Skip Paul has joined Centerview Partners as a Los Angeles-based senior advisor in the firm's advisory practice, with a focus on the media and entertainment markets. He most recently was interim CEO of National Golf Properties (sold to Goldman Sachs) and the founder investor in Flektor (sold to News Corp).
4 min read · 27 April 2010
Wildfire Interactive Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif.-based provider of social media marketing software, has raised an undisclosed amount of minority equity funding. Summit Partners led the round, and was joined by individual angels Jeff Clavier, Aydin Senkut and Gary Vaynerchuk.
3 min read · 27 April 2010
Alan Warrick has joined Lovell Minnick Partners, a private equity firm focused on the financial services sector, as a senior advisor. He previously was managing director of strategic business development for AEGON USA Financial Services Group and previously was CEO of Transamerica Worksite Marketing (a member of the AEGON Group).
2 min read · 27 April 2010
3 min read · 27 April 2010
GTCR has agreed to acquire Protection One Inc. (Nasdaq: PONE), a Lawrence, Kansas-based provider of electronic security services to the residential, commercial and wholesale markets. Sellers include Quadrangle Group and Monarch Capital Partners. The deal is valued at $828 million, including the refinancing of debt. Protection One stockholders will receive $15.50 per share, which represents a 13% premium to Friday's closing price. Debt financing has been committed by JP Morgan Chase Bank, Barclays Capital and TCW/Crescent Mezzanine.
3 min read · 26 April 2010
Wall Street Systems, a developer of financial trading and treasury engines, has acquired the assets of Speranza Systems Inc., a Portland, Maine-based provider of a web-based platform for administering bank relationship and signatory/authorization management. No financial terms were disclosed. Wall Street Systems is a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus.
3 min read · 26 April 2010
2 min read · 26 April 2010
The Universities Superannuation Scheme has acquired a $135 million stake in the $1.77 billion Neuberger Berman Secondary Opportunities Fund II. This makes USS the fund's largest limited partner. The seller was the Lehman Brothers Estate, which retains a $50 million position in the fund.
3 min read · 26 April 2010
Eastern Link Capital is raising up to RMB 200 million (approx US$29m) for a China-focused fund that will invest in late-stage and mid-market companies. The industry focus is on consumer spending, with an emphasis on IT. The firm already has held a first close on RMB 100 million, and expected to secure the remainder within the next six months.
2 min read · 26 April 2010
Stifel Financial (NYSE: SF) has agreed to acquire Thomas Weisel Partners (Nasdaq: TWPG), in an all-stock deal valued at more than $300 million.
5 min read · 26 April 2010
