Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Adds OptionEase to Suite of Global Stock Plan Software

Expands the partnered solutions offering for corporate clients who sponsor equity compensation plans

New York ,- --

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney announced today that its Global Stock Plan Services (GSPS) group will accept data from corporate clients using OptionEase, a provider of stock plan administration software. The Firm has added the OptionEase platform to its partnered solutions offering, which allows sponsors of equity compensation plans to administer those plans using their preferred software, while partnering with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney to give employees access to trade execution, online account resources and personal support. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney provides stock plan services to nearly 2.5 million participants at more than 500 corporations globally, including more than 20 percent of the Fortune 500.1

In addition to OptionEase, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney partners with clients using other leading stock plan software, including Solium Transcentive LLC, EASi and Equity Edge®. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has established an automated process to facilitate the flow of plan data, enabling plan participants to easily view and execute transactions for their stock plan awards. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney supports all types of stock plan instruments including Incentive and Non-qualified Stock Options, Restricted Stock and Restricted Unit Awards, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, Stock Appreciation Awards (stock settled) and Performance Awards. The Firm was one of the first to develop a partnered solution for stock plan services and is committed to expanding the offering.

“We offer our corporate clients the choice they want so they can achieve the maximum value from their plans. We’re excited to now be able to work with the OptionEase software and demonstrate the power of the partnered solution to a new set of clients and their employees,” said Julian Clark, Head of GSPS at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a global leader in wealth management, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, credit and lending, cash management, annuities and insurance, retirement and trust services. For further information about Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, please visit www.morganstanleysmithbarney.com.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,300 offices in 42 countries. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.