Rates
• Foreign Exchange
• Credit
• Equities
• Structured Derivatives

The Global Markets area is committed to providing a unique service and seamless solutions to our clients by using its expertise, worldwide presence and knowledge of the markets. The area is organised according to four main client groups:

• Institutional Sales
• Corporate Risk Management Sales
• Debt Capital Markets
• Equity Sales

Institutional Sales is responsible for distributing our fixed-income products and derivatives to financial institutions. Corporate Risk Management Sales focuses on delivering tailor-made solutions to our corporate clients and the public sector. Debt Capital Markets offers a broad range of products that help clients find unique solutions to their capital and funding requirements, and Equity Sales brings our worldwide equity distribution capabilities and research coverage to our clients.

Commercial Banking

Commercial Banking is a client relationship department that provides financial products, services and solutions to a broad range of leading medium to large Spanish and Portuguese companies with international operations. It has a strong relationship-driven business model and provides customers with the following HSBC product suite:

• Treasury and Markets
• Corporate finance and advisory
• Credit and loan facilities
• Trade services
• Domestic and international payments
• Cash management services
• Export finance

Global Transactional Banking

HSBC provides local and international transaction banking services to corporations, financial institutions and non-bank financial institutions. The services we offer in Iberia include:

• Trade Services
• Payments and Cash Management

A - Trade Services

As one of the largest trade services organisations in the world, HSBC has local trade experts available to support clients wherever they do business. HSBC staff can help to put clients in control of their operations and assist them to streamline their trade processes with HSBC's advanced technology and knowledge. Our objective is to ensure that our clients' import and export transactions are managed effectively, providing their business with the best possible solutions to grow.

HSBC combines local knowledge and award-winning international trade expertise, supported by advanced technology and an extensive network.

Import-related services include:

• Documentary letters of credit
• Loans against imports
• Clean import loans
• Transferable letters of credit

Export-related services include:

• Export documentary credit confirmation
• Export documentary credit negotiation and payment
• Electronic export documentary credit advising
• Export documentary collections
• Pre-shipment finance
• Purchase/discount of collection bills
• Loans against export

B - Payments and Cash Management

HSBC holds direct membership in all of the Spanish clearing systems for low-value, high-value and non-resident payments, offering a full Euro and International Payments and Cash Management service, including current accounts and domestic payments throughout Spain.

Our receivables:

• Electronic Collections (domestic and cross border, high-value and low-value)
• Direct Debits
• Cheque collection
• Wholesale LockBox
• National Network Collections
• Receivables Management System

Our payables:

• Electronic payments (domestic and cross border, high-value and low-value)
• Cheque and promissory notes payments
• Cheque Outsourcing Service
• Payment advising
• Direct Debits in
• Payments Advising
• Accounts Payable Integration
• Taxes and Social Security

Electronic Banking:

• HSBCnet, a global electronic banking platform is available for our Spanish & Portuguese clients; the platform also offers a Spanish and English language help desk for local users.
• EDITRAN, a domestic communication protocol is also available.

HSBC Investments

HSBC Investments operates in Spain via a dedicated branch, HSBC Investments (France), Sucursal en España. Our local team provides for the first time focused and comprehensive coverage of the Iberian market, bringing a unified approach that covers all of HSBC's investment capabilities. We are focused on providing the best level of service to institutional and professional clients in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. Retail clients who wish to invest in HSBC Investments funds should approach their local bank or other financial advisor.

HSBC Investments has 2,000 asset management professionals located in more than 20 countries all over the world. Our teams are on hand to offer advice, investment opportunities, customised solutions and a wide range of services. At the end of June 2007, HSBC Investments managed 256 billion Euros⁽¹⁾ on behalf of institutions, companies, private banks and distribution networks.

HSBC Investments offers access to two boutiques, each with its own philosophy, sources of alpha and highly developed approach to risk control. Halbis, a fundamental active investment specialist, aims to generate high value-added performance over a long-term period. Organised in specialist teams, the company generates alpha by investing with real conviction. Sinopia, a quantitative investment specialist, aims to deliver robust performance in a controlled risk environment.

HSBC Investments in Madrid offers four areas of expertise drawing on the HSBC Group's presence, financial strength and values:

• Emerging markets
  HSBC Investments has 145 dedicated experts providing a strong expertise on emerging markets (54 billion euros under management at the end of June 2007)⁽¹⁾.
• Multi-management
  Over 40 specialists select the world's leading managers, irrespective of asset class, geographical focus and management style (22 billion euros under management at the end of June 2007).
• Cash management
  HSBC Investments offers a wide range of funds matching investment horizons, regulations and currencies constraints (60 billion euros under management at the end of June 2007).
• Responsible investment
  A dedicated research team and analysts offer mutual funds and bespoke investment solutions taking into account environmental, social and governance factors.

⁽¹⁾ HSBC Investments, Halbis, Sinopia

For further details on our global capabilities, please see the HSBC Investments global website: www.hsbcinvestments.com

Personal Banking

HSBC regrets to inform that it does not offer personal banking services in Spain.

Contacts

Chief Executive Officer: Luis Miguel Vilatela

Torre Picasso Floor 33, Plaza Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 1, 28020 Madrid, Spain
Tel: 34 91 456 6100
Fax: 34 91 456 6200
Email: contact.hsbc.spain@hsbc.com

Alternative Contact: Begoña Urdiain

Head of Corporate Institutional Banking: Mark J Hall
Head of Commercial Banking: Javier Linaza
Head of Treasury and Markets: Cassius Leal
Head of Global Transaction Banking: Mauricio Munguía
Head of Investment Banking: Pablo López de Henares
Head of HSBC Investments: Michael Seed

For Human Resources matters, please contact: Beatriz Sevilla
For Media enquiries, please contact: Paulina Sánchez del Río

HSBC Bank plc Sucursal en España is registered with the Bank of Spain (Branches of Foreign EU Credit Entities Register) under the number 0162 and in the Mercantile Registry of Madrid under the codes T.5.879, Gral. 4.934, Secc. 3ª (L.Sociedades), F.30, H.nº48471, Ins, 1ª (Spanish Tax ID number A-0061401-F). The branch is regulated and supervised by the Financial Services Authority, the Bank of Spain and the National Stock Exchange Commission (CNMV) and is subject to the applicable rules and regulations issued by these Regulators.