Christopher Witkowsky

Lehman group wins Neuberger auction

A management group from Lehman Brothers beat out a $2.15bn bid from Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman for the bank's investment management division, which includes infrastructure and some private equity businesses.

Crown Capital closes C$250m debt fund

The Canada-based firm will use the fund to target mid-market debt investment opportunities.

Genstar buys healthcare company from Advent, CCP

Advent International and CCP Equity Partners acquired the healthcare services company in 2004.

Carlyle-backed Hawaiian Telecom files bankruptcy

The largest telephone carrier in Hawaii cited a heavy debt load, increased competition and market turmoil as reasons to seek protection under Chapter 11 while it restructures its business.

BCE buyout hits another snag

KPMG has told BCE that it cannot deliver a solvency opinion before the 11 December scheduled closing of the $42bn transaction.

CAI hires former Canadian foreign affairs minister

David Emerson, former Canadian minister of foreign affairs, will advise the private equity firm’s portfolio companies. Emerson, who has served as deputy finance minister, minister of industry and minister of foreign affairs, retired from his lengthy career in government in September.

Carlyle cuts 10% of staff

The global buyout firm will eliminate 100 jobs and close its Menlo Park office to adjust to the contractions in global financial markets. It recently closed its Warsaw office and eliminated its Asian leveraged finance team.

Bite-sized pieces

A recent large acquisition that included a large amount of debt shows that LBOs are not dead -- they just need more participants to be successful, writes Christopher Witkowsky.

Investcorp, Barclays buy Italian vending machine maker for €800m

The private equity firms acquired Europe’s largest food and beverage vending machine maker from Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity and Argan Capital using about €600m of debt arranged by eight lenders.

Aureos holds second close on $67m for Central Asian fund

The emerging markets firm hopes to raise $100m for the fund, whose investor base includes the Kazakhstan government-backed fund of funds Kazyna Capital.