Harris Williams & Co. is pleased to announce that BI Incorporated (BI), a portfolio company of AEA Investors LP (AEA), has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with The GEO Group (GEO; NYSE:GEO). The transaction, valued at approximately $415 million, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011. The transaction is being led by Chris Williams from the firm's Richmond office as well as Jim Reinhart, Vince Carey, and Matt Conaty from the firm's San Francisco office.

Harris Williams & Co. is pleased to announce the sale of Rewards Network Inc. (Rewards Network; NASDAQ: DINE), a leading marketing services company to the independent restaurant industry, to EGI Acquisition, L.L.C. (EGI Acquisition), an affiliate of Equity Group Investments, L.L.C. (EGI), a private investment firm, for $13.75 per share in an all-cash transaction. Ned Valentine, Doug Yablonski and John Klim from Harris Williams & Co.'s Richmond office led the transaction.

Harris Williams & Co. announces the pending sale of The Dwyer Group Holding Company (Dwyer), a portfolio company of The Riverside Company (Riverside), to TZP Group LLC (TZP) in a transaction valued at approximately $150 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of this year. Harris Williams & Co. acted as the exclusive advisor to Dwyer. The transaction was led by Ned Valentine, Bob Baltimore, Patrick McNulty and Lanre Osinusi from the firm's Richmond office.

Harris Williams & Co. announces that Hawk Corporation (Hawk; NYSE Amex: HWK), a leading worldwide supplier of off-highway friction products for brakes, clutches and transmissions, has been acquired by Carlisle Companies, Inc. (Carlisle; NYSE: CSL) for $50.00 per share in an all-cash transaction, representing an equity value of approximately $413 million. Hawk was advised by a Harris Williams & Co. team led by Hiter Harris and Patrick McNulty from the firm's Richmond office and Bill Roman, Jay Hernandez and Matt Volinsky from the firm's Boston office.