BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock) is an investment management firm. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had 3.346 trillion of assets under management (AUM). The Company offers an array of equity, fixed income, multi-asset class, alternative investment and cash management products, as well as its BlackRock Solutions investment systems, risk management and advisory services. It offers its investment products directly and through intermediaries in a variety of vehicles, including open-end and closed-end mutual funds, iShares exchange-traded funds1 (ETFs), collective investment trusts and separate accounts. Its clients include taxable, tax-exempt and official institutions, high net worth individuals and retail investors. It offers a spectrum of investment management and risk management products and services. Investment management offerings include single- and multi-asset class portfolios. On December 1, 2009, BlackRock acquired Barclays Global Investors (BGI) from Barclays Bank PLC (Barclays).