Paulson Investment Company, Inc. Names Industry Veteran Doug McCaslin as SVP

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwire - February 16, 2010) - Paulson Investment Company, Inc. (Paulson), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paulson Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: PLCC), has named Doug McCaslin a Senior Vice President of Investments. Mr. McCaslin is located in Portland, Oregon and in his new role holds a key leadership position on Paulson's Pacific Northwest sales team.

"Paulson Investment Company is proud to have Doug McCaslin as a leader on our sales team," said Trent Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Paulson Investment Company, Inc. "Doug's exceptional reputation and proven track record of excellence in client service make him an invaluable addition to our company and growing sales force."

McCaslin began his career more than 20 years ago as a financial consultant with Kidder, Peabody & Co. He progressed through the company through its acquisition by PaineWebber and subsequent merger with UBS. McCaslin has served as a Senior Vice President of Investments for the last 15 years.

"I'm honored to be part of Paulson Investment Company, an independent, full-service broker dealer that is widely respected in the industry," said McCaslin. "The Company's reputation both in the Pacific Northwest and across the country for both excellence in client services and supporting independent brokers made Paulson the perfect fit to support my existing clients and to grow my client base as I continue my career."

In addition to his more than two decades of experience, McCaslin brings to Paulson a substantial book of business of high net worth clients. McCaslin lives in Portland and is a native Oregonian. He received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and went on to receive his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

About Paulson Capital Corporation

Paulson Capital Corporation is the parent company to Paulson Investment Company, Inc. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Paulson Investment Company, Inc. is the Northwest's largest independent brokerage firm and a national leader in public offerings of small and emerging growth companies with capital needs of $5 million to $45 million. Founded by Chester "Chet" Paulson in 1970, it has managed or underwritten 165 securities offerings and has generated more than $1.2 billion for client companies.

With 40 branch offices throughout the country, Paulson Investment Company, Inc. (member FINRA/SIPC) aims to earn and build trust with retail and select institutional investors through highly customized financial portfolio management, diversified financial products and service offerings and effective administration and execution of investment strategies that specifically address individual risk tolerance levels. In addition, Paulson Investment Company, Inc.'s brokerage clients look to the firm for compelling new investment ideas in the small and emerging growth markets. The company's web site is available at www.paulsoninvestment.com.

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